TRANSCRIPT
Australians could be applying toxic chemicals to their faces daily without knowing.
Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, are a group of more than 4,000 synthetic chemicals that can be added to household products to make them heat, stain, grease or water resistant.
They can be used in cosmetics to help smooth the skin or make products more durable - think 'long-wear' lipsticks, eyeshadows and foundation.
"Should we be concerned about this? Absolutely. Are people aware that they're being exposed in this way? I'd say mostly not. And I think the people should be given the choice about whether they would be putting these chemicals on their skin."
That's Dr Brad Clarke, a senior lecturer in environmental science and analytical chemistry at the University of Melbourne.
He says PFAS pose a risk both to humans and the environment because of their inability to break down.
"PFAS are highly persistent in the environment and in the human body, meaning that they don't break down and can accumulate over time. This has earned them the nickname of the 'forever chemicals'."
So what are the risks of exposure to PFAS ?
Dr Pradeep Dewapriya, from the University of Queensland's Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, says the health impacts are not fully understood.
"At the moment there's no definitive risk of PFAS because we don't have enough research yet to confirm the direct risk of PFAS or PFAS exposure but several publications are out explaining that PFAS has some kind of health risk."
Exposure to PFAS has been linked to some cancers, hormonal disruption, a weakened immune system, liver disease, kidney disease and environmental damage.
Dr Clarke says "only a small group of PFAS has been studied for their effects on human health".
He notes that, at the end of 2023, the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer evaluated the carcinogenicity of two common types of PFAS , known as P-F-O-A and P-FOS.
As a result, PFOA was classified as carcinogenic to humans and PFOS as possibly carcinogenic.
"To get a classification as group one known caston is a pretty rare thing. The evidence is compelling - that exposure even at low levels to these chemicals is a health risk."
Many countries have banned, restricted or regulated the use of PFOS and PFOA chemicals, including Australia, which has added them and a third PFAS chemical to the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard, or IChEMS, which regulates use, storage and disposal of chemicals.
Controls for three PFAS chemicals will come into full effect in 2025.
But Professor Roy Tasker, the Chief Scientific Advisor at not-for-profit environmental organisation, Planet Ark says there are thousands of PFAS chemicals, and little known about the health and environmental risks of most.
"There are 4700 of these things. And they're so many different applications, but they've regulated three of the most common ones. And they were banned in other countries, in the States and in Europe years ago. So Australia has not acted anywhere near fast enough."
So how prevalent are PFAS in cosmetics?
In 2021, a study from the University of Notre Dame found 'widespread' use of PFAS in cosmetics sold in the US and Canada.
Researchers tested more than 200 products and found around half contained high levels of fluorine - an indicator of PFAS use in the product.
Twenty-nine products that showed high levels of fluorine were further tested and found to contain between four and 13 specific PFAS.
Only one of the products listed PFAS as an ingredient on the product label.
Accord, the peak association representing the cosmetics industry in Australia, told SBS News "PFAS usage within products on the Australian market would be very limited".
In a statement, Accord said "Australian consumers can be confident that the cosmetic products they purchase from mainstream brands and retailers in Australia are safe for use, and that our industry is diligent in acting responsibly on emerging issues that are supported by the weight of scientific evidence".
But Dr Sara Gorji, a postdoctoral research fellow in environmental health sciences at the University of Queensland, says more evidence is needed.
"There's a gap in that market. Most of the studies have been done in Europe and North America, and there's no data available in Australia."
Professor Gorji is in the early stages of a study that will take samples from cosmetics sold in Australia to test for the presence of PFAS.
"PFAS are not always intentionally added to the products, so it's not always intentional. And so even the industries might not know about it. And, as you know, most of our products are imported. So background knowledge about the profile of PFAS in the Australian market could give us a good indication of our risk of exposure."
So how does the average consumer know if their make-up contains PFAS?
Professor Tasker says, typically, there’s no direct labelling of PFAS on products sold in Australia.
"If you look on the back, the list of ingredients, you won't see any mention of PFAS. And often that's because the amounts in the product are below the threshold that they need to declare on the label."
Both Professor Tasker and Dr Clarke believe there is a need for better labelling and transparency.
"I think the people should be given the choice. We are playing a dangerous experiment with putting chemicals on our skin that we don't know what they'll do. And we need to, as a community - and this really needs to be led by the government - we need to have stricter controls and also labelling so that people can make informed decisions."
In January, New Zealand announced plans to ban the use of PFAS in cosmetic products from 2026 - the first country to take this step.
A growing number of states in the US have either passed or proposed laws banning certain chemicals in cosmetics.
Restrictions in California, Colorado and Maryland will go into effect in 2025.
Cosmetics Europe, the peak association for cosmetics in the EU, recommends that by December 31 2025 manufacturers phase out the use of PFAS, if intentionally added to products.
Professor Tasker says Australia is 'way behind.'
"They wouldn't be doing this and attracting sort of pushback from industry if there wasn't a real case. Why Australia is just not acting is a puzzle to me."
A spokesperson from the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care told SBS, it "is aware" of the New Zealand ban, adding "the evidence around the human health effects of long-term PFAS exposure is still emerging."
The Department acknowledges there is "global concern about the persistence and mobility of these chemicals in the environment".
The spokesperson said "the Australian Government takes a precautionary approach and recommends PFAS exposure is minimised where possible".
