Published: May 2026 | Author: Sandi Schaible "Forever chemicals" have become one of the defining regulatory stories of the decade. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — PFAS — are synthetic chemicals that do not break down in the environment or the human body. They have been found in drinking water, soil, fish, and the blood of people around the world. Regulators in the US, Europe, and beyond are setting ever-stricter limits, and industries that have relied on these mate