What chemicals are in PFAS?

PFAS can be found in: Food packaged in PFAS-containing materials, processed with equipment that used PFAS, or grown in PFAS-contaminated soil or water….How are people exposed to PFAS?

• Contaminated soil and water used to grow the food,
• Food packaging containing PFAS, and.
• Equipment that used PFAS during food processing.

What can PFAS do to your body?

A growing body of science has found that there are potential adverse health impacts associated with PFAS exposure, including liver damage, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, high cholesterol, obesity, hormone suppression and cancer. These chemicals can easily migrate into the air, dust, food, soil and water.

What are perfluoroalkyl acids?

The perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA) are a family of perfluorinated chemicals that consist of a carbon backbone typically 4–14 in length and a charged functional moiety (primarily carboxylate, sulfonate, or phosphonate).

What are PFAS chemicals used for?

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.

What is PFAS used for?

PFASs are also used in industrial processes and, notably, in firefighting foams. PFASs are a component of many of the firefighting foams used by the military, airport authorities, and local fire and rescue agencies. It is these foams that are most often implicated when PFAS is found in groundwater or in the environment.

What is PFAS contamination?

PFAS Contamination. ​​​PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals that have been used worldwide in a range of domestic and industrial settings. They are emerging as contaminants of global concern because they do not break down readily and have been found in various concentrations throughout the world.

Where does PFAS come from?

PFAS are used in a wide variety of industrial and commercial products. PFAS are persistent in the environment and are resistant to typical environmental degradation processes. As a result, they are widely distributed and are found in soil, sediments, groundwater, air and tissue across the United States.

What is PFAS, PFOA, and PFOS?

Perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate-more commonly referred to as PFOA and PFOS, respectively-are fluorinated organic compounds that are part of larger group of compounds known as perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These man-made chemicals are infamous for being both water and lipid-resistant.