The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the World Health Organization (WHO), has evaluated the carcinogenicity of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS).

PFOA and PFOS are widely used chemicals in a large group of fluorinated compounds called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), sometimes called “forever chemicals” because they do not degrade easily.

A Working Group of 30 international experts from 11 countries was convened by the IARC Monographs programme for a meeting on 7–14 November 2023 in Lyon.

After thoroughly reviewing the extensive published literature, the Working Group classified PFOA as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) and PFOS as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B).

Covered in the Guardian