Showing results for "forever chemicals"

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Tech & Science dictionary results for forever chemicals.

forever chemicals

American  

[fawr-ev-er kem-i-kuhlz, fer-] / fɔrˈɛv ər ˌkɛm ɪ kəlz, fər- /

plural noun

1. long-lasting chemicals, including PFAS and hydrofluorocarbons, used in the manufacture of common household items such as refrigerators, nonstick cookware, and flame-resistant furniture, that remain in the environment because they break down very slowly, and subsequently accumulate within animals and people.

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Etymology

Origin of forever chemicals

Coined by U.S. academic and public health expert Joseph G. Allen in an opinion piece in The Washington Post (2018)

Example Sentences

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forever chemicals

The bill marks the latest back-and-forth over PFAS, chemicals that are found in many different consumer, commercial and industrial products and are known as forever chemicals because some of their components don’t easily break down.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

PFAS, widely known as "forever chemicals," are among the most stubborn pollutants scientists face today.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 16, 2026

He also worries about persistent liabilities tied to cleaning up so-called forever chemicals, PFAS, which 3M once produced and have been found in water supplies. 3M has reserved billions of dollars for cleanup.

From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026

"If you look at removing forever chemicals, getting rid of microplastics, things like that, those are things traditionally, if we take 15, 20, 30 years to figure out that's a very long time," he said.

From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026

Bayer also said it expected to pay another $3bn in separate RoundUp cases, including from several states in the US over its relationship to forever chemicals.

From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2026