Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
The biggest chemical cover up in history. PFAS has polluted the entire global water system. Now, potentially dangerous forever chemicals are being found in the entire US population. Go to groundnews.com/Ve to get all sides of every story. Subscribe to save 40% off the unlimited Vantage Plan through our link.
If you’re looking for a molecular modelling kit, try Snatoms, a kit I invented where the atoms snap together magnetically - ve42.co/SnatomsV
Sign up to the Veritasium newsletter for weekly science updates - ve42.co/Newsletter
We have a tabletop game launching! Pledge your support now - ve42.co/KickStarterD
▀▀▀
0:00 Killed by Fridges
5:27 Teflon and The Manhattan Project
7:59 Teflon is Tricky
11:37 The Teflon Revolution
13:27 Earl Tennant's Farm
17:34 Inside DuPont
20:28 Fluoride In Drinking Water
25:00 It's bigger than that
29:23 What is PFAS?
35:56 How much PFAS is in Derek’s blood?
37:56 How forever chemicals get into your blood
46:18 Removing PFAS from drinking water
49:30 Can you lower your PFAS levels?
▀▀▀
Thank you so much to everyone who voted for this video to win the people's voice awards for best longform at the 2026 Webby Awards. We couldn't have done it without you. Thank you again for all your support!
A huge thank you to Rob Bilott for his time and expertise. Check out his fantastic book: Bilott, R. (2019). Exposure. Simon and Schuster - ve42.co/7R
Rob's story also inspired the 2019 film: Dark Waters.
Thank you to Doctor Mike for giving us a medical perspective on PFAS! Check him out at @DoctorMike
Thank you to Henrik Haggeman and the Puraffinity team, as well as Andrew Patterson and Eurofins, for doing the PFAS testing.
Thank you to Leslie Hamilton, Johns Hopkins APL, Alex Conrad, Imperial College London, Jana Avgustini, and Matija Krvavica for their help on the project.
▀▀▀
PFAS Tools:
PFAS Blood Test - ve42.co/PFASTest
What's My Exposure? via www-pfas.pfas-exchange.org - ve42.co/myexposure
Serum PFAS Calculator via ics.uci.edu - ve42.co/pfascalculator
Interactive Map: PFAS Contamination Crisis via ewg.org - ve42.co/pfasmapinteractive
The Map of Forever Pollution via foreverpollution.eu - ve42.co/foreverpollutionmap
Australian PFAS Chemicals Map via pfas.australianmap.net - ve42.co/australianpfasmap
▀▀▀
References:
References can be found here - ve42.co/PFASReferences
Images & Video:
Image and video references can be found here - ve42.co/PFASVisuals
3D Models:
"Low Poly Base Mesh-530 Tri" (skfb.ly/onsxE) by Huge_Man
"Blood Vessel" (skfb.ly/owHJX) by IMU University
“Generic Factory” (skfb.ly/onQpR) by assetfactory
"Lowpoly People + Waldo" (skfb.ly/6zqCE) by Loïc Norgeot
PFOA Molecule via PubChem - pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Perfluorooctanoic-acid
▀▀▀
Special thanks to our Patreon supporters:
Adam Foreman, Albert Wenger, Alex Porter, Alexander Tamas, Anton Ragin, Balkrishna Heroor, Bertrand Serlet, Blake Byers, Bruce, Dave Kircher, David Johnston, David Tseng, Evgeny Skvortsov, Garrett Mueller, Gnare, gpoly, iRick, Jon Jamison, Juan Benet, Keith England, KeyWestr, Kyi, Lee Redden, Marinus Kuivenhoven, Matthias Wrobel, Meekay, meg noah, Michael Krugman, Orlando Bassotto, Paul Peijzel, Richard Sundvall, Sam Lutfi, Samuel White, TTST, Tj Steyn, Ubiquity Ventures, wolfee
▀▀▀
Writers: Gregor Čavlović & Derek Muller
Producer & Director: Gregor Čavlović
Editors: Peter Nelson & Jack Saxon
Camera Operators: Tas Underwood, Emilia Gyles, Gregor Čavlović & Derek Muller
Animators: Andrew Neet, Emma Wright & Fabio Albertelli
Illustrators: Caine Esperanza, Jakub Misiek & Maria Gusakovich
Assistant Editor: James Stuart
Additional Editor: James Horsley
Researchers: Geeta Thakur, Darius Garewal, Gabe Strong & Emilia Gyles
Thumbnail Designers: Ren Hurley & Ben Powell
Production Team: Rob Beasley Spence, Tori Brittain, Casper Mebius, Sulli Yost & Matthew Cavanagh
Executive Producers: Derek Muller & Zoe Heron
Additional video/photos supplied by Getty Images, Pond5.
