Where It Comes From
Manufactured for stain- and water-repellent treatments on textiles, leather, carpets, paper, and coatings; small amounts can release during making, use, and waste disposal [1][2].
How You Are Exposed
Contact with treated products, indoor dust, contaminated drinking water or food, and workplace use in textile/chemical plants [1][2].
Why It Matters
Some PFAS are linked to higher cholesterol, reduced vaccine response, developmental and liver effects, and certain cancers; PFOA is classified carcinogenic to humans [1][3][5].
Who Is at Risk
Workers who make or apply these coatings; people with many stain-resistant items at home; communities with PFAS-contaminated water; pregnant people, infants, and children [1][2].
How to Lower Your Exposure
Choose PFAS-free/untreated products; skip optional stain-resistant add-ons; reduce dust with HEPA vacuuming and wet mopping; check local water; consider activated carbon or reverse-osmosis filters certified to reduce PFAS [2][4].
References
- [1]ATSDR. Toxicological Profile for Perfluoroalkyls (PFAS). Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2021/2022.
- [2]U.S. EPA. PFAS Explained: Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS. Environmental Protection Agency.
- [3]IARC. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). IARC Monographs Volume 131, 2023.
- [4]CDC/ATSDR. PFAS and Your Health: Reducing Exposure to PFAS in Drinking Water. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- [5]NTP. Immunotoxicity Associated with Exposure to PFOA and PFOS. National Toxicology Program Monograph, 2016.