Canada will add PFAS, which are linked to cancer and other health problems, to toxic substances list [Video]

The federal government is moving to add PFAS, a class of thousands of chemicals used in a wide range of products from food containers to clothing, to the official list of toxic substances, in light of growing scientific and public concern about the substances in Canada and around the world.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are man-made chemicals used for their water and heat resistant properties. They are widely used in many everyday products — such as packaging, cosmetics and textiles — along with industrial uses like water-repellent coatings and firefighting foam. 

“What we’re doing is unprecedented, that we would use the Canadian Environmental Protection Act to not look at one substance… but to look at the entire family [of chemicals]. It’s never been done before,” said Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault in Montreal.

Often referred to as “forever chemicals,” PFAS have also increasingly been linked to human health problems, such as increasing cancer risk and causing …