PFAS, a group of chemicals added to many everyday products, became a concern years ago in the medical community, but governmental agencies were slow to impose regulations. It is now clear that these “forever” chemicals are everywhere and in everyone. For years, epidemiologists have worked to establish the effects of these toxins on human development and general health. Even now, though, controls on PFAS production and use are inadequate. Philippe Grandjean has been a leader in the international scientific research on PFAS. He provides, in this discussion, the information the public needs for dealing with PFAS-related health issues, and also explains why so much data was not available to researchers until recently.
Philippe Grandjean MD, DMSc, is a professor of environmental health at the University of Southern Denmark. He is currently also a research professor at the College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island and Principal Investigator of STEEP (Sources, Transport, Exposure & Effects of PFAS) there. For twenty years he served as an adjunct professor of environmental health at Harvard T.H. Chan of Public Health, where he received one of many awards for his contributions to the field of environmental health. Dr. Grandjean was the founding Editor-in-Chief of the open-access journal Environmental Health that has become a major medium for publishing research in this field. He is also the author of Only One Chance –How to Protect the Brains of the Next Generation (2013). He is a Consultant to the Danish Health and Medicines Authority. Most of his scientific journal publications relate to adverse effects in children exposed to chemical pollutants.
