A persistent perfluorinated problem
PFASs were used in household and industrial products for decades before their harmful health effects and biopersistence came to light. Rebecca Trager investigates a messy situation
Highly fluorinated chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were invented in the US decades ago, and the country is ground zero for the ongoing battle to address the global contamination crisis these compounds have caused. PFAS is the term for a family of highly-fluorinated chemicals that have been used and manufactured since the 1940s in various industries around the world. It’s hard to define them because they have different modes of action and means of transport, but they all have a fluorinated carbon backbone. It turns out that the very qualities that make these PFASs so useful also make them problematic for environmental and human health. They are mobile, persistent and can leach into soil and groundwater to contaminate drinking water. Even consuming small amounts can lead to high concentrations in the body over time.