Possible EU ban on some “forever chemicals”

Pharmaceutical and Agrichemical Companies could be banned from using some harmful “forever chemicals” after a European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) committee cast doubt on their right to have a exemption. The substances are known as forever chemicals because they take so much time to break down naturally in the environment — and have been linked to a host of health conditions, such as cancer and infertility. Pharmaceutical companies demand an exemption from the ban as they argue that forever chemicals are used throughout the pharmaceutical production process and can not be replaced. This proposal is still to be evaluated.