Two well-known uses are in the making of non-stick frying/cooking pans and the foam used in fighting primarily aircraft fires (or other petroleum-based fires), hence PFAS subsurface ground contamination tends to be prevalent around military air bases where foam firefighting has been taught and practiced.

While the FDA over the years has allowed PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) to be used in paper and paperboard food packaging, it certainly makes sense today to eliminate as much PFAS as possible from the environment, because these chemicals (like the ones used in firefighting foams) simply don’t go away—they don’t naturally decompose—hence they’ve become known as the “forever chemicals.”

The use of health-harming PFAS chemicals in disposable food packaging and tableware is a widespread practice across Europe, as shown in a recent study undertaken by Czech NGO Arnika, in cooperation with the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), CHEM Trust and six other non-profit organizations in Europe.