A Recipe for Disaster?

The foods we eat, the water we drink, the products we coat our faces in, and even the clothes on our backs all contain tiny, invisible chemicals that most of us trust without a second thought. But should we? Are these substances actually safe? Are they lingering inside our bodies and, if so, what does this mean for our health?

In this first episode of Toxic!, materials scientist Mark Miodownik explores the far-reaching and unsettling world of PFAS – so-called ‘forever chemicals’, named for their stubborn tendency to persist in the environment for… well… almost forever. Speaking to expert scientists, Mark discovers just how fantastically useful this vast family of chemicals is, while also confronting the more sinister and mounting evidence around their short- and long-term health implications.

Joined by his friend and colleague, leading PFAS expert Dave Megson, Mark brings the investigation into his kitchen and cooks lunch. From fish to frying pans to dishwasher tablets, he uncovers the surprising places that PFAS are lurking in our everyday lives. And finally – for a dose of optimism – he explores the exciting new science that might one day help us flush the PFAS out of our bodies more quickly.

Series Producer: Mel Brown
Researcher: Alex Rodway
A BBC Studios Production