A Ubiquitous Legacy

PFASs form a family of chemical substances widely used in a multitude of industrial sectors, not least for their exceptional resistance. However, this coveted characteristic becomes problematic when these products degrade. Indeed, PFAS residues or metabolites penetrate and remain in our environment, as well as in our bodies, in a ubiquitous and persistent manner.

The aim of this research is to generate data concerning latent contamination (slow-disaster (Fortun et al., 2017)) and to better understand how chemical regulations relate to the daily lives of contaminated people. In particular, this study aims to question the regulation of risk by thresholds, intergenerational justice through the prism of the environment, or the definition of the healthy body in situations of ubiquitous contamination. This research is rooted in a logic that brings together contaminated fields and citizens, decision-making bodies and scientific knowledge production sites.

Thesis by Gaizka Lopez Bayon under the supervision of Kim Hendrickx