Federal Government Human Health PFAS Research Workshop

NAS
January 25, 2021

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are human-made substances used in thousands of products, from medical devices to fire-fighting foam to oil- and stain-resistant coatings on carpets and packaging. They help make these products resistant to heat, water, stains, and grease. However, research over the past several decades has found evidence that PFAS persist in the environment for long periods of time, potentially leading to harmful human exposures.

To review federal agency human health PFAS research and identify research and data gaps, the Environmental Protection Agency, with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, and Department of Health and Human Services, requested that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convene a workshop. The workshop, which was held on October 26-27, 2020, addressed topics including the federal context for PFAS research, human exposure, experimental toxicology, human health outcomes, and cross-cutting issues in PFAS risk assessment. This publication highlights the presentation and discussion of the workshop.

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