Researchers at the University of Notre Dame are adding to their list of consumer products that contain PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a toxic class of fluorine compounds known as ‘forever chemicals’. In a new study, fluorinated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic containers, used for household cleaners, pesticides, personal care products and, potentially, food packaging, tested positive for PFAS. The PFAS were capable of migrating from the fluorinated containers into food, resulting in a direct route of significant exposure to the hazardous chemicals, which have been linked to several health issues including prostate, kidney and testicular cancers, low birth weight, immunotoxicity and thyroid disease. PFAS doesn’t biodegrade. Once these chemicals are used, they get into the groundwater, they get into our biological systems, and they cause significant health problems.