How to get toxic ‘forever chemicals’ out of workplaces
Organizations have a responsibility for eliminating hazardous “forever chemicals” from their workplaces—and there’s a simple two-part playbook for how to go about it, according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Joseph Allen and colleagues.
Allen, assistant professor of exposure assessment science and director of the Harvard Healthy Buildings program, wrote about how to deal with the problem of forever chemicals—per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of man-made chemicals that persist for years in the environment—in an April 8 Harvard Business Review article. Co-authors included Heather Henriksen, chief sustainability officer of Harvard University, and Michael Toffel, a professor of environmental management at Harvard Business School.
Forever chemicals’ strong fluorine-carbon bond makes it hard to break them down, which is why they’ve been useful in products such as nonstick pans, firefighting foam, paints and coatings, carpets and flooring, food packaging, and stain- and waterproof clothing. But studies have linked PFAS with a number of health risks, including kidney and testicular cancer, high cholesterol, immune system problems, and reproductive issues.
Over time, PFAS have migrated widely into the environment—including into the air and dust in buildings. Although these substances are minimally regulated, the authors offered two recommendations for organizations looking to eliminate them from their workplaces: When buying products for buildings such as wall and floor coverings or furnishings, demand transparency about what’s in them; and let suppliers know that you want to purchase only products with no forever chemicals.
The authors wrote, “Nearly every organization buying products that contain forever chemicals can … get ahead of this issue now.”
Read the Harvard Business Review article: Creating Workplaces Free of Forever Chemicals
Learn more
Exposure to PFAS associated with increased blood lipids, possible CVD risk (Harvard Chan School news)
Communities of color disproportionately exposed to PFAS pollution in drinking water (Harvard Chan School news)
