The rising PFAS challenge: Why early claims could signal a systemic risk ahead

“Forever chemicals”, more formally known as PFAS (per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances) have been embedded in industrial processes for decades including manufacturing, waste management and agriculture. Used in applications that keep core sectors of the economy moving, their chemical durability also means they persist in our environment, accumulating in soil, water systems, and even the human body.

In Insurance Post’s latest podcast episode, Carolyn Mackenzie, Intact Insurance’s Director of Complex Claims for Specialty Lines, explains how the industry can draw on lessons from asbestos and other long‑tail pollution cases, noting that early environmental clean‑up claims can be a lead indicator of wider issues ahead.

Carolyn also explains that fast‑changing regulation means businesses need guidance from insurers, both on what’s required now and what may emerge in the years ahead, including where PFAS substitution could be possible. 

For now, PFAS remains a manageable emerging risk, concentrated in specific industries. But as legislation and litigation continue to evolve, it has the potential to become systemic.

Listen to the podcast.