PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals that include PFOA, PFOX, GenX, and many other chemicals. PFAS have been manufactured and used in a variety of industries around the globe, including in the United States since the 1940s.
PFAS have been used for decades in products like food packaging, carpets, non-stick products, other household items, medical supplies, and firefighting foam due to their ability to resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water. PFOS and PFOA have been the most extensively produced and studied of these chemicals. Both chemicals are very persistent in the environment and the human body meaning they do not break down and they can accumulate over time. Research is ongoing on how this class of chemicals affects people’s health.
There is evidence that exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse human health effects. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, there is evidence from human and animal studies that suggest high levels of certain PFAS may lead to increased cholesterol levels, changes in liver enzymes, small decreases in infant birth weights, decreased vaccine response in children, increased risk of high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia in pregnant women, and increased risk of kidney or testicular cancer.
PFAS are currently not regulated in drinking water at the federal level, however, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has begun the process of regulating PFOS and PROA in drinking water and it is very likely that maximum containment levels (MCLs) will be established for a least these 2 PFAS contaminants in the future. In lieu of a federal drinking water regulation, several states have or are in the process of developing their own MLCs or health advisory levels.
