An Earth Day lesson in ‘forever chemicals'
From The UC Irvine Podcast by University of California, Irvine
April 13, 2026 · 15 min
About this episode
Scott Bartell discusses the impact of PFAS, their health effects, and ongoing research efforts.
When the first Earth Day was recognized, on April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans – at the time, 10 percent of the total U.S. population – demonstrated in gatherings around the country to protest industrial developments that had led to serious human health impacts. And so began the modern environmental movement. The theme for Earth Day 2026 is “Our Power, Our Planet” – chosen to emphasize that everyone can further environmental progress. One wrong trying to be righted by researchers in UC Irvine’s Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health involves per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – a massive group of synthetic chemical compounds that don’t break down easily. Known as PFAS, they are pervasive and persistent. The most studied of these “forever chemicals” indicate a toxicity that affects liver and thyroid function, and some have been shown to lead to cancer. In 2019, Scott Bartell, professor of environmental and occupational health, launched the UCI PFAS Health Study after receiving a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to lead California’s contribution to a national multisite probe. In this episode of The UC Irvine Podcast, Bartell will share what drew…
People in this episode
Guest: Scott Bartell
Topics covered
- environmental health
- PFAS
- Earth Day
- public health
- toxic chemicals
- environmental movement
Keywords
- forever chemicals
- PFAS
- environmental contaminants
- health study
- toxic substances
- Earth Day
- public health
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of California, Irvine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UCI PFAS Health Study
Places: California
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