Precautionary Principle

Forever chemicals, such as Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA or C8), have leached their way into the environment since their creation in the early 1930s. These substances, along with pesticides like dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), cause sicknesses and deformities in humans and animals alike. Man-made chemicals have had a very controversial existence and have helped humanity almost as much as they have harmed it. Forever chemicals have their name for a reason; because they never leave, their compounds are so strong that it can take thousands of years for them to break down. They are extremely durable and are passed from parents to children through fertilization and birth. PFAS and PFOA were mainly spread through giant corporations’ neglect and greed. Many of these companies are still open, and most barely took a dent from the lawsuits. Companies like DuPont have been on the receiving end of this backlash for many years with minimal consequences. In the chemical world, most things are considered “safe until proven dangerous.” This is a terrible philosophy, and the number of times that chemicals were in widespread use, damaging people and the environment, is more than can be counted. As a society, we should practice “dangerous until proven safe.” If not for us, for our future children and the people who will inhabit the world long after we are gone. New chemicals and materials need to be tested and proven safe within a time period before they can be released to the public, because without these regulations, what's to say that the companies will ever stop poisoning us?