What’s all the Fuss about PFAS?

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by Amy Rowe, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

Per- and polyflouroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been in the news recently due to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalizing regulations for public drinking water systems.  Health impacts of PFAS are also being reported after years of in-depth research.

But what are PFAS?

PFAS refers to a broad class of thousands of manufactured chemicals with strong carbon-fluorine bonds. They have been manufactured since the 1940s specifically as stain repellants, non-stick coatings, water and oil repellants, cleaning products, food packaging, personal care products, and fire-fighting foams (Figure 1). The chemical properties that make PFAS coatings desirable also make them extremely long-lived in the environment. This group of materials has been called “forever chemicals” due to their persistence, mobility, and ability to concentrate in human and animal bodies. This is called bioaccumulation, the gradual buildup of a substance in an organism because absorption outpaces breakdown or elimination.

Figure 1. A graphic showing the wide range of products that contain PFAS chemicals. Source: City of Riverside, CA, riversideca.gov/press/understanding-pfas

PFAS chemicals have wide-ranging environmental impacts. PFAS has been found in air, water, and sediment all over the world, even in the most remote areas. PFAS enters drinking water through manufacturing waste disposal or spills, leaching of contaminants into groundwater, and release into the atmosphere that deposits into rivers and streams. PFAS that leaches into the soil moves to groundwater very quickly.

According to the EPA, PFAS has been detected in drinking water in all 50 states. The EPA’s new PFAS regulations state that within 3 years, drinking water providers that service at least 25 people will be required to test the water for PFAS and to notify the public about the testing results. Within 5 years, these public water systems will have to reduce PFAS in the water if concentrations are above the standard levels. These regulations do not apply to private wells, so anyone concerned about their well water can have their water tested by a certified laboratory. 

PFAS are also being found in animals across the world, with aquatic species being impacted the most. As PFAS chemicals are being detected across the planet, even Arctic animals are being exposed to PFAS despite not being near urban or populated areas, as these chemicals travel long distances. Animals are impacted differently based on their habitats and their overall exposure, but immune, reproductive, endocrine, and nervous systems are a few that are impaired. There is concern for the health and sustainability of all these animals, but there is also concern for our food systems, which impact human health.

There are several ways that PFAS chemicals can get into the body, including drinking contaminated water, eating contaminated fish, eating food packaged in PFAS-containing materials, as well as inhaling PFAS from products that are off-gassing them (for example, treated carpets or furniture). Researchers have done both human and animal studies to better understand the human health risks of PFAS and have found links between PFAS exposure and cancer, high cholesterol, colitis, liver damage, thyroid disease, asthma, and decreased fertility, among other ailments.

PFAS chemicals are ubiquitous in the environment, but there are some measures you can take to reduce your exposure and be as safe as possible.

• Do not purchase products or furniture labelled as “stain-resistant” and “water-resistant.” Do not spray coatings on your furniture or clothes.
• Check the label and avoid products with “fluoro” ingredients, especially polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE.
• Avoid non-stick cookware as much as possible and consider glass, stainless steel, or cast iron instead.
• Ventilate your home well, especially while cooking.
• Take your shoes off immediately after arriving home and leave them at the door, as PFAS chemicals can be tracked into your home from the outside world.
• Vacuum and dust frequently, so that PFAS does not build up.
• For recreationally caught fish or other seafood, the FDA recommends that consumers check their state fish and shellfish consumption advisories. A searchable list of fish advisory websites maintained by states, territories, and tribes is available on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website.
• If your drinking water has PFAS in it, according to your water company or well testing, consider installing an in-home water treatment system such as a faucet carbon cartridge filter or reverse osmosis system to reduce concentrations.

We can all do our part to keep our families as safe as possible from PFAS by reducing exposure pathways and not buying products that have these “forever chemicals.”

Additional Resources:

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, US Environmental Protection Agency.
www.epa.gov/pfas

What are PFAS?, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/health-effects/overview.html

How Can PFAS Affect Your Health?, PFAS Exchange.
pfas-exchange.org/how-can-pfas-affect-your-health/

How to Limit PFAS in Your Drinking Water and Food, According to Experts, CNN.
www.cnn.com/2024/04/10/health/pfas-water-filters-food-wellness/index.html