Your Shortcut to... PFAS - the 'forever chemicals'

Squiz Today

There’s been a fair bit of concern recently after certain types of chemicals were found in a dam that feeds into the water supply of the NSW Blue Mountains. That’s because, in large enough doses, they can be harmful to humans and even cause cancer. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we’ll explain what forever chemicals are, where they’ve been found, and what health and environmental impacts they can have.

Squiz recommends:

Listening: This podcast episode from ABC Radio National called: What would it take to ensure Australian drinking water is safe from 'forever chemicals'? It’s a great explainer about the issue of PFAS in our water supply, and it also has responses from WaterNSW and the Australian Government.

Watching: This episode of Last Week Tonight with comedian John Oliver delves - somewhat irreverently - into PFAS and the DuPont case, but follows up with the very serious outcomes for America. And if that piques your interest, you could follow up by watching Mark Ruffalo on the case in Dark Waters.

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