PFAS: How ‘Forever Chemicals’ Impact Medical Devices

Introduction:

Since 1940, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) - a class of artificial compounds, have been used globally in a variety of industrial and consumer items. Widely recognized in items like non-stick cookware, water-repellent clothing, carpets, and firefighting foams, PFAS are also present in medical devices and their packaging. PFAS are known as "forever chemicals" because of their strong carbon-fluorine linkages, making them highly persistent in the environment and the human body.