How to avoid PFAS? 12 Ways to Reduce Your Exposure to PFAS

PFAS take a very long time to break down, hence they are referred to as “forever chemicals”. Prolonged exposure to PFAS harms the human body and causes various outcomes including neonatal and maternal diseases, reduced fertility, metabolic problems caused by thyroid conditions, neurodegeneration, increased cancer risk, and cardiovascular disease, etc. This article will explain how PFAS can affect our health, and how we can avoid coming in contact with PFAS in life. Lastly, it will detail PFAS testing labels and information from governments around the world to let readers gain further insight into PFAS and lower exposure to PFAS-related risks.

What are PFAS, or “forever chemicals”?

The full name of PFAS is per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances. They are found everywhere in our lives, and with a half-life of several years, will take many decades to break down completely. Consequently, they have been given the name “forever chemicals” by scientists. Although there is currently no direct evidence to confirm that PFAS are harmful to the human body, they do cause a wide range of deadly illnesses in animals including kidney diseases and cancer. Furthermore, PFAS will remain in the environment and the human body for a long time, thus we need to use them more sparingly to prevent irreversible consequences.

Even with the above risks, PFAS still play an indispensable role in our lives, through their use in various water- and oil-resistant products. In addition, they can be used as additives in the production of chemical products. Common products that contain PFAS are raincoats, non-stick pans, oil-resistant food packaging boxes, outdoor water-resistant clothing, cosmetics and personal hygiene products, as well as foams in fire extinguishers and pesticides. Since drinking water is easily contaminated by PFAS, we need to consciously change our lifestyle habits to avoid coming in contact with PFAS and minimize our health concerns.

How do PFAS affect our health?

Newborns and pregnant women

John T. Szilagyi, Vennela Avula, and Rebecca C. Fry. (2020). Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their effects on the placenta, pregnancy and child development: A potential mechanistic role for placental peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs). Curr Environ Health Rep. 2020 Sep; 7(3): 222–230’ research suggests that PFAS are widely present in the human placenta. Since the placenta plays a crucial role in fetal development, exposure to PFAS may compromise the stability of the placental trophoblast, resulting in placental disorders and increasing the likelihood of gestational diabetes, childhood obesity, preeclampsia, and fetal growth restriction.

Reproduction

According to the Mount Sinai investigation led by the Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, PFAS disrupt reproductive hormones and may reduce female fertility. Moreover, several studies suggest that PFAS may increase the risk of testicular cancer in men.

Metabolism issues and diabetes caused by thyroid problems

The thyroid gland is an important gland located in our neck, and is responsible for absorbing iodine in the blood, producing and secreting thyroxine, as well as regulating metabolism, growth, and development. Young Seok Sohn, Shinje Moon and Young Joo Park. (2020). Effect of Multiple Exposure to Perfluorinated Chemicals on Thyroid Function among Adults in the US: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2008 and 2011-2012. Int J Thyroidol 2020;13(1):19-29’s study suggests that PFAS are a type of endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) that may disrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis and the function of thyroid hormones, causing thyroid follicular cell hypertrophy or hyperplasia and thereby damaging the thyroid system. Young Seok Sohn, Shinje Moon and Young Joo Park. (2020). Effect of Multiple Exposure to Perfluorinated Chemicals on Thyroid Function among Adults in the US: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2008 and 2011-2012. Int J Thyroidol 2020;13(1):19-29 further proposes that PFAS are positively correlated with an increase in fatty acids, resulting in metabolic disorders that may lead to obesity and insulin resistance.

Neurodevelopment

Josephine M. Brown-Leung and Jason R. Cannon. (2022). E Neurotransmission Targets of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Neurotoxicity: Mechanisms and Potential Implications for Adverse Neurological Outcomes. Chem Res Toxicol. 2022 Aug 15; 35(8): 1312–1333 mentions that PFAS may create neurotoxicity by disrupting neurotransmission and are linked to chronic mental illness as well as neurodegenerative diseases.

Cancer

According to the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG)’s review of the relationship between PFAS and cancer, the impact of PFAS on the endocrine and reproductive systems may lead to increased risk of kidney cancer, testicular cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, prostate cancer, and thyroid cancer.

Cardiovascular disease

Alessandra Meneguzzi, Cristiano Fava, Marco Castelli, and Pietro Minuz. (2021). Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Chemicals and Cardiovascular Disease: Experimental and Epidemiological Evidence. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2021; 12: 706352’s research points out that PFAS can affect the function of platelets, increasing the likelihood of adhesion, aggregation, microvesicle release, and thrombosis.

