Harmful PFAS chemicals detected in common-use items in Belgium
PFAS, known as “forever chemicals,” persist in the environment, raising concerns about their accumulation in ecosystems, drinking water, and the human body.
BELGIUM – Testachats, a Belgian non-profit consumer protection association, found per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS) in 68 of 229 consumer goods claiming to be grease-free, waterproof, and dirt-repellent.
Together with eight other consumer organisations, Testachats analysed 229 products, including kitchen textiles, home textiles, health products (such as dental floss), menstrual underwear, and products that come into contact with food (such as microwave popcorn bags and baking paper).
They found products containing PFAS in almost every category, with waterproof mattress protectors and oven gloves being the only exceptions.
PFAS are man-made chemical compounds that do not break down in the environment, hence their name “forever chemicals.” This raises concerns about the consequences of them building up in ecosystems, drinking water, and the human body.
Some scientific studies have associated chronic exposure to certain PFAS with the disruption of hormone levels, reproductive and growth disorders, kidney disease, liver damage, certain cancers and cytotoxicity, among others.
Testachats calls on national authorities to conduct more checks and ensure that current regulations are complied with. In addition to checks, the organisation believes a stricter legal framework is urgently needed.
“We advocate a ban on PFAS in all products for which these substances are not essential. Our research showed that alternative substances and techniques exist for certain product classes, such as cosmetics. Some manufacturers already use these,” Testachats spokesperson Laura Clays said.
Testachats further suggests that manufacturers transparently indicate whether or not their product contains PFAS, and companies working with alternatives must be transparent about which ones they are and conduct sufficient research to determine whether it is safe enough for health and the environment.
Advancing efforts to combat PFAS contamination
Beyond Belgium, several other developments are in place to mitigate exposure to the “forever chemicals” globally.
In Europe, while the EU is still planning a universal PFAS restriction, France just recently joined Denmark in paving the way for action on PFAS by adopting a ban on consumer products.
The adopted ban also adds PFAS to the list of substances monitored in drinking water in France, imposing on companies a fee of €100 (US$104) per 100 kg of PFAS emitted into the environment.
However, the Environmental Law Group ClientEarth recently stated that the bill has “undeniable shortcomings” in excluding industrial uses and cookware.
“Alternatives to PFAS in cookware exist; they are already being sold and work perfectly well. That’s why we hope cookware is included in the proposed EU ban,” the NGO’s legal expert Hélène Duguy told C&EN.
The draft law originally included a ban on PFAS-containing cookware, but it was removed from the final text when industry representatives lobbied heavily against the inclusion.
Groupe SEB, which manufactures Tefal frying pans, rallied its employees to protest against the bill near the French Parliament.
Regardless, Hélène Duguy applauded France for being one of the first countries to act on what is both a public health and environmental crisis.
On the other hand, Denmark banned PFAS in paper and cardboard food packaging in 2020, and from July 2026, it will also ban the sale and import of consumer clothing, footwear, and waterproofing products containing PFAS.
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