GNV News 2025 January 19

In January 2025, an investigative report led by 46 journalists from 16 countries as part of the “Forever Pollution Project” was released. The investigation into PFAS, a collective term for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances among organofluorine compounds, presented findings on the chemical industry’s organized lobbying to block efforts to restrict PFAS, as well as on the costs of PFAS cleanup across Europe.

According to the investigation, most of the arguments put forward by lobbyists—especially those seen in the plastics industry—included false or misleading claims, and lobbying aimed at hollowing out the European Union (EU) system for regulating PFAS was rampant. It was also revealed for the first time that if these hazardous substances continue to be discharged without limits, cleaning up PFAS contamination in Europe would cost an astonishing €2 trillion over 20 years, or €100 billion annually.

PFAS were first manufactured in the 1940s and, thanks to their stability, low friction, and water- and oil-repellent properties, have been widely used in a variety of commercial and industrial products and processes, from food packaging to semiconductor manufacturing. At the same time, these substances have properties of persistence, high accumulation, and long-range transport, and because they remain in the human body and the environment, they are also known as “forever chemicals.” It has been reported that they can lead to reduced immune function, developmental delays in children, and an increased risk of cancer.

Learn more about industries related to disinformation and their issues → “The Anti-Disinformation Industry”

Learn more about the plastics issue and media coverage → “The Plastics Problem: What Does Coverage Reveal?”

A factory producing PFAS (Photo: Make more Aerials / Shutterstock.com)