'Forever chemicals' may face ban in EU

The PFAS have been used in tens of thousands of products including aircraft, cars, textiles, medical gear and windmills

Speaking at a media briefing in Brussels, Audun Heggelund of the Norwegian Environment Agency, said: "You can find PFAS in penguins in the Antarctic, in polar bears in the Arctic, even in rain water in Tibet."

The EU has started to consider a proposal to ban widely used substances known as PFAS or "forever chemicals" in what could become its most extensive piece of regulation of the chemical industry.

The chemicals have been used in tens of thousands of products including aircraft, cars, textiles, medical gear and windmills due to their long-term resistance to extreme temperatures and corrosion, but PFAS have also been linked to health risks like cancer, hormonal dysfunction and a weakened immune system as well as environmental damage.