PFAS or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances are chemical compounds used to repel water, heat, and stains. They are commonly used in products such as non-stick cooking pans, waterproof clothing, food packaging, and firefighter foam.
Drinking water all over the US may not be as clean as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) thinks. According to tests run across the country by The Guardian, the EPA is missing significant amounts of PFAS because its tests do not detect the vast majority of PFAS compounds that are in existence.
Often called “forever compounds,” PFAS do not break down completely and instead accumulate in the environment and through the food chain in a process called bioaccumulation. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to cancer, birth defects, kidney and liver issues, weakened immune systems, and a whole host of other ailments.
Of the roughly 9,000 PFAS compounds currently known, the EPA test only detects 30 of them. The Guardian, however, also used a Total Organic Fluoride (TOF) test that looks for a marker that indicates the presence of any and all PFAS compounds and compared the results.