Living with PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ can be distressing. Not knowing if they’re making you sick is just the start

By Martyn Kirk, Professor, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University

When we talk about the health effects of PFAS, we commonly think about any physical effects on the body.

For instance, does exposure to these long-lasting, per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals increase our risk of cancer, liver disease or pregnancy complications?

What’s less talked about is the psychological distress of living in a community affected by PFAS pollution – the uncertainty of whether your sickness is down to PFAS or something else, the stigma of living there, or the financial stress of watching property values drop, among other factors.

Later today,…

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