Systemic PFAS exposure in consumer goods: MPs demand phase-out of 'forever chemicals' in uniforms and cookware amid structural regulatory gaps

Indigenous communities have long used natural materials (e.g., beeswax, plant resins) for non-stick and water-resistant properties, offering PFAS-free alternatives rooted in intergenerational knowledge. However, these practices are systematically marginalized in favor of synthetic solutions, despite their proven safety and sustainability. The dismissal of traditional knowledge in favor of industrial chemicals reflects a broader pattern of epistemic injustice, where Western scientific paradigms dominate regulatory frameworks. Indigenous land stewardship principles, which view chemical pollution as a violation of sacred relationships with land and water, provide a moral and practical counter-framework to the profit-driven chemical industry.

PFAS were developed in the 1930s–40s with early toxicity studies ignored by manufacturers like 3M and DuPont, who suppressed data on health risks for decades. The 'better living through chemistry' ethos of the 20th century prioritized convenience and profit over safety, embedding these chemicals into global supply chains. Regulatory agencies like the EPA repeatedly failed to act until forced by lawsuits (e.g., the 2019 C8 settlement), revealing a pattern of regulatory capture. Historical parallels include asbestos and lead, where industry denialism delayed bans for generations, suggesting PFAS will follow a similar trajectory without systemic intervention.

In Japan, traditional *wagashi* confectionery uses natural starch-based coatings instead of PFAS-laden bakeware, demonstrating culturally embedded alternatives to synthetic non-stick surfaces. African and Indigenous American communities have used clay and plant fibers for cookware and textiles for millennia, with techniques now being revived in response to PFAS contamination. However, these solutions are often co-opted by corporate 'greenwashing' (e.g., marketing 'natural' PFAS alternatives as 'safe' without addressing systemic toxicity). Cross-cultural comparisons reveal that the West's reliance on PFAS is not a universal norm but a product of industrialization and regulatory failure.

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are dubbed 'forever chemicals' due to their extreme persistence in the environment and human body, with half-lives of years to decades. Studies link PFAS exposure to immune suppression, cancer, and developmental disorders, yet regulatory limits often lag behind scientific consensus (e.g., EPA's 2024 drinking water standards came 20 years after initial warnings). The scientific community has identified safer alternatives (e.g., silicone, ceramic coatings), but these are underutilized due to cost barriers and lack of industry incentives. The precautionary principle—widely ignored in PFAS regulation—demands phase-outs until safety is proven, not the reverse.

Artists like Taryn Simon have documented the hidden costs of PFAS in works like *The Innocents*, exposing how corporate secrecy shapes public perception of safety. Indigenous artists in the Amazon and Arctic use natural dyes and fibers to critique synthetic material culture, framing PFAS as a violation of ancestral relationships with land. Spiritual traditions often view chemical pollution as a desecration of the sacred, with some Indigenous groups performing rituals to 'cleanse' contaminated water sources. The aesthetic and ethical rejection of PFAS-laden products in art and spirituality highlights a cultural divide between industrial materialism and holistic worldviews.

Without systemic intervention, PFAS contamination will persist for centuries, with models predicting widespread groundwater and bloodstream exposure by 2050 if current trends continue. Scenario planning suggests that a 'PFAS-free by 2040' pathway requires banning non-essential uses, investing in green chemistry, and enforcing global treaties like the Stockholm Convention. The rise of 'forever chemical' lawsuits (e.g., against DuPont) may trigger a liability crisis, forcing corporations to internalize costs. Future generations will face either a phased transition to safe alternatives or irreversible ecological and health damage, with the latter becoming a defining intergenerational injustice.

Marginalized communities—particularly Indigenous peoples, low-income families, and communities of color—face disproportionate PFAS exposure due to proximity to industrial sites, military bases, and waste dumps. Children in these communities are more likely to wear PFAS-treated school uniforms or use contaminated water, exacerbating health disparities. Workers in textile and cookware factories (often in the Global South) are exposed to high levels of PFAS without protective regulations or compensation. The lack of representation in regulatory debates ensures that solutions prioritize middle-class consumers over those most harmed, reflecting structural racism and classism in environmental policy.