Why are EU ministers having blood tests for ‘forever chemicals'?
The initiative, led by the Danish Ministry of Environment and Gender Equality in partnership with the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) and non-profit ChemSec, aims to raise awareness of the growing PFAS pollution crisis affecting citizens and the environment across Europe.
Ministers who have accepted will have their blood samples analysed for 13 PFAS substances, known for persisting in the environment and accumulating in the human body.
'It is crucial that we now take strong action against PFAS pollution'
As one of the first actions of Denmark's EU Council Presidency, environment minister Magnus Heunicke launched the initiative and invited all 32 EU environment and climate ministers, as well as ministers from EFTA countries and Ukraine, to take the PFAS blood test.
Heunicke has already undergone testing alongside Jessika Roswall, the European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy.
'PFAS accumulates both in the environment and in humans, and once it is present, it is very difficult to deal with,' Heunicke says.
'In humans, we know that PFAS can, among other things, cause cancer, and it can also affect aquatic environments and animals.
'It is crucial that we now take strong action against PFAS pollution, which is why measures must be taken across the EU to prevent, contain, and clean up PFAS.'
How the EU plans to tackle PFAS pollution
Denmark, alongside Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden, has submitted a joint proposal to the European Commission to ban the production, sale, and use of almost all PFAS under the EU's REACH regulation. This legislation addresses the production and use of chemical substances, and their potential impacts on both human health and the environment.
The European Chemicals Agency's (ECHA) scientific committees are currently assessing the health, environment and socio-economic impacts of the proposal as well as the availability of safer alternatives.
'No one is immune to chemical pollution - neither people nor the environment. PFAS producers have long known the health risks - cancer, fertility issues, thyroid disease, and weakened immune system - and they're still choosing profit over people,' Patrick ten Brink, Secretary General at the EEB, says.
What are PFAS exactly?
PFAS are a group of over 10,000 man-made chemicals widely used in a long range of industrial processes and everyday products such as non-stick cookware, water-repellent fabrics, food packaging, and firefighting foams.
Known for their extreme persistence in the environment and the human body, they are often referred to as 'forever chemicals'.
Linked to cancer, infertility, thyroid disease, and immune system suppression, PFAS now contaminate the bodies of nearly all Europeans - including children, pregnant women, and adolescents.
Experts warn that PFAS pollution ranks among the most serious public health threats of our time.
The hidden cost of inaction against PFAS pollution
Cleaning up PFAS pollution could cost the EU up to €2 trillion over the next 20 years, the EEB says, with environmental remediation alone estimated at €100 billion annually - not including the additional €52-84 billion in yearly health-related costs.
Much like the tobacco and fossil fuel industries, major PFAS producers have long known about the severe health and environmental risks associated with their chemicals - yet chose to conceal the evidence, the EEB says.
Despite contributing to an estimated €16 trillion in societal costs for environmental clean-up and healthcare per year, producers continue to profit with minimal accountability.
'These companies continue to lobby against regulation, obscure the science, and mislead decision-makers, all while communities across Europe are exposed to toxic chemicals,' Brink says.
'The cost of inaction is already staggering, and it's growing by the day. We urgently need to hold polluters accountable and stop this cycle of harm.'
A spokesperson from EEB confirmed that ministers are undergoing testing today.
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