What Are PFAS Chemicals?
Have you ever wondered how manufacturers create products that are stain-free, nonstick, waterproof, or even fireproof? It turns out that there’s a group of “forever” chemicals known as PFAS chemicals largely responsible for those helpful, yet dangerous qualities.
PFAS chemicals are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that are long-lasting and don’t break down easily once entered into the environment. And that’s the thing – they’re everywhere in the environment, including in soil, groundwater, and even our bodies.
Since PFAS chemicals have been around for decades, more and more studies are being conducted to find out what the long-term effects of such chemicals are on our bodies and the environment. And while you can do your best to avoid products containing such chemicals, there’s just no way to avoid PFAS chemicals completely.
What are PFAS chemicals?
PFAS chemicals are defined by the CDC as follows:
“The per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals used to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water.”
Within this group, there are thousands of man-made PFAS chemicals found in all kinds of products. As a result, it’s difficult for scientists to study and evaluate the potential risks posed by individual PFAS chemicals, whether to the environment or the human body.
The history of PFAS chemicals
While it’s only in recent years that PFAS chemicals have entered public consciousness, that doesn’t mean they haven’t been around for longer. In fact, the first PFAS chemicals were discovered as far back as the 1930’s, making possible the first nonstick and waterproof coatings.
In the following decades, their usage increased rapidly as more and more PFAS chemicals were invented. For example, following a deadly fire on a US Navy aircraft carrier in 1967, manufacturers developed AFFF: aqueous film-forming foam, a PFAS-containing fire-fighting foam.
Because PFAS chemicals are so useful, their usage is ubiquitous. But now, as environmental and health concerns are arising largely thanks to their inability to break down, we’re starting to see the long-term impact these chemicals might have.
What kinds of products contain PFAS chemicals?
Of the several thousand PFAS chemicals, many of them have practical applications. Thanks to PFAS chemicals, fabrics can be waterproof, fireproof, and even stain-resistant. They also make it easier for clothing manufacturers to adhere to the strict flame-resistant standards applied to children’s clothing.
Other popular applications of PFAS chemicals include:
Grease-resistant microwave-popcorn bags
Nonstick pans and cookware
Waterproof clothing and other outdoor gear
Stain-resistant carpets
Corrosion-resistant pipes
Personal hygiene products (shampoos, makeup, etc.)
Polishes, waxes, and paints
Cleaning products
Take-out containers and other food packaging
This is by no means an exhaustive list. It should also be recognized that some of these products can be made with alternative chemicals (and often are).
Are PFAS chemicals dangerous?
Because there are thousands of PFAS chemicals, there’s a lot of misleading information out there, for instance regarding claims that they are all cancer-causing.
That said, while studies haven’t yet linked all several thousand PFAS chemicals to specific health risks, the battle appears to be one of “harmless until proven otherwise.” While such an approach works well for humans accused of crimes, it doesn’t exactly bode well for us in the long run if there’s no way to escape potentially harmful chemicals in the environment.
Does this remind anyone else of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and the battle against pesticides?
PFOS and PFOA chemicals
Two notorious classes of PFAS chemicals – PFOS and PFOA – have been linked to increased health and environmental risks, largely due to the extraordinarily long half life in humans (4.1–8.67 years in humans as opposed 121 days, 48 days, and 37 days in the monkey, rat, and mouse, respectively). You can check out the full PFOS health assessment published by the EPA in 2016 here.
For reference, PFOA is commonly known as the Teflon chemical, while PFOS is an ingredient in 3M’s Scotchgard products. Though, in 2020 the EPA and 3M negotiated a phaseout of all PFAS chemicals following a damning lawsuit that revealed 3M knew or should have known about the persistence of these dangerous forever chemicals in the environment.
While more regulations are in place now than a decade ago, products containing PFOS and PFOA are currently still permitted as imports, at least until the proposed restriction is approved and put in effect.
Potential health risks
A 2012 study revealed that PFAS chemicals (specifically, PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, and PFNA) were found in 97-100% of the study participants.
By now, the presence of such chemicals in the bloodstream is irrefutable. What’s less clear is how these chemicals are affecting humans (not to mention wildlife).
