Persistent chemical pollutants continue to contaminate global ecosystems

Persistent chemical pollutants continue to pose significant environmental and health risks globally. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called ‘forever chemicals’ due to their strong carbon-fluorine bonds, are increasingly found in soil, groundwater, and drinking water systems. The EPA has finalized enforceable drinking water limits for certain PFAS, increasing the regulatory pressure on property owners to implement remediation strategies.

Similarly, banned flame-retardant compounds known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) remain widespread in European ecosystems. A systematic review of 181 studies published in ‘Environmental Research’ indicates that these legacy pollutants, which were outlawed in the early 2000s, continue to circulate through modern recycling streams and contaminate environments ranging from Spanish offices to alpine snow in Slovakia. These chemicals persist in sediments, wastewater sludge, and soil, maintaining ongoing exposure risks for humans.