Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of synthetic chemicals that have been widely used in various industries and consumer products.
These substances are characterized by their strong carbon-fluorine bonds, which make them highly resistant to heat, water, and oil.
PFAS our class of approximately 15,000 chemicals widely used in nonstick applications – cookware and food, packaging, water and stain resistant clothing, and carpets, and plastic production to coat items, such as bottles and process food containers.
PFAS are composed of a carbon chain where some or all of the hydrogen atoms are replaced by fluorine atoms.
The two main categories are perfluoroalkyl substances, where all hydrogens are replaced by fluorines (e.g., perfluorooctanoic acid, PFOA), and polyfluoroalkyl substances, where some hydrogens remain (e.g., perfluorohexane sulfonic acid, PFHxS).
The carbon-fluorine bonds give PFAS unique properties, including water and oil repellency, temperature resistance, and friction reduction.
PFAS have been used in various products, such as non-stick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics and carpets, food packaging materials, firefighting foams, and various industrial processes.
PFAS are highly persistent in the environment and have been found in soil, water, and in the blood of humans and animals worldwide.
PSASs are excreted slowly, with half lives in the human body ranging from 3 to 8 years, depending on the compound.
PLD PFAS have been largely phased out of US manufacturing and manufacturer now use replacement compounds that generally have short half lives and less well developed toxicology.
Animal models suggest the new PFASs potentially similar adverse health effects.
Some PFAS have been linked to adverse health effects, including developmental issues, increased cholesterol levels, and potential links to certain types of cancer.
PFASs are considered forever chemicals and are considered endocrine disruptors and are linked to long-term health effects that share roots in immune, hepatic, cell membrane, and energy metabolism toxicity.
Evidence linking multiple chemicals of this type with increase risk of adverse health outcomes: reduced fetal growth, dyslipidemia, decreased antibody response to vaccines, increased risk of kidney cancer, and some limited evidence of gestational hypertension, and pre-eclampsia, breast, testicular cancer, and thyroid dysfunction.
Due to concerns about their environmental and health impacts, some PFAS, such as PFOA and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid), have been phased out or restricted in many countries.
However, there are thousands of other PFAS chemicals that are still in use or being introduced.
The US Environmental Protection Agency maximum set contaminant levels for some perfluoroalkyl, and polyfluoroalkyl substances safe level in drinking water is at near zero.
The previous drinking water health advisory eas 70 pptrillion.
Nearly all of the global population has some detectable PFAS is in their bodies.
Some population groups are at high risk for PFASs body burden because of occupational exposure, such as firefighters and some military personnel or have regular ingestion of contaminated drinking water.
Acute toxicity from PFAS is rare, but prolonged exposure to elevated levels is a risk factor for immune and cardiometabolic dysfunction, poorer perinatal health, and cancer with decreased antibody responses, lipidemia, decrease fetal growth, and kidney cancer.
Evidence suggest links between PFAS exposure and increased risk of pregnancy induced type of hypertension, testicular, cancer, breast cancer, thyroid disease, liver enzyme alterations, and ulcerative colitis.
There are currently no approved treatments for removal of PFASs from the body and measures such as phlebotomy, the drug cholestyramine, high fiber, high folate diet, and regular exercise are mentioned measures.