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Forever chemicals are in Canadians' air, water and blood

Forever chemicals are ubiquitous in industrial and household items, and have made their way into our water, air and even blood. What’s being done to protect us?
CBC News ·
A woman stands holding a cut-up brown paper bowl with lab benches and equipment in the background.
Prof. Miriam Diamond holds one of the compostable paper bowls analyzed in her lab. That type of food container was found to have high levels of PFAS or 'forever chemicals.' (Robert Krbavac)
Front Burner24:40Forever chemicals are in Canadians’ air, water and blood

Forever Chemicals, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), have been around since the 1940s and are used in everything from non-stick pans to take-out containers to cosmetics and fire retardant. 

But flash-forward to today and the long-lasting, man-made substances have been found inside Canadian blood samples – brought in through the air and dust we breathe, and even in our drinking water. And now the federal government is proposing to list them as toxic.

Today on Front Burner, we're asking why forever chemicals are seemingly everywhere, what can be done about them, and why it's taken so long for the government to act.

Joining us is Miriam Diamond, a professor at the University of Toronto's Department of Earth Sciences and School of the Environment.

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