How to avoid PFAS in our lives?

PFAS are some of the most common chemical substances in our lives, because many products use them to enhance water resistance. PFAS are also used as auxiliary chemicals during the production process (to increase processing efficiency or reaction speed). Even worse, PFAS in the environment will gradually accumulate and enter the water cycle, eventually ending up in drinking water, aquatic animals and plants, before being ingested into our bodies with food.

Therefore, we need to understand how PFAS are being used, and what products may be infused with PFAS during the production process or may be contaminated by them. Avoiding these items is the key to ensuring our health.

12 Ways to Reduce Your Exposure to PFAS

1. Avoid Exposure PFAS in Drinking Water

2. Avoid Exposure to PFAS in Food Packaging

3. Avoid Exposure to PFAS in Fish

4. Avoid Exposure to PFAS in Cosmetics

5. Avoid Exposure to PFAS in Clothing

6. Avoid Exposure to PFAS from Tableware

7. Avoid Exposure to PFAS in the Kitchen

8. Avoid Exposure to PFAS in Shoes

9. Avoid Exposure to PFAS in Outdoor Activities

10. Avoid Exposure to PFAS at Home

11. Shopping Habits to Avoid Exposure to PFAS

12. Lifestyle Habits to Avoid Exposure to PFAS

1. Avoid Exposure PFAS in Drinking Water

When products containing PFAS enter the environment or landfill, the chemicals will be released into the groundwater system. Even if they are incinerated in an incinerator, PFAS will be released into the atmosphere. PFAS will reach all corners of the world via the water cycle and end up in our drinking water through rainfall, groundwater runoff, and other methods. To prevent PFAS from drinking water, we can install activated carbon or RO filtration systems at home, these are the most effective and most economical ways to filter out PFAS. When buying bottled water, check if the water source is groundwater. If so, check if they are tested for PFAS or treated via activated carbon or RO filtration systems to ensure drinking safety.

2. Avoid Exposure to PFAS in Food Packaging

Paper food packaging is often infused with additives to give it water- and oil-resistance. Pizza boxes and microwavable popcorn packaging are all made with PFAS. The “European wide survey of PFAS in disposable food packaging and tableware” also conducted tests on compostable takeout containers such as bowls and bags made of plant fibers, corn starch, and paper. Many samples tested positive for PFAS. To avoid being exposed to PFAS in food packaging, besides asking stores if their takeout tableware has been tested for PFAS, you can also bring your own stainless food containers or choose renouvo’s compostable sugarcane food containers that have been tested to be PFAS-free!

3. Avoid Exposure to PFAS in Fish

PFAS will accumulate in fish through water environment, particularly in areas downstream from manufacturers using PFAS. It is difficult to verify if they have implemented rigorous pollution control, thus the safest approach is to avoid purchasing or eating fish from these regions. If you cannot confirm the origin of the fish, avoid freshwater fish and consume saltwater fish instead.

4. Avoid Exposure to PFAS in Cosmetics

For cosmetics to remain effective for a long time, PFAS may be added to enhance their water and oil resistance. The “Fluorinated Compounds in North American Cosmetics” research project tested 231 cosmetics from the US and Canada, and discovered that products such as foundation, eye products, mascara, and lip products contain levels of fluorinated compounds as high as 63%, 58%, 47%, and 55%, respectively. To prevent exposure to PFAS in cosmetics, please avoid products that claim to be “wear-resistant”, “water- or oil-resistant” or “durable”, or simply reduce the frequency of using cosmetics.

5. Avoid Exposure to PFAS in Clothing

PFAS or plastic coatings are applied to clothing to improve water and oil resistance. According to the “How Well Do Product Labels Indicate the Presence of PFAS in Consumer Items Used by Children and Adolescents?” research project, a large amount of PFAS can be found in undergarments and bedding, even products that claim to achieve water resistance through a PU coating tested positive for PFAS. To avoid exposure to PFAS in clothing, please do not purchase clothes that claim to be water- or oil-resistant.

6. Avoid Exposure to PFAS from Tableware

According to the 2023 European study entitled “Assessment of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in commercially available drinking straws using targeted and suspect screening approaches”, PFAS have been detected in straws made of a variety of different materials including paper, glass, bamboo, and plastic. The best way to avoid this kind of exposure to PFAS is to use tableware made from stainless steel or PFAS-tested tableware such as renouvo’s compostable sugarcane straws and sugarcane tableware, etc.

