PFAS OVERVIEW

WHAT ARE PFAS?

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a series of manufactured chemicals found in fabrics and materials with non-stick and fire-resistant properties such as carpets, food packaging, Teflon, and fire-fighting foam. When PFAS-containing products are produced and disposed of, PFAS compounds can end up in soils, groundwater, and surface water, where they accumulate and persist as non-biodegradable, toxic compounds. It has been estimated that 95% of the general population have been exposed to PFAS in their lifetime, risking adverse health effects including cancer, liver damage, and immune system disorders [1], [2].

There are more than 4,000 types of PFAS compounds, the most highly produced being perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). These compounds are so damaging that, in 2000, the United States phased out the production of PFOS, and in 2006, eight global companies began phasing out both PFOA and PFOS [1]–[4].

For more information please visit epa.gov/pfas

WHERE IS PFAS FOUND?

The EPA is leading the national effort to understand PFAS and reduce PFAS risks to the public. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthetic chemicals that have been in use since the 1940s. PFAS are found in a wide array of consumer and industrial products. PFAS manufacturing and processing facilities, facilities using PFAS in production of other products, airports, and military installations are some of the potential contributors of PFAS releases into the air, soil, and water. Due to their widespread use and persistence in the environment, most people in the United States have been exposed to PFAS. There is evidence that continued exposure above specific levels to certain PFAS may lead to adverse health effects.

Commercial and consumer products containing PFAS include:

• Firefighting foams

• paper packaging

• clothing and carpets

• outdoor textiles and sporting equipment

• ski and snowboard waxes

• non-stick cookware

• cleaning agents and fabric softeners

• polishes and waxes, and latex paints

• pesticides and herbicides

• hydraulic fluids

• windshield wipers

• paints, varnishes, dyes, and inks

• adhesives

• medical products

• personal care products (for example, shampoo, hair conditioners, sunscreen, cosmetics, toothpaste, dental floss)

• Metal plating facility vapor suppressant

EPA researchers are characterizing how end-of-life disposal approaches, such as landfills, incinerators, and recycling might contribute to PFAS in the environment.

They are also evaluating waste management technologies such as thermal treatment and composting, that may be useful and cost-effective to help

manage consumer and industrial products at end-of-life disposal.

HARMFUL EFFECTS OF PFAS

• Toxic in parts per trillion (ppt) range

• Causes kidney and testicular cancer.

• Office of Health Hazard and Assessment (OEHHA) developed PFOS and PFOA reference levels in drinking water associated with pancreatic (PFOA) and liver (PFOA & PFOS) tumors. The level of 0.1 ng/L (nanogram/liter) or parts per trillion (ppt) represents the concentration of PFOA & PFOS in drinking water that would not pose more than a one in one million cancer risk.

• Detrimental developmental

effects to the immune and thyroid system, as well as to fetuses

during pregnancy.

• PFAS bioaccumulate in fish and humans.

• Can increase cholesterol.

PFAS OVERVIEW

WHAT ARE PFAS?

WHERE IS PFAS FOUND?

HARMFUL EFFECTS OF PFAS

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