Coring operation in Oullins-Pierre-Bénite, central France, to analyze soil as part of a scientific study on PFAS, March 27, 2025. MAXIME JEGAT/ LE PROGRES /MAXPPPThe contamination of humans and their environment by forever chemicals has imposed a substantial cost on society. On Thursday, January 29, the European Commission released a study that assessed the cost of pollution from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the European Economic Area. Depending on the scenario, costs are expected to range from €330 billion to €1.7 trillion by 2050. According to the report, this worsening would increase the number of contaminated sites from 11,500 to 14,200 and, consequently, increase the number of people exposed.