The ongoing PFAS problem

You may have heard of PFAS or “forever chemicals” and how they persist in our environment and linger in our bodies. For many years, the manufacturers of these chemicals proclaimed they were safe, but in the decades since, scientists have linked them to all kinds of problems, including cancers, organ damage, birth defects and more. And while the federal government was slow to take them seriously, many states led the way with their own laws limiting PFAS production.

More recently, PFAS have become a national talking point, one that the Trump administration says it’s taking seriously. But the reality is far different: The administration has rolled back Biden-era standards for PFAS contamination in drinking water and scrapped guidance for industry that would have prevented even more of them from entering our waterways, our soils, our food and, ultimately, our bodies.  

PFAS are a serious problem, one that will be with us for generations even if we change course and take urgent action now. Here we recap what they are, where they’re found, what should be done to regulate them and what you can do to limit the PFAS you buy and bring into your home. 

PFAS (usually pronounced “pee-fass,” not “PFA’s”) is a term used in both singular and plural and stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. PFAS are a large group of synthetic chemicals characterized by extremely strong chemical bonds that make them very nonreactive, which grants nonstick, heat-resistant, flame-retardant, greaseproof, stainproof and waterproof properties to materials made with them. Because those bonds within the molecules are nearly impossible to break, PFAS are also some of the most durable chemicals ever synthesized. Some PFAS can break down partially over time, but those smaller substances are still PFAS themselves, which has earned the whole class the name “forever chemicals.” 

Why and where are PFAS used?

Starting in the late 1940s, PFAS began to be incorporated into a wide range of industrial processes, and used as ingredients in a variety of goods, including firefighting foams, adhesives, spray paints, cosmetics, cleaning products and more. They are very useful as coatings for hundreds of types of common products, like cookware, fabrics and food and beverage packaging. If it’s slippery (like most dental floss, for example) or waterproof (like a good raincoat or the inside of a cardboard takeout container), it’s probably coated in PFAS. 

In some cases, as in the production of some medical devices, carefully used PFAS are truly critical. But in many instances, PFAS are used simply to optimize ease and convenience. 

Where do PFAS turn up in the food system?

The simplest and most direct way that PFAS make their way into food is through packaging. When you look at pizza boxes, rotisserie chicken bags and the paper wrapped around your baked goods and burgers, you are looking at products that likely contain PFAS. Because packaging materials aren’t as durable as something like a nonstick pan, they can disintegrate or leach PFAS particles into food during regular use.

But PFAS from any source, whether food packaging, paper products, raincoats or firefighting foam, can eventually make their way into our food through waste streams that contaminate the water used on farms and the soil where farmers grow our food — and the feed for the animals we eat.

PFAS can end up on farms in several ways. In some cases, PFAS are intentionally added to products like pesticides. But most PFAS contamination comes from contaminated water, compost and sewage sludge — sources where its presence wasn’t known or understood to be a risk until fairly recently.

What is sewage sludge? For decades, solids leftover from wastewater processing have been used as a nutrient-rich soil additive on (nonorganic) farmland across the U.S. But, when municipal wastewater sources become contaminated with PFAS — from a nearby PFAS processing plant, for example — these sludges can become concentrated sources of the chemicals. Scientists have recently determined that land treated with sludge can have highly elevated levels of PFAS even decades after the biosolids were applied.

What are the dangerous impacts of PFAS and who is most at risk?

People can be exposed to PFAS through drinking water, by eating food that contains PFAS or that has been in contact with PFAS-treated packaging, by ingesting or inhaling dirt or dust that contains PFAS or by using any of the thousands of household products that contain PFAS. People who work in facilities where PFAS are used or produced — like firefighters or workers in chemical plants — see higher levels of PFAS in their blood than the general population, putting them at additional risk of developing health complications. 

Farmers who work and live on highly contaminated land have shown very high levels of PFAS in their blood and have reported several of the health conditions associated with PFAS. People living near PFAS-manufacturing facilities are also more likely to have elevated blood PFAS levels as a result of the chemicals in the nearby air, water and soil. 

So far, researchers have linked PFAS exposure with a high degree of certainty to thyroid disease, endocrine disruption, high cholesterol, low immune response, developmental abnormalities and birth defects, liver damage and kidney and testicular cancer. Evidence is mounting that PFAS exposure may also be tied to breast cancer, pregnancy complications, low fertility, obesity and inflammatory conditions like ulcerative colitis. Scientists have also found associations with certain neurological and behavioral conditions, like ADHD, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

While we are still struggling to grasp the full extent of the PFAS contamination crisis and what it means for our food system, there are urgent actions that both federal and state governments should take to curb the future impact on our health and the health of the environment. Although the Environmental Protection Agency worked with manufacturers to phase the oldest and most harmful PFAS out of production decades ago, those old PFAS are still circulating in the environment. Meanwhile, manufacturers have replaced them with new variants that aren’t as well studied but still present similar risks. Environmental advocates are pushing at every level of government to stop all PFAS production, the top priority for preventing further contamination. This effort should be complemented by measures to limit the spread of existing PFAS, including more stringent controls on sewage sludge and other soil additives. 

At the same time, scientists and farmers are working to find ways to clean up farmland contaminated with PFAS; while tools are currently limited, there are some promising developments. Developing more effective solutions will be critical both for the survival of impacted farms and the integrity of our food supply.

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