How to know if you have PFAS at home ?

Very present in your home, PFAS, these eternal pollutants can hide in your non-stick pans or even your cosmetic products ;ticks.

This Thursday, April 4, 2024, deputies are examining the proposed law aimed at "protect the population from the risks linked to PFAS", these eternal pollutants present in certain kitchen utensils and even in waterproof textiles. able. The text is inscribed &agrav; the agenda by the Ecologist group à the National Assembly. This bill from Nicolas Thierry was adopted by the National Assembly. adopted in the Sustainable Development Committee on Wednesday March 27, but in a lighter version. The debates should rage more this Thursday in the hemicycle. If the bill came to fruition to be adopted, the use of the majority PFAS could be banned from 2025.

Certain stoves and mineral waters

PFAS have been the subject of widespread media coverage in recent months due to their potential for massive contamination of the population and their dangerous nature. for health human. A new document from the National Security Agency National Security Authority health of food, environment and work (ANSES), unveiling by France Info and Le Monde this Thursday, rightly point out the contamination of certain natural mineral waters sold in bottles. It concerns waters from the Nestlé : Perrier, Vittel, Contrex and H∥ group which contain, among others, PFAS. The problem is that these famous "eternal "pollutants" are present everywhere in our daily lives and are potentially carcinogenic.

PFAS are first of all present in certain kitchen utensils. Particularly in Teflon pans, a non-stick coating, practical but which contaminates food when fine particles break off after numerous uses, or too much contact with the blade of a knife. Several solutions exist to do without this type of utensil. Indeed, stainless steel, cast iron, copper, iron or steel have healthier coatings even if they are more ;licates à maintain. 

Cosmetic products and ceramics in focus

They are also present in certain cosmetics as well as in the majority of cosmetics. perfluorinated products. Here, PFAS appear in the form of residues or traces that can irritate the skin. Plasticized food packaging can also contain PFAS. Cardboard straws and cardboard boxes pizzas are particularly in the eye of the storm. À at the European level, a directive which will come into force in 2026 and aims to ban pollutants in packaging in contact with food. Finally, PFAS can also be used to waterproof the fabrics of your sofa. preferred or your waterproof sports clothing. To find out if your windbreaker contains it, read its label. The labels bluesign, Oeko-Tex or Green Shape are in principle guarantees of safety.

Be careful, if the ceramic coating has been democratized… in recent years, particularly for simmering delicious dishes, and that it is generally present in the kitchen. like "without PFAS", this is not the case. Based on a test carried out in January 2024, UFC-Que Choisir has identified 3 PFAS out of the 70 searched for in the Renew One of Tefal (ceramic). If the quantities found are minimal, it remains essential to be wary of these “PFAS-free” indications. which could prove to be misleading.