PFAS are man-made chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1940s. They have been used to make nonstick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain resistant fabrics and carpets, some cosmetics, some firefighting foams, and products that resist grease, water, and oil.
The most commonly studied PFAS are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). The next most commonly studied are perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA). PFOA and PFOS have been phased out of production and use in the United States, but other countries may still manufacture and use them.
During production and use, PFAS can migrate into the soil, water, and air. Most PFAS (including PFOA and PFOS) do not break down, so they remain in the environment. Because of their widespread use and their persistence in the environment, PFAS are found in the blood of people and animals all over the world and are present at low levels in a variety of food products and in the environment. Some PFAS can build up in people and animals with repeated exposure over time.
Many scientific articles have been published about PFAS exposure and health effects. While it is difficult to show that substances directly cause health conditions in humans, scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals. More research is needed to better understand the health effects of PFAS exposure.
New kinds of PFAS are being developed. Some of these may have properties similar to the existing PFAS, and some break down very slowly in the environment. There are very few scientific studies on new PFAS, so more research is necessary to discover whether they may be a health concern.
You can be exposed to PFAS by drinking water from PFAS-contaminated municipal sources or private wells eating fish caught from water contaminated by PFAS (PFOS, in particular) accidentally swallowing or breathing contaminated soil or dust eating food (e.g., meat, dairy, and vegetables) produced near places where PFAS were used or made eating food packaged in material that contains PFAS accidentally swallowing residue or dust from consumer products containing PFAS such as stain resistant carpeting and water repellent clothing Ingestion of residue and dust from PFAS-containing consumer products is another way people are exposed to PFAS. Research has suggested that exposure to PFOA and PFOS from today’s consumer products is generally lower than exposures from PFAS-contaminated drinking water. Some products that might contain PFAS include
- stain resistant carpets, upholstery, and other fabrics,
- water resistant clothing,
- cleaning products,
- personal care products and cosmetics (e.g., shampoo, dental floss, nail polish, and eye makeup), and
- paints, varnishes, and sealants.
How does the PFAS affect our health?
Research is ongoing to understand the mechanisms of PFAS toxicity. The epidemiological evidence suggests associations between increases in exposure to (specific) PFAS and certain health effects as you see below:
Increases in cholesterol levels (PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFDA)
Lower antibody response to some vaccines (PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFDA)
Changes in liver enzymes
(PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS)
Pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia (PFOA, PFOS)
Small decreases in birth weight
(PFOA, PFOS)
Kidney and testicular cancer
(PFOA)
The risk of health effects associated with PFAS depends on
- Exposure factors (e.g., dose, frequency, route, and duration)
- Individual factors (e.g., sensitivity and disease burden)
- Other determinants of health (e.g., access to safe water and quality healthcare)
Some animal and human studies find positive associations between PFAS exposure and a much wider range of health effects. However, results of animal studies do not always correlate with human health effects because of physiologic differences between species. Inconsistent findings among human studies and study design limitations are some reasons why other potential health effects are not identified as associated with PFAS.
At this time, scientists are still learning about the health effects of exposures to mixtures of different PFAS. Additional research may change our understanding of the relationship between exposure to PFAS and human health effects.
One way to learn about whether PFAS will harm people is to do studies on lab animals.
- Most animal studies have tested doses of PFAS that are higher than the doses people experience from environmental exposure.
- These animal studies have found that PFAS can cause damage to the liver and the immune system.
- PFAS have also caused low birth weight, birth defects, delayed development, and newborn deaths in lab animals.
Humans and animals react differently to PFAS, and not all effects observed in animals may occur in humans. Scientists have ways to estimate how the exposure and effects in animals compare to what they would be in humans.
Our procedure of fabrication:
We blended all natural ingredients together , capable to convert the PFAS known as everlasting chemical into biodegradable substances that are ecofriendly. The scientific demonstration was conducted with solid waste from wastewater treatment having strong concentrations of PFAS. We went from the original sample with the number of PFAS detected: 1706.5 to 355.9.
