Read the full article by Marc Fawcett-Atkinson (National Observer)
“B.C. could soon become the first province to partially ban a group of cancer-causing chemicals used in everything from firefighting equipment to makeup. Tabled by BC Green MLA Adam Olsen, the proposed law would ban per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals in the firefighting equipment used by the province’s professional and volunteer fire crews.
PFAS are a class of water-, heat- and grease-resistant chemicals that do not break down in nature, earning them the name ‘forever chemicals.’ Researchers have linked the chemicals to a suite of health issues, from negative impacts on the reproductive system to increasing the risk of cancer or reducing the immune system’s ability to fight off infections. They also interfere with the body’s natural hormones and can cause heart problems or obesity.
While nearly ubiquitous in modern life — they’re used in everything from makeup to raincoats, and 98 per cent of Canadians have them in their blood — firefighters are exposed to particularly high amounts of the chemicals because of their prevalence in firefighting equipment. The danger of PFAS — and the lengths chemical manufacturers have gone to prevent limits on their use — have been highlighted in the latest podcast by Canada’s National Observer.” …