How Can You Avoid Toxic PFAS Forever Chemicals?
What is PFAS?
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of toxic chemicals that have been used in the manufacturing of thousands of products from clothing to food to furniture.
You can think of the different types of PFAS as being within a family tree. There are hundreds of chemicals that fall under the term PFAS.
Synthetic Chemicals
PFAS chemicals are man-made. They were introduced in the 1940s.
How Do Forever Chemicals Harm Your Health?
PFAS chemicals disrupt hormones, weaken bones, and increase disease risk.
They do this by getting into your bloodstream. The Keck School of Medicine was one of the first to perform research studies on human blood samples to test for evidence of PFAS, and they found it.
They also discovered that increased exposure to PFAS led to the disruption of essential biological processes in adults and children. Thyroid functioning was one of these critical processes.
Research showed that the more PFAS in the human system, the greater the thyroid disruption.
This led to an increased risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
According to the EPA
PFAS chemicals are present in the blood of nearly all Americans, even newborns.
10 Foods Contaminated With PFAS
Studies by the Environmental Working Group, the Keck School of Medicine, and Green Peace have shown elevated levels of PFAS chemicals in certain foods and drinks.
Individually packaged tea bags
Microwave popcorn
Carryout food
Shellfish
Fast food
Sports drinks
Butter
Bottled water
Pork
Hot dogs
One of the major red flags was the ubiquitous issue with takeout food. The boxes, wrappers, and straws used for fast food and carryout are coated with PFAS.
Thus, eating at home and preparing your own food is one of the best ways to lower your chemical exposure.
Which Clothing and Household Items Have Forever Chemicals?
PFAS chemicals can also be found on clothing and household items and materials.
Anything that states the item is waterproof or stain-proof has likely been coated with forever chemicals. Fire-resistant items fall into this same category.
Here are some examples of PFAS-coated items to avoid:
Stainmaster carpeting
Gore-Tex clothing
Scotchgard
Teflon pans
Polartec clothes
Apple watch wrist bands
Thinx underwear
REI raincoats
Lululemon and Athleta leggings
This is a small sampling. The popular brand names should give you an understanding of how common it is for manufacturers to use these chemicals.
Best Way to Avoid PFAS
Cook your own food at home.
What About Your Drinking Water?
This is a difficult question to answer. Measuring PFAS in drinking water isn't as simple as a "yes or no" lab test. There are hundreds of chemicals that fall under the umbrella of PFAS.
On April 10, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation, which places legally enforceable levels of acceptance on six PFAS chemicals.
This may seem like a small portion of the total PFAS chemicals, but it was a big step in legislation. It also enabled $1 billion in newly available funding for states and territories to begin PFAS testing and filtering of drinking and surface water.
Thus, drinking water will be more regulated and cleaner.
However, it is going to take time for the EPA to gain a full understanding of the health impacts from PFAS chemicals. Until that happens, proper limits won't be set for all of the possible chemicals. It also takes time and money to implement such changes.
Can We Ever be Rid of PFAS?
PFAS chemicals are dubbed forever chemicals, but they do break down eventually; it is just a very slow process.
Before we can consider whether we can be rid of PFAS, manufacturers need to stop creating more of these chemicals.
Right now, PFAS chemicals are in the food we consume, the clothing we put against our skin, and the water we drink. PFAS chemicals run off into our rivers and oceans, polluting our seafood.
By limiting PFAS manufacturing and use, the problem is slightly reduced.
Larger actions are needed if we want to be rid of health-harming PFAS.
Ending in June 2025
On February 28, 2024, the Food and Drug Administration announced that PFAS can no longer be used in food packaging, but it will take until June 2025 for products already through manufacturing to be exhausted from consumer shelves.
Are There Safer Options?
Now you know which foods, clothing items, and household products contain higher levels of PFAS, and the list can feel daunting. You are likely wondering if safer options exist.
Safer Foods
The Environmental Working Group puts out an annual report on the top 15 cleanest foods. This is defined as foods with the lowest levels of pesticide residues. For 2024, the number one cleanest food on that list was avocado. Sweetcorn, pineapple, and onions followed.
A good rule of thumb is to select foods with the least amount of packaging.
Safer Clothing
There are clothing brands dedicated to offering consumers PFAS-free items:
Pact
Tentree
Patagonia
Boody
Keen
Fjallraven Kanken
Canada Goose
Jack WolfSkin
Vaude
Odlo
Brands I Tried Without PFAS
Of the top PFAS-free clothing brands listed, I've made purchases from three: Tentree, Patagonia, and Boody.
Everything I've purchased from these brands surpassed my expectations. The materials were quality, thick and soft. The clothes were well stitched and held up when washed hundreds of times.
An item I buy on repeat is the Tentree hoodie. I have two teenagers and a pre-teen, so hoodies are as essential as milk and eggs in our house. I highly recommend it.
Contaminated Dog Foods: Best and Worst
The EWG found that even dog food is often contaminated with PFAS. It's typically the lining of the food bags that's the culprit.
Some of the worst brands for PFAS contamination:
Black Gold
Blue Buffalo
IAMS
Pedigree
Purina
However, there are safer dog food options:
4Health
B.A.R.F.
Northwest Naturals
Royal Canin
ORGANIX
These are not exhaustive lists, but they give you an idea. A consumer would have no way of knowing which dog foods were the safest simply based on packaging, availability, or branding.
Sources
Abrams, Zara. Keck School of Medicine. Longitudinal Study Links PFAS Contamination with Teas, Processed Meats, and Food Packaging. February 2024.
Environmental Working Group. EWG's Guide to Avoiding PFAS Chemicals.
Hamashige, Hope. Keck School of Medicine Study Finds "Forever Chemicals" Disrupt Key Biological Processes. February 21, 2023.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Announces PFAS Used in Grease-Proofing Agents for Food Packaging No Longer Being Sold in the US. February 28, 2024.
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