OP: @[email protected]

To paraphrase, ‘one cost of safety is eternal vigilance’

As manufacturers attempt to change the definition of PFASs (forever chemicals), a group of scientists have come together to defend the existing definitions.

The undersigned are scientists with expertise in per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and/or the management of chemicals. We assert that the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) definition of PFASs is scientifically grounded, unambiguous, and well suited to identify these chemicals. We are concerned that some individuals and organizations are seeking a redefinition of PFASs endorsed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) to exclude certain fluorinated chemical subgroups from the scope of the existing definition. We are concerned that this effort is politically and/or economically, rather than scientifically, motivated. An IUPAC-endorsed and potentially narrower PFAS definition could confer undue legitimacy from the endorsement by a recognized global scientific organization and, thereby, influence regulatory bodies and others to adopt less protective policies.