Some PFAS chemicals have been linked to the following health risks:
Obesity and diabetes
Weakened immunity (especially among children)
Cancer such as breast and liver cancers
PFOA specifically has been linked to “testicular, kidney, prostate, and ovarian cancers and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.”
More studies need to be done in order to better understand PFAS chemicals and their associated health risks, but it’s likely that the health risks are underestimated, not the other way around.
Environmental concerns
There’s a reason why PFAS chemicals are often referred to as “forever chemicals:” they just don’t break down easily in the environment. That means these chemicals persist in soil and water, sometimes at dangerous levels.
How did the chemicals get there in the first place? One obvious way is the intentional or unintentional leakage from factories using such chemicals.
But there are many other ways PFAS chemicals find their way into soil and water, whether by means of pollution, leachate from landfills, or a slow, steady buildup over years of using products tainted with the chemicals. Tiny amounts of PFAS chemicals can enter the water supply from homes (showers, laundry, dishwater) as well as industrial facilities.
Even as more regulations are limiting the production and usage of certain PFAS chemicals, they will persist in the environment. Through the soil the chemicals end up in animal and agricultural products, and through the water they can end up everywhere else, affecting humans and wildlife alike.
3 things you can do to say “no” to PFAS
Let one thing be clear: you are not responsible for PFAS chemicals. They are not your fault, but rather the fault of corporations prioritizing convenience over caution. To make matters worse, government regulations have been slow to arrive on the scene, so mitigating risks and regulating the applications of PFAS chemicals has been more of an afterthought than a forethought.
While there’s not much we can do now about the chemicals already present in the soil, water, and even our blood, don’t lose hope entirely. Here are 3 things you can start doing to take a step back from PFAS:
Avoid products containing PFAS chemicals
Once you have an understanding of the purpose of PFAS chemicals in household products, clothing, and more, it becomes easier to make informed decisions.
For example, avoid non-stick cookware, opting for stainless steel, cast iron, or ceramic instead. You can also try to avoid grease-resistant food containers such as take-out containers. When bringing leftovers home, transfer them to a glass or ceramic container for storage.
Some products that were traditionally made with PFAS chemicals are now being made with “safer alternatives” as regulations increase. When looking for PFAS-free products, check labels for statements such as “PFAS-free” or look for companies that have PFAS-free policies in place. You can find a comprehensive list of such companies and products here.
But watch out! A product label might claim to be PFOS- or PFOA-free, but that doesn’t mean it can’t contain one or more of the thousands of other PFAS chemicals!
Filter your water
The most common way most of us are exposed to PFAS chemicals is through the water supply. Whether you get your water from the city or from a well on your property, it’s possible that it’s contaminated.
You can check with your state or municipality about their water test results to find out if PFAS chemicals are present. For private wells, you can get your water tested for a fee.
Unfortunately, no amount of filtering (not even at water treatment centers), can guarantee water that’s completely PFAS-free. The good news is that any filtration is better than no filtration!
Of the water filters available to individuals, under-the-sink reverse osmosis systems are the best, though they can be expensive. Even simple refrigerator or pitcher filters are still better than nothing, though. You can learn more about filtering your water for PFAS here.
Write to your local legislators
Finally, one of the best things you can do to protect yourself and future generations is to push for stricter regulation of potentially dangerous PFAS chemicals. Write to your local legislators and/or call them, asking them to support new and proposed legislation surrounding this dangerous group of forever chemicals.
For example, in January 2023 the EPA proposed a significant new use rule (known as a SNUR) that would “prevent anyone from starting or resuming, without a complete EPA review and risk determination, the manufacture, processing or use of an estimated 300 PFAS that have not been made or used for many years, known as ‘inactive PFAS.’” When contacting your legislators, ask them to support proposals such as this, and let them know why exactly it’s so important for them to do so.
The NCRA published some good tips for how to find legislators’ contact info and how to write them a letter. You can also reach out to environmental nonprofits in your area – they’ll likely have guidelines for you or even pre-written letters that you can sign and send.
How did you first learn about PFAS chemicals? What are your main concerns with them? Let us know!
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