‘Forever chemicals’ ban criticised as NSW community airs its long-held contamination concerns

Cost of fixing PFAS pollution should be borne by manufacturers and polluters, not governments and consumers, expert will tell Senate inquiry

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A water quality expert has called on the Australian government to expand a planned ban of certain PFAS as a Senate committee heard concerns from a New South Wales community affected by chemical contamination.

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a group of several thousand synthetic compounds, are found in a wide variety of products including waterproof fabrics, food packaging, hygiene products and firefighting foam. They are sometimes referred to as “forever chemicals” because they are slow to break down and persist in the environment for extended periods.

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