Music from Epidemic Sound
The biggest chemical cover up in history. PFAS has polluted the entire global water system. Now, potentially dangerous forever chemicals are being found in the entire US population. Go to groundnews.com/Ve to get all sides of every story. Subscribe to save 40% off the unlimited Vantage Plan through our link.
If you’re looking for a molecular modelling kit, try Snatoms, a kit I invented where the atoms snap together magnetically - ve42.co/SnatomsV
Sign up to the Veritasium newsletter for weekly science updates - ve42.co/Newsletter
We have a tabletop game launching! Pledge your support now - ve42.co/KickStarterD
▀▀▀
0:00 Killed by Fridges
5:27 Teflon and The Manhattan Project
7:59 Teflon is Tricky
11:37 The Teflon Revolution
13:27 Earl Tennant's Farm
17:34 Inside DuPont
20:28 Fluoride In Drinking Water
25:00 It's bigger than that
29:23 What is PFAS?
35:56 How much PFAS is in Derek’s blood?
37:56 How forever chemicals get into your blood
46:18 Removing PFAS from drinking water
49:30 Can you lower your PFAS levels?
▀▀▀
Thank you so much to everyone who voted for this video to win the people's voice awards for best longform at the 2026 Webby Awards. We couldn't have done it without you. Thank you again for all your support!
A huge thank you to Rob Bilott for his time and expertise. Check out his fantastic book: Bilott, R. (2019). Exposure. Simon and Schuster - ve42.co/7R
Rob's story also inspired the 2019 film: Dark Waters.
Thank you to Doctor Mike for giving us a medical perspective on PFAS! Check him out at @DoctorMike
Thank you to Henrik Haggeman and the Puraffinity team, as well as Andrew Patterson and Eurofins, for doing the PFAS testing.
Thank you to Leslie Hamilton, Johns Hopkins APL, Alex Conrad, Imperial College London, Jana Avgustini, and Matija Krvavica for their help on the project.
▀▀▀
PFAS Tools:
PFAS Blood Test - ve42.co/PFASTest
What's My Exposure? via www-pfas.pfas-exchange.org - ve42.co/myexposure
Serum PFAS Calculator via ics.uci.edu - ve42.co/pfascalculator
Interactive Map: PFAS Contamination Crisis via ewg.org - ve42.co/pfasmapinteractive
The Map of Forever Pollution via foreverpollution.eu - ve42.co/foreverpollutionmap
Australian PFAS Chemicals Map via pfas.australianmap.net - ve42.co/australianpfasmap
▀▀▀
References:
References can be found here - ve42.co/PFASReferences
Images & Video:
Image and video references can be found here - ve42.co/PFASVisuals
3D Models:
"Low Poly Base Mesh-530 Tri" (skfb.ly/onsxE) by Huge_Man
"Blood Vessel" (skfb.ly/owHJX) by IMU University
“Generic Factory” (skfb.ly/onQpR) by assetfactory
"Lowpoly People + Waldo" (skfb.ly/6zqCE) by Loïc Norgeot
PFOA Molecule via PubChem - pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Perfluorooctanoic-acid
▀▀▀
Special thanks to our Patreon supporters:
Adam Foreman, Albert Wenger, Alex Porter, Alexander Tamas, Anton Ragin, Balkrishna Heroor, Bertrand Serlet, Blake Byers, Bruce, Dave Kircher, David Johnston, David Tseng, Evgeny Skvortsov, Garrett Mueller, Gnare, gpoly, iRick, Jon Jamison, Juan Benet, Keith England, KeyWestr, Kyi, Lee Redden, Marinus Kuivenhoven, Matthias Wrobel, Meekay, meg noah, Michael Krugman, Orlando Bassotto, Paul Peijzel, Richard Sundvall, Sam Lutfi, Samuel White, TTST, Tj Steyn, Ubiquity Ventures, wolfee
▀▀▀
Writers: Gregor Čavlović & Derek Muller
Producer & Director: Gregor Čavlović
Editors: Peter Nelson & Jack Saxon
Camera Operators: Tas Underwood, Emilia Gyles, Gregor Čavlović & Derek Muller
Animators: Andrew Neet, Emma Wright & Fabio Albertelli
Illustrators: Caine Esperanza, Jakub Misiek & Maria Gusakovich
Assistant Editor: James Stuart
Additional Editor: James Horsley
Researchers: Geeta Thakur, Darius Garewal, Gabe Strong & Emilia Gyles
Thumbnail Designers: Ren Hurley & Ben Powell
Production Team: Rob Beasley Spence, Tori Brittain, Casper Mebius, Sulli Yost & Matthew Cavanagh
Executive Producers: Derek Muller & Zoe Heron
Additional video/photos supplied by Getty Images, Pond5.
Music from Epidemic Sound
