Understanding ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Everyday Products
You may have heard the term “forever chemicals” appearing in the news or in conversations about household products, drinking water and the environment. The term generally refers to PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. This is a large group of manufactured chemicals that have been used for decades in a wide range of industrial and consumer applications.
But what exactly are PFAS chemicals, why have they been used, and why are people paying more attention to them?
What Are PFAS?
PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals that have been widely used since the 1950s.
They became useful because they resist water, grease, stains and heat. These properties made PFAS suitable for many specialised applications and consumer products, particularly where durability or resistance to liquids, oils and high temperatures was required.
PFAS is not one individual chemical. Rather, it is a broad term for a large family of chemicals with different properties and uses. While they share certain chemical characteristics, individual PFAS can behave differently and have been developed for different purposes.
Some of the better-known PFAS include PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS, which have received particular attention in Australia and internationally. As research and regulation have developed, interest has also grown in understanding the wider PFAS family and how these chemicals are used.
Why Are They Called “Forever Chemicals”?
Many PFAS are extremely persistent.
Their chemical structure makes them resistant to breaking down, which helped make them useful in the first place. However, it also means some PFAS can remain in the environment for a very long time. This persistence has led to the commonly used description “forever chemicals”.
According to the Australian Government Department of Health, PFAS can persist for a long time in humans and in the environment. As a precaution, Australian health authorities recommend minimising exposure where possible.
Importantly, this doesn’t mean there is a need to panic. The Department of Health advises that, for most people, PFAS exposure is likely to be small.
Where Have PFAS Been Used?
Because of their ability to resist water, oil, grease, stains and heat, PFAS have been used in a broad range of applications.
These have included:
- some firefighting foams
- stain protection treatments for some fabrics, furniture and carpets
- some food packaging
- the manufacture of some non-stick cookware
- specialised industrial applications.
Over time, industry has phased out some PFAS from certain consumer products, while governments in Australia and overseas have introduced measures to restrict particular PFAS.
Are PFAS Banned in Australia?
You may have heard that Australia introduced new restrictions on PFAS from 1 July 2025.
It is important to put this into context because this does not mean that every chemical classified as a PFAS has been banned in Australia. National environmental management standards introduced restrictions covering three well-known PFAS groups:
- PFOS – perfluorooctane sulfonic acid
- PFOA – perfluorooctanoic acid
- PFHxS – perfluorohexane sulfonic acid
These standards ban or severely restrict these PFAS, subject to specified exceptions and limits. Australia is continuing to review PFAS use and environmental management. The Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS), for example, is evaluating the introduction and use of hundreds of PFAS listed on the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals.
Why Does This Matter for Everyday Products?
PFAS are a good example of why it can be helpful to understand what an ingredient does and why it is being used.
Properties such as water resistance, grease resistance and stain resistance can serve useful purposes in many products. As ingredient knowledge develops and new alternatives become available, manufacturers also have opportunities to review the ingredients they use and consider whether different options can achieve the required result.
For consumers, this doesn’t mean being worried about every chemical name on a label. Chemistry is an important part of how everyday products work. Instead, greater awareness can help us ask better questions and make more informed choices about the products we use.
Our Approach at Magic
At Magic, we believe effective cleaning and thoughtful ingredient choices should go hand in hand.
As our understanding of ingredients and their environmental impact continues to develop, so do our formulations. We regularly review the ingredients we use and, where suitable alternatives become available, look for opportunities to make considered improvements.
This approach is also helping guide the development of our newer products, where we are placing an increasing focus on naturally derived ingredients and thoughtful formulation choices while still delivering the cleaning performance our customers expect.
For us, it isn’t about creating fear around chemicals. Chemistry is fundamental to how cleaning products work. It’s about understanding the ingredients we use, why we use them, and whether there may be a better option available.
Because when it comes to the products we use around our homes, a little knowledge can go a long way.
References
- Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs)
https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/chemicals-management/pfas - Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS)
https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/chemicals-management/national-standard - Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing / enHealth Fact sheet on Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-02/enhealth-fact-sheet-on-per–and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas_0.pdf - Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) Information required on introduction of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Australia
https://www.industrialchemicals.gov.au/news-and-notices/information-required-introduction-and-poly-fluoroalkyl-substances-pfas-australia