New UN Expert Warns of Enduring Risks from Persistent Toxic Chemicals
A newly appointed independent expert has urged the international community to address the long-term environmental and health impacts of synthetic chemicals, arguing that current management practices threaten fundamental human rights.
Bethanie Carney Almroth, who assumed her role as the independent expert on toxic chemicals and hazardous waste in August, told the Human Rights Council that poor management of these substances threatens many, if not all, human rights. She highlighted a particular concern regarding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS or forever chemicals, which are prevalent in everyday consumer goods. According to a recent UN report cited during her address, once released into the environment, these synthetic compounds can persist for centuries, and there is currently no established method to remove them from contaminated ecosystems.
The exposure to these chemicals occurs across their entire lifecycle, from industrial production sites to the food, water, and consumer products that people use daily. This widespread presence raises significant risks to human health, including impacts on hormone systems, liver function, and immune response. The report emphasized that PFAS can cross the placenta and have been detected in umbilical cord blood and breast milk, thereby exposing individuals during particularly sensitive stages of development. Carney Almroth noted that such exposure impairs the right to life, health, and a safe working environment, while also limiting access to information and justice.
Uneven distribution of toxic pollution
The consequences of toxic pollution are not distributed equally, making it a matter of global environmental justice. PFAS are primarily manufactured in industrialized states but spread globally through emissions, trade, and the transboundary movement of contaminated waste. However, communities already facing poverty, discrimination, and marginalization are disproportionately affected. According to the expert, workers, women, children, Indigenous Peoples, and people of African descent are often exposed first and to the greatest extent.
Carney Almroth explained that a human-rights-based approach requires asking not just how much pollution exists, but who is poisoned and who benefits from it. She emphasized the need to identify who bears the costs and who makes the rules governing these industries. This perspective shifts the focus from mere environmental metrics to the specific social and economic factors that determine who suffers the consequences of industrial chemical use.
Shifting focus toward prevention
As a former professor of ecotoxicology, Carney Almroth stated that her mandate is dedicated to moving upstream. This involves not only addressing the cleanup of existing toxic pollution but also preventing unnecessary or dangerous contamination before it occurs. She recalled the conclusion of a UN report calling for an urgent ban on all non-essential uses of PFAS. The report argued that when pollution is potentially irreversible, waiting for complete scientific certainty about its longevity and dangers can itself create lasting harm.
The expert also highlighted the need for states, courts, and other partners to have access to reliable information on toxic pollution to enable more effective policymaking. She stressed the importance of protecting independent science from conflicts of interest, disinformation, and manufactured doubt. By ensuring that scientific findings are accessible and unbiased, decision-makers can make informed choices that prioritize public health and environmental safety over industrial convenience.
Integrating science and human rights
Carney Almroth emphasized that her work aims to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard in the dialogue about toxic chemicals. She argued that science helps identify harm, while human rights frameworks clarify why that harm matters and whose rights must be protected. The knowledge and experience of affected people are essential for understanding what meaningful solutions require. This integrative approach seeks to bridge the gap between technical data and lived experience to create robust regulatory frameworks.
As noted in the coverage by GN geopolitics/rights, the independent experts appointed by the Human Rights Council are not UN staff and receive no salary for their work. This independence is crucial for maintaining the integrity of their assessments and recommendations. The forward-looking challenge lies in translating these urgent calls for prevention and justice into concrete international agreements and national policies that can effectively curb the spread of persistent toxic waste.
