A type of PFA, a 3D chemical structure of PFOS. Credit: Martin Kirk
Some of the most remote and inaccessible regions on the planet have traces of humanity.
Mariana trenches have plastic. Mount Everest looks like a garbage dump. And the Arctic Ocean is full of “eternal chemicals,” known as PFA.
One person and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs) are a group of thousands of synthetic chemicals.
They became popular in the 1950s and began to appear everywhere. One common example is the Perfluorooctano acid (PFOA), which was used to produce Teflon.
Martin Kirk is an epidemiologist at the Australian National University. He was the principal investigator of the PFAS Health Study, which was carried out between 2016 and 2021.
“They were used as stick anti-stick coatings, anti-stain coatings, cosmetics, medicines, fast food and packaging,” says Martin.
“Essentially, the entire population of developed countries is exposed.”
Especially permanent
As the name “eternal chemical” suggests, PFA is rather non-reactive or inactive.
Organic molecules are usually made of carbon and hydrogen atoms. However, PFA is made of atoms of carbon and fluorine, and the bonds between those atoms are much stronger.
This property makes them particularly lasting.
Scientists are not sure how long it will last in the environment. Some estimates suggest that it takes more than 10 years to clear the human body.
Their persistence means that they can also accumulate in the body over time.
Scientific studies demonstrate that high levels of PFA exposure can have many negative health effects.
The impact on health
In fact, every time a scientist goes to look for PFA in the human body, they find them.
This seems quite surprising, but our understanding of the impact of PFA continues to evolve as more work is done.
Several well-known legal cases have put the PFA in the spotlight.
Katherine of the Northern Territory, the town of Williamtown in New South Wales, and Oakey of Queensland received $212 million in compensation from the Australian government for loss of property value and suffering in 2021.
Biological effects
The PFAS Health Study, led by Martyn in 2016, reviewed the medical literature on PFA and human health and examined how chemicals influenced these three local communities.
We examined the blood levels of PFA in residents exposed to PFA via groundwater contamination, and compared these results with uncontaminated communities.
This study showed that the levels of some PFA in the blood of residents of affected communities were higher than those in the comparative community.
In some cases, they were also associated with higher blood cholesterol levels.
“These chemicals clearly have biological effects on humans,” says Martin.
“When you test people, you can find low levels of evidence in the blood. These levels drop over time.”
PFA goes everywhere
This study was consistent with previous findings that revealed the extent to which PFA penetrated the human body.
PFA can be found in the lungs, testes, liver and kidneys. Australian researchers recently discovered PFA in the human brain, but their health effects have not yet been evaluated.
Various institutions and environmental organizations point to a collection of scientific research that suggests that PFA reduces fertility, increases the risk of cancer, affects immune responses, and interferes with hormones.
Most guidance is a precaution, as science is looking for more answers on how PFA affects human health.
“The consensus is that it’s not as clear as those like asbestos and mesothelioma,” says Martin.
Has the changes been progressing well?
Australia has made a major change in the way different PFAs are handled in the last few years.
Although there are no manufacturing facilities, you may be exposed to chemicals through food packaging, clothing and carpets.
Historically, fire drill training at many sites, such as airports and Australian Defence Force (ADF) bases, has released many PFAs into the environment.
In Washington, the Perth and Jandacott airports used fire forms containing PFA.
Tests at Jandacott Airport identified chemicals in groundwater on public lands at the airport’s northwest boundary.
According to Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, some of the concentrations detected PFA at a “acceptable” level.
Other WA sites include a variety of ADF sites that have been used by HMAS Sterling and firefighters. Management plans are in place as defense investigates pollution.
“A slow and moving disaster”
The PFAS Health Study provided a qualitative assessment of people living in PFAS-contaminated communities.
Martyn said the study showed “very strong psychological effects” on residents of affected communities, but this was not related to PFAS blood levels.
He says the effects of pollution go beyond health.
“We call these types of phenomena slow moving disasters,” says Martin. “They are not only related to physical health, they are related to mental health.”
“They are also (related) assets. They are lifestyle changes. You can no longer have eggs with your own backyard chicken.”
Health risks are the greatest for people in communities where PFA is present in water or soil.
As our understanding grows, we are reassessing our relationship with eternal chemicals.
Costly cleanup
Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is planning to release final guidance in April on the acceptable levels of PFAs for four types of drinking water.
As scientific evidence continues to accumulate, NHMRC has reduced the tolerable levels of various PFAs in our water supply and has become in line with regulations around the world.
The Australian government has been working since 2002 to reduce the amount of PFA used in Australia.
The import and use of PFA has been prohibited since July 2025. However, it applies only to three types of PFA: PFOA, Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), and Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHX).
Some experts say we need to go further. The PFAS group contains so many chemicals that it is not sufficient to be banned.
Stuart Khan is a water quality expert at the University of Sydney.
Stuart told the Senate Selection Committee, which will be investigating PFA in January, that he hopes that a wider range of PFAs will be banned in Australia.
He says the cleanup costs are immeasurable.
“PFA contamination threatens Australians to spend billions of dollars each year,” Stuart said.
“We have to let the polluters pay.”
This article was first published on Particle, a Scitech-based science news website in Perth, Australia. Please read the original article.
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