"Despite their everyday use, the body of science necessary to fully understand and regulate these chemicals is not yet as robust as it needs to be," acknowledged the assistant administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water, David Ross, at a congressional hearing on PFAS in March. Others accumulate in soil or water, creating a continuous source of exposure.ĭespite their ubiquity, however, scientists know relatively little about the health effects of most types of PFAS. That's in part because PFAS don't break down easily - a quality that has earned them the nickname "forever chemicals." Some varieties have been found to stick around in the human body for years, if not decades. "Essentially everyone has these compounds in our blood," she explains.
"And we're finding them not only in the environment, but we're finding them in people." "We're finding them contaminating many rivers, many lakes, many drinking water supplies," says Linda Birnbaum, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program. And as a result, they've found their way into the soil and, especially in some regions, into our drinking water. The chemicals are also used in the manufacture of plastic and rubber and in insulation for wiring. Today, PFAS' nonstick qualities make them useful in products as diverse as food wrappers, umbrellas, tents, carpets and firefighting foam.
PFAS are resistant to water, oil and heat, and their use has expanded rapidly since they were developed by companies in the mid-20th century. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are generally referred to by their plural acronym, PFAS. Scientists are ramping up research on the possible health effects of a large group of common but little-understood chemicals used in water-resistant clothing, stain-resistant furniture, nonstick cookware and many other consumer products. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is surveying residents in the area about their health. Parts of the Cape Fear River near Fayetteville, N.C., are contaminated with a PFAS compound called GenX.