[Resource] What We Know: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) AAAS EPI Center

By AAAS
April 12, 2022

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of thousands of synthetic chemicals used to make products resistant to water, heat, and stains. PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals,” do not easily break down in the environment and are difficult to destroy. Detected in drinking water and drinking water sources throughout the United States, their chemical properties make PFAS difficult to treat and remove using conventional water treatment processes.

There is not yet enough research to suggest safe exposure levels for each PFAS. Trace doses of several of the most-researched compounds have been linked to harmful health effects and an increasing number of communities across the country are detecting these chemicals and working to address contamination.

How are people exposed to PFAS?

PFAS are used in industrial applications and found in consumer goods such as clothing, food packaging, cookware, cosmetics, and carpet as well as a fire-fighting foam known as aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). People are exposed to PFAS by consuming contaminated water and food, breathing in dust with PFAS, and contact with consumer products that contain PFAS.

Sources of contamination include not only industrial and manufacturing facilities, but landfills where PFAS have leached into groundwater, and places where PFAS-based firefighting foam AFFF has been used such as airports, military sites, chemical plants, and aboveground petroleum storage facilities.

Designed for long-term stability, PFAS do not easily break down and are difficult to destroy. PFAS cycle through the environment: incineration facilities can release PFAS into the air; contaminated biosolids produced by wastewater treatment facilities have been linked to PFAS in vegetables grown on farm fields where it was applied.

 

Read the article here: https://www.aaas.org/epi-center/pfas