On 15 October 2026, JA PreventNCD hosted the webinar“PFAS – Why bother?”, bringing together researchers involved in JA PreventNCD and external speakers from the European Commission and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to share knowledge and perspectives on PFAS.
PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals”, are highly persistent chemicals widely used in industrial processes and consumer products. Their persistence, widespread human exposure and potential adverse health effects have made PFAS an important public health and policy concern in Europe.
The webinar presented new evidence and policy-relevant insights from JA PreventNCD, including new data on time trends in human PFAS exposure from Norway and Finland. It also marked the launch of the JA PreventNCD policy brief“Phasing Out PFAS in Europe: Urgent Actions to Protect Health and Environment”, which summarises the European regulatory landscape, identifies remaining policy gaps and provides recommendations for reducing PFAS exposure.
Speakers also provided perspectives on the health effects of PFAS, the costs of PFAS pollution for our society and the ongoing universal PFAS restriction process under REACH, highlighting the importance of combining scientific evidence and coordinated policy action to reduce exposure and prevent future health and environmental impacts.