7. Avoid Exposure to PFAS in the Kitchen

Many kitchen utensils contain PFAS, with anything that has “non-stick coating” particularly high risk. These include non-stick pans, baking pans, waffle irons, and other appliances with non-stick coatings. Once the non-stick coating is scratched or worn, PFAS will be released when exposed to high temperatures. The reason why non-stick pans begin to lose effectiveness with use is that the non-stick coating has gradually worn away and ended up in our food. To avoid exposure to PFAS in the kitchen, try switching to ceramic, stainless steel, or uncoated cookware, using silicone-coated baking pans instead. If you have recently purchased non-stick kitchenware at home, please avoid scratches as much as possible and use it below 100°C. If scratches occur, replace immediately to ensure safety.

8. Avoid Exposure to PFAS in Shoes

Wolverine Worldwide Product Testing Report: PFAS Chemicals in Shoes” research tested six popular pieces of functional footwear and detected PFAS in four of them. Waterproofing sprays for shoes also contain a lot of PFAS. Avoid purchasing functional shoes and waterproofing sprays, and instead buy plastic shoe covers to cope with the rain, which will lower the chance of exposure to PFAS in shoes.

9. Avoid Exposure to PFAS in Outdoor Activities

Various waterproof boots, tents, and coats used for outdoor activities are most likely treated with PFAS. Although many manufacturers are working on alternative solutions, improvement takes time and it is still very difficult to avoid PFAS exposure during outdoor activities. Consequently, we can only reduce the number of activities as much as possible. Also, avoid using water from areas near military bases or airports for drinking or cooking because fire-fighting foam used at these locations contains PFAS, which are regularly released into the environment after fire drills.

10. Avoid Exposure to PFAS at Home

PFAS may be added to furniture fabrics such as sofa leather and carpets to endow them with stain-resistant properties. We can select untreated furniture fabrics. For instance, IKEA promises not to add PFAS coatings to any furniture, to reduce PFAS exposure at home.

11. Shopping Habits to Avoid Exposure to PFAS

From the above ten approaches to avoid PFAS exposure in life, we can see that PFAS are usually used to endow products with oil-, water- or stain-resistant characteristics. Hence, we should refrain from purchasing products labeled with these attributes and look for products that bear PFAS-free inspection labels.

12. Lifestyle Habits to Avoid Exposure to PFAS

Since more studies are proving that PFAS are harmful to the human body, governments around the world have placed restrictions on the application of PFAS in products we use every day. However, there are some products where the use of PFAS is inevitable. Examples include semiconductors, contact lenses, and medical products. In these cases, reducing the replacement frequency of consumer electronics, wearing conventional glasses, and maintaining a safe and healthy lifestyle will allow people to avoid the PFAS that are all around us as much as possible.

Tips for avoiding PFAS: Read Product Labels Carefully

PFAS is the universal term for thousands of fluorinated compounds. Currently, the international consensus only bans a few of them, including long-chain PFAS such as perfluorooctane sulfonate, (PFOS), which was used extensively by 3M in the past, and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), the main chemical of concern in the film Dark Waters. Other variants of PFAS such as GenX, PFDA, PFNA, PFC, etc. are not yet subject to comprehensive regulation, hence manufacturers are not required to disclose their use. Currently, the EU and the US are studying whether to completely ban the use of all types of PFAS. Some manufacturers have voluntarily sought third-party certification to disclose to consumers whether their products contain PFAS. We can choose PFAS-free products by reading product labels. Existing PFAS-free certificates include:

• GreenScreen Certified®
• CHEM FORWARD SAFER
• Cradle to Cradle Certified® (platinum certification requires the product to be free of PFAS)
• OEKO-TEX® Standard 100
• Living Product Challenge 2.0

For more regulations on PFAS labeling and information, please browse the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website.

We can apply the beading test on food packaging: Place a few drops of olive oil on food packaging and observe whether the oil droplets soak in, spread out, or form little beads. The formation of beads suggests that the food packaging is likely to contain PFAS, so avoid using such food packaging as much as possible

More Tips for Avoiding PFAS: Read the Label Carefully

In recent years, the international community has paid more attention to PFAS-related health topics, and a flurry of relevant studies is underway. While international regulations are being formulated to control the use of PFAS, we can consciously change our lifestyle habits by learning more about them, to prevent exposure to potentially toxic chemicals. Several PFAS-related government website links are provided below, check back every few months to see if updated information is available!

US EPA’s latest PFAS solutions:

https://www.epa.gov/pfas/key-epa-actions-address-pfas

Latest restrictions proposed European Chemicals Agency (ECHA):

https://echa.europa.eu/hot-topics/perfluoroalkyl-chemicals-pfas