PFAS Chemicals: Eternal Contaminants

Produced by

Studiofact Media Group

Leading French distributor

France Télévisions

Production year2025

Programme formatOne-off

GenresDocumentary

Runtime 52 min

Synopsis

Eternal pollutants, the PFAS, are emerging as a global public health scandal. These chemicals are ubiquitous in industry, but they also affect ecosystems and human health, and they do not degrade. For over a year, an international consortium of journalists has been investigating the tactics and strategies used by manufacturers to defend these substances. What did they know about the toxicity of their products? What have they hidden from health authorities and the populations exposed to them? Today, the question of a global ban on PFAS in Europe is on the table, but industrialists are actively lobbying against it. Through the example of Arkema, which regularly makes headlines for environmental contamination south of Pierre-Bénite, we will dissect the concealment and lobbying strategies that PFAS manufacturers have used for nearly 70 years. Using internal and confidential documents, exclusive testimonies, and the work of over thirty journalists from across Europe, we will reveal what could be the largest environmental scandal of the past and upcoming decades.