The so - called " constantly chemicals " are a broad category of substances that have been used over the last seven decades in a huge variety of industrial software program . They are technically known asper- and polyfluoroalkyl substance , or PFAS , and their crucial characteristic is that they are very stable . This reach them super utilitarian but   has go to growing concerns about how these molecules impact human health and the environment .

A reexamination of current studies on constantly chemical has now been published inScience . It calculate at what we sleep together about PFAS and finds that we actually know very niggling . There are more than 8,000 compounds in this division of chemical so understand their detailed properties and their effects when they accumulate in water , soil , and human tissue paper is an tremendous undertaking .

“ One of the biggest finding is that there is much that we do n’t have sex . There are a lot of data gaps and unknowns when it come to these compounds , just because of the bluff size of this chemical compound class , ” lead author Dr Marina Evich from the Environmental Protection Agency , told IFLScience .

“ We end up with some kind of patchwork data with some of the compound we eff quite a bit about , especially the ones we call legacy PFAS and then others we do n’t even fuck the structure of these chemical compound much less the toxicological end point . ”

A lot of the unknowns are due to the confidential business enterprise nature of the synthetic thinking of these centre , given their industrial use   – from fire - retardant foams to dirt - proof material and reverse lightning locomotive sword . Some course of instruction have corpuscle with a huge mass range , with the lowly being about five times the the great unwashed of caffeine and the great being 100 times bigger .

“ We do n’t know what we do n’t get laid . It is very hard to look for a chemical compound if we do n’t know it exists . It ’s hard to meditate the toxicology if we do n’t know the social structure of it , ” Dr Evich tell IFLScience . “ It would be useful to the residential area to know more in general ; which compounds are being fabricate ? What are the quantities they are being manufactured in ? what are the uses for these chemical compound ? "

Some of the most famed PFAs atthe snapper of environmental scandalshave been phased out and replaced by dissimilar compounds but it is not certain that they are needfully safe due to the clear want of knowledge on these subject matter . Remediation efforts to scavenge the surround are being employed but they are only just beginning , so there is a need for long - condition scheme .

“ I think one of the bad concerns with these compounds is that they are so static . They are really not going anywhere . They are pass away to be around longer than we are going to be around , ” Dr Evich told IFLScience .

“ perhaps one place we can begin is by prioritizing uses . These PFAS are in very gamey need and have place that consumer particularly enjoy . These compounds repel both vegetable oil and pee , and everybody loves that variety of applied science . in good order now there are more than 200 various applications for them . They are used in fast - food container surface , in anti - staining fabrics , somecarpets , upholstery , vesture . They are used in electronics , etc .   By prioritize uses we signify that we do n’t need to use them for everything as well as starting to seek choice . ”