Ammon – Although they did not exist a century ago, fluorescent surfactants (PFAS), known as “eternal pollutants,” now pose a serious environmental threat, as their polluting effect extends from groundwater to Antarctic snow, passing through turtle eggs, while concern is growing about their toxicity. potential.
Lawsuits and regulations targeting these polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS) are increasing, and France has become the latest country to consider imposing tough new restrictions on these long-lasting chemicals.
On Thursday, a French representative will present a draft law to address what he calls the “health emergency” imposed by exposure to these “eternal pollutants” in the environment.
These substances are widely used in everyday life, are extremely solid, and very slow to decompose, and have been detected in water, air, fish and soil at the farthest reaches of the Earth.
“No ecosystem has escaped” these pollutants, said Yann Amino, a specialist in environmental pollution at the French Institute for Oceanographic Research (IFREMER).
He spent six years examining tuna from the Indo-Pacific, dolphin livers from the Bay of Biscay, and samples from French oyster farms.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a single sample free of perfluorinated contaminants,” the researcher told AFP.
– Marine pollution –
These molecules – the most famous of which gave rise to the non-stick Teflon – were developed after World War II to give packaging, paints and coatings exceptional resistance to water or heat.
Aminu explained that this particular species represents a special problem for the oceans.
“Because they are stubborn compounds – that is, they do not decompose and are able to move – they end up in the marine environment, which is always a receptacle for pollution,” he said.
A study published last January by the American Chemical Society, a non-profit scientific organization, said that PFAS pollutants were discovered in the Arctic Ocean at a depth of 914 metres.
The French Research Institute of Oceanography recently examined the diets of two fish – sea bass and plaice – in the Seine estuary in France and discovered that PFAS surfactants are widespread throughout the food chain.
“Forever pollutants” have been shown to exist all along the chain, starting with the tiny zooplankton eaten by shellfish, consumed by smaller fish and eventually larger predators.
A study conducted in 2022 in Australia demonstrated the transfer of PFAS compounds from female turtles to their offspring even before birth, while other research found traces of these contaminants in the livers of polar bears, birds, seals, and other animals.
A wide range of scientific research has demonstrated the prevalence of fluorescent surfactants in nature, but it has been difficult to definitively determine their potential harms to humans and the planet.
More than 20 years ago, a study conducted in the United States concluded that once “forever pollutants” enter the body, they may be able to reach the brain of vertebrates and affect the nervous system.
-Chemical mixture-
Studies have since shown that exposure to some PFAS compounds (there are more than four thousand in number) may have serious health effects on humans and animals.
The issue is raising increasing concern, as French environmentalist MP Nicolas Thierry asked lawmakers to ban fluorinated surfactants as of 2025 if there are alternatives to them.
The European Union is considering imposing a comprehensive European-wide ban on these compounds starting in 2026, while New Zealand will ban their use in cosmetics by 2027.
At the beginning of this month, a US court approved a judicial settlement in which 3M agreed to pay billions of dollars due to its use of “eternal pollutants” in public water supplies.
In February, US regulatory agencies indicated that materials containing PFAS compounds would not be used in packaging microwave popcorn or other fatty foods.
Determining the potential long-term harms of exposure to these “eternal pollutants” is difficult when considering such a mixture of chemicals, which are often linked to industrial secrets, Aminu said.
He pointed out that what scientists know is “just the tip of the iceberg.”
Pierre Labadie, a researcher at the French National Center for Scientific Research, explained that examining the full range of chemicals is crucial to better understanding their impact on nature.
“A wild organism is never exposed to a single fluorescent surfactant, but rather to a mixture” of these compounds, he said.
AFP
