RESPONSE TO CALL FOR INPUT – FOREVER CHEMICALS (PFAS) & HUMAN RIGHTS

A joint submission by multiple NGOs and experts to the UN Special Rapporteur detailing systemic human rights violations in the U.S. linked to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The authors argue that the U.S. government has failed to regulate PFAS as a class, allowed military and industrial contamination of drinking water, and permitted corporate structures to shield polluters from accountability. The report highlights disproportionate impacts on Arctic Indigenous Peoples and Black and Latino communities, while noting the global transboundary movement of PFAS waste and pollution originating from the U.S.

• The U.S. military has caused extensive PFAS contamination at approximately 721 domestic installations and roughly 750 bases abroad, affecting service members and surrounding communities through drinking water and food sources.
• U.S. regulatory agencies have failed to protect the public by not regulating PFAS as a class, fast-tracking approvals for new PFAS in semiconductor and data center industries, and allowing the use of PFAS-containing pesticides, including over 2.5 million pounds annually in California.
• Drinking water contamination is widespread, with up to 45% of U.S. tap water contaminated and an estimated 105 million people served by systems with PFAS levels that present risks to human health.
• PFAS exposure disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations, specifically Arctic Indigenous Peoples due to the region acting as a 'hemispheric sink' for pollutants, and Black and Latino communities in the U.S. who are more likely to have contaminated drinking water.
• The U.S. contributes to global PFAS pollution through atmospheric and ocean transport, and by importing PFAS waste, such as GenX waste from the Netherlands to North Carolina in 2019 and 2023.
• Corporate and legal structures in the U.S. are used to avoid accountability, including the use of 'confidential business information' to withhold health data and the creation of under-resourced subsidiaries, such as the spin-off of Chemours from DuPont, to limit financial liability.
• Recent scientific evidence links PFAS exposure to severe reproductive and developmental harms, including higher rates of pre-term and low-weight births, increased first-year infant mortality, and impaired sperm motility.

APA

Earthjustice (2026). RESPONSE TO CALL FOR INPUT – FOREVER CHEMICALS (PFAS) & HUMAN RIGHTS. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026.1.9-ngo-un-submission-pfas.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. RESPONSE TO CALL FOR INPUT – FOREVER CHEMICALS (PFAS) & HUMAN RIGHTS. 2026. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026.1.9-ngo-un-submission-pfas.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Earthjustice |title=RESPONSE TO CALL FOR INPUT – FOREVER CHEMICALS (PFAS) & HUMAN RIGHTS |date=9 January 2026 |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026.1.9-ngo-un-submission-pfas.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{earthjustice2026response, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{RESPONSE TO CALL FOR INPUT – FOREVER CHEMICALS (PFAS) \& HUMAN RIGHTS}}, publisher = {Earthjustice}, year = {2026}, month = jan, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026.1.9-ngo-un-submission-pfas.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }