What Is PFAS and Why Should You Avoid It?

PFAS are a group of synthetic chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or in the human body. That persistence is the core problem: exposure builds over time, and researchers have spent the last two decades connecting that accumulation to a range of health concerns.

What PFAS Actually Are

PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The name refers to the carbon-fluorine bond at the heart of these chemicals, which is one of the strongest bonds in organic chemistry. That bond is why PFAS repel water, oil, and stains so effectively, and it’s also why they don’t degrade. There are over 12,000 individual PFAS compounds, though most public attention has focused on PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid), the two most extensively studied.

The most common PFAS you’ll encounter by name:

• PFOA (C8) — used historically in Teflon manufacturing, phased out by DuPont under EPA pressure in 2013
• PFOS — used in Scotchgard fabric protector, banned under the Stockholm Convention
• PFBS, PFBA, GenX (HFPO-DA) — shorter-chain PFAS introduced as replacements for PFOA and PFOS; now themselves under regulatory review
• PFHXS (perfluorohexane sulfonic acid) — found in firefighting foams and stain-resistant treatments

When PFOA was phased out, many manufacturers switched to GenX and other short-chain alternatives. These were marketed as safer, but the EPA and independent researchers have since found they carry similar persistence and similar toxicological concerns. Replacing one PFAS with another PFAS is not the same as going PFAS-free.

Where PFAS Are Found

The list is wider than most people expect:

Cookware: Non-stick coatings branded as Teflon, T-fal, Calphalon non-stick, and many generic alternatives use PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), a PFAS polymer. At normal cooking temperatures PTFE is relatively stable, but when overheated above 500°F it releases breakdown gases. The larger issue is that the manufacturing process for PTFE has historically involved PFOA or PFOS.

Food packaging: Microwave popcorn bags, fast-food wrappers, pizza boxes, and grease-resistant paper containers are routinely treated with PFAS. Several states have now passed restrictions on PFAS in food packaging, and some major chains have begun removing them, but enforcement is inconsistent.

Stain-resistant fabric treatments: Scotchgard and similar treatments applied to carpets, upholstered furniture, and “performance” clothing (particularly rain jackets and outdoor gear marketed as water-repellent) contain PFAS. Gore-Tex used PFAS extensively; the company has been transitioning away from them but the process has been slow.

Personal care products: Waterproof mascara, long-wear foundation, and some sunscreens contain PFAS as film-forming agents. The FDA has not required labeling of PFAS in cosmetics, though the EU has moved to restrict them.

Water: PFAS contamination of drinking water is now one of the EPA’s most active regulatory areas. The agency set enforceable limits for six PFAS compounds in municipal water in 2024. Areas near military bases (which used PFAS-containing firefighting foam), manufacturing plants, and landfills have higher contamination rates.

Dental floss: Oral-B Glide and similar “smooth” flosses use PTFE as their coating material. A 2019 study published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology found that women who used Oral-B Glide had higher blood levels of certain PFAS.

Why It Matters

PFAS accumulate in the bloodstream. The CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey has consistently found PFAS detectable in the blood of nearly all Americans tested. That baseline exposure comes from years of contact across multiple sources.

The health research is ongoing, but the existing evidence points to associations between elevated PFAS blood levels and:

• Disruption of thyroid hormone production
• Altered immune response, including reduced effectiveness of vaccines in children
• Elevated cholesterol levels
• Kidney and testicular cancer (particularly for PFOA and PFOS at high exposures)
• Interference with fetal development and reduced birth weight

Regulatory bodies are cautious with causal language because most human studies are observational. What’s clear is that PFAS are not biologically inert, and the dose-response relationship is still being mapped. The EPA’s 2024 limits for PFAS in drinking water were set at 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS — a number so small it reflects how seriously regulators now take even low-level exposure.

What to Do

Cookware: Switch from non-stick PTFE-coated pans to stainless steel, cast iron, or carbon steel. Ceramic-coated cookware (Caraway, GreenPan’s Thermolon line) avoids PFAS, but check that the brand certifies PFAS-free across the entire coating system, not just the PTFE component. Our full guide covers this in detail.

Food packaging: Cook at home where you control the surfaces. When ordering out, transfer food out of packaging quickly rather than eating from the wrapper.

Fabric: For outerwear, look for PFC-free DWR (durable water repellent) treatments. Brands like Patagonia and Cotopaxi have moved to PFAS-free DWR on most product lines. For furniture, skip stain-treatment add-ons at retail, or ask specifically for PFAS-free alternatives.

Water: A reverse osmosis filter or an activated carbon filter certified to NSF/ANSI 58 will reduce PFAS. Standard pitcher filters like Brita do not adequately remove PFAS. Check your local water report at EWG’s Tap Water Database before investing in a filter.

Personal care: Avoid products with ingredients listed as “fluoro-” or “perfluoro-” in any form. EWG’s Skin Deep database lets you search by product or ingredient.

Dental floss: Alternatives to PTFE-coated floss include silk floss, plant-based waxed floss, and water flossers. Cocofloss and Dr. Tung’s Smart Floss are among the brands that explicitly disclose PFAS-free formulations.

Recommended Products

Browse PFAS-free products across every category in the True Essentials directory: Products Free of PFAS

Non-toxic cookware picks specifically: Non-Toxic Cookware and Bakeware

Summary

PFAS are synthetic chemicals found in non-stick coatings, food packaging, stain treatments, personal care products, and drinking water. They accumulate in the body over time and are linked to thyroid disruption, immune effects, elevated cholesterol, and certain cancers at higher exposures. Switching away from them is practical: stainless steel and cast iron cookware, reverse osmosis water filters, and PFAS-free personal care products cover the highest-exposure areas for most households.