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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Tess Colley and Pippa Neill

Chemical companies lobbying MPs not to ban Pfas

Glass being filled with contaminated tap water in Santa Ana, California
Contaminated water in California. Pfas have been found in water sources in England. Photograph: MediaNews Group/Orange County Register/Getty Images

Chemical firms are lobbying MPs not to ban “forever chemicals” in the same way as proposed in the EU, using arguments disputed by scientists and described as “big tobacco playbook” tactics, it can be revealed.

Pfas, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and commonly known as forever chemicals owing to their persistence in the environment, are a family of about 10,000 chemicals, some of which have been linked to a wide range of serious illnesses, including certain cancers. They are used across a range of industries, from cosmetics to firefighting.

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