科学家呼吁减少使用含氟化合物

Fluorochemicals（含氟化合物） are synthetically produced chemicals, which repel（抵制） water and oil and are persistent towards aggressive physical and chemical conditions in industrial processing. These characteristics have made the fluorochemicals useful in numerous processes and products, such as coatings for food paper and board. "We recommend that known and safe chemicals are used, or that new alternatives are developed which are not toxic, persistent and do not accumulate in humans or the environment. Fluorochemicals should only be used were they are truly essential, and not in common consumer products"

The problem with fluorochemicals is that they are difficult to break down and accumulate in both humans and the environment. Some fluorochemicals have known correlations with harmful health effects, such as cancer, increased cholesterol（胆固醇） and a weaker immune system in children. They can also decrease men's and women's ability to reproduce, and the chemicals can be transferred from mother to child during pregnancy and through breastmilk.

Research chemist, Dr. Xenia Trier from the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark and a number of international research colleagues therefore recommend that fluorochemicals are only used where they are absolutely essential, as long as measurement methods and knowledge about their potentially harmful effects are limited. The researchers drew up the statement after attending a scientific conference about fluorinated substances (5th International workshop on poly- and perfluorinated substances (PFAS)), held in Helsingør, Denmark in October 2013.