They are called forever chemicals because of how long they remain in the human body and the environment. Known by the acronym PFAS, these polyfluoroalkyls are present in an estimated 98% of Americans’ bodies. As such, they have become a growing health concern.

Dr. Cyren Rico, an associate professor of chemistry at Missouri State University, studies forever chemicals and the process by which they find their way into our lives.

“So, if you go buy pizza, the pizza box, you see it’s glossy. It has some kind of forever chemicals there so that it’ll prevent the leakage,” he said, noting food packaging is the most prevalent source.

Rico says they’re in our public water supply, too – including about 40%t of private wells across the Midwest.

Going forward, Rico says, scientists face a dual challenge: How can we remove these chemicals from our ecosystem and what alternate chemicals can we use in their place to maintain our way of life?

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