Read the full article by Clara Bauer-Babef (Euractiv)
“The French National Assembly’s committee of Sustainable Development and country planning unanimously adopted a bill to combat the so-called forever chemicals, or PFAs, on Wednesday (27 March).
‘The battle is not yet won but today we have won an important first victory against PFASs,’ Nicolas Thierry, the ecologist MP who tabled the bill, said in a press release after the vote.
Per- and polyfluoroalkylated substances, or PFAS, are massively used in the chemical industry and they accumulate over time in the air, soil, river water, food, and even in the human body, hence their nickname of ‘forever’ chemicals.
They are ‘extremely persistent’ in our environment and our bodies, the European Environment Agency warned in a note. They can lead to serious health problems such as liver damage, thyroid disease, obesity, fertility problems, and cancer.”