What are PFAS and Why Should You Care
In 2020, Denmark became the first country to ban PFAS.
In April 2024, The French government approved an initial draft of a bill that targets the manufacture, import, and sale of cosmetics, clothing, and ski wax containing PFAS.
In the same month, the Environmental Protection Agency in the U.S. also set national limits for PFAS in drinking water for the first time.
Several chemical companies in the U.S., including 3M, DuPont de Nemours Inc., Chemours, Corteva, and Johnson, are facing lawsuits for the pollution of water with PFAS, leading to billion-dollar settlements.
So what are PFAS and why are governments around the world taking strict action against them?
What are PFAS?
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a group of thousands of lab-created chemicals that are used to make products more stain-resistant, waterproof, or nonstick. They are called “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down naturally, lasting at least hundreds of years in soil and water. Eventually, they make their way into humans.
These chemicals exist in more than 12,000 forms. We don't know the full effect of PFAS on human health yet but they have been linked to a variety of adverse health effects such as decreased fertility, high blood pressure in pregnant people, increased risk of certain cancers, developmental delays, and low birth weight in children, hormonal disruption, high cholesterol and reduced effectiveness of the immune system.
It’s hard to avoid PFAS. They are in everyday products such as non-stick cookware, food packaging, and waterproof clothing.
An April 2024 study tested 40 types of bandages made by companies such as Band-Aid, Curad, Walmart, and CVS and found that 65% of the products contained alarming levels of PFAS.
Another research found dangerous concentrations of PFAS in surface and groundwater in Australia, China, the United States, and parts of Europe. But these are just the places with the most testing. So, imagine what we might find with more global research!
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Where can we find PFAS in our house?
Think of any room in your house and there are high chances that it contains products that have PFAS:
Potential PFAS in your kitchen
- Non-stick cookware
- Pizza boxes and carryout containers
- Microwave popcorn bags
- Dairy and meat boxes
- Tap water
Potential PFAS in your bathroom
- Cleaning products
- Shampoo and conditioner bottles
- Cosmetics such as nail polish and mascaras
- Dental floss
- Toilet paper and menstrual products
- Waterproof clothing
Potential PFAS in the living room
- Paint on your walls and furniture
- Carpets and pads
- Screens of electronics such as TVs and phones
- Furniture
- Sticky notes
- Dust
How to Limit PFAS exposure
While it’s difficult to eliminate PFAs, we can reduce them. Here are 5 things you can do to reduce PFAS in your life:
- For cooking, use stainless steel, cast iron, and glass instead of nonstick pots and pans.
- Vacuum your house frequently using a vacuum fitted with a HEPA filter to get rid of household dust that may contain PFAS.
- For your clothing and textiles, shop from brands that have committed not to use PFAS in any of their products.
- Limit consumption of food in plastic or paper-based takeout packaging.
- Consider installing in-home water treatment filters that can help reduce PFAs in your drinking water.
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