Totally Terra

So a little lab slip in the thirties gave us Teflon, which, surprisingly, was key for the A-bomb, and now its relatives are everywhere… in your raincoat, your frying pan, in your waterproof mascara, even in our air and our water.

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a huge family of human-made chemicals known for being super-slippery (making them great for manufacturing) and incredibly stubborn (meaning they don’t break down easily, which isn’t so great for us).

Imagine PFAS like LEGOs. They all have a backbone made of carbon atoms linked together. But instead of regular connectors, they use super-strong fluorine atoms that are really tough to pull apart… like your annoying sibling super-glued them! Some PFAS have long chains of these carbon ‘LEGOs,’ while others have short ones. Plus, different chemical pieces can be attached to the ends, giving each PFAS slightly different abilities, like repelling water or grease. That’s why there are so many different types of PFAS, each with its own unique properties and potential problems

Think of these ‘forever chemicals,’ PFAS, as unwanted houseguests that crash your body’s party and refuse to leave. Just like those annoying visitors, they can cause real trouble. Your immune system might become a weak bouncer, letting infections in. Your cholesterol could skyrocket. Even your liver and thyroid might start acting strangely. For babies, PFAS could interfere with their development, possibly leading to lower birth weight. Plus, there’s some concerning evidence suggesting a link to certain cancers. Basically, while we’re still figuring out all the ways they cause problems, it’s clear PFAS are the kind of guests that are not welcome.

The EPA looks at PFAS and basically says, ‘Okay, these specific ones are the troublemakers.’ For your drinking water, they’ve set limits for a few of the common ones, like PFOA and PFOS, saying how much is too much. And for really polluted areas, they’ve officially labeled PFOA and PFOS as hazardous waste, meaning they need to be cleaned up. So, they’re picking out the PFAS they know are risky and putting rules in place to deal with them.

However, PFOA and PFOS are just a tiny fraction of the thousands of PFAS that exist, which makes regulating all of them a huge challenge. These chemicals have been used in so many products for nearly a century, making it incredibly complicated to track where they all are and where they came from. Plus, getting everyone to agree on new rules, especially when it involves companies potentially spending a lot of money, is always a tough battle. It’s a complex problem with many moving parts, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any rules in place or in the works.

Back in January of 2025, 10 states implemented new restrictions concerning PFAS across 14 product categories.

California and New York became the first states to regulate PFAS in apparel. All that stuff you put on your face, you know cosmetics, well California, Colorado, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington introduced limitations on PFAS. Restrictions on PFAS in firefighting foam were enacted in Alaska, Illinois, and Rhode Island, joining 13 other states with existing regulations. Oregon implemented a ban on PFAS in food ware containers, aligning with 11 other states. Furthermore, under Amara’s Law, Minnesota initiated comprehensive restrictions on PFAS in a wide array of things from carpets to dental floss and ski wax to maxi pads. Yup, PFAS are in your panties.

In April of 2024, the EPA enacted legally enforceable drinking water standards for 6 specific types of PFAS nationwide. This means all public water systems now have to keep these specific PFAS below a certain level:

• 4.0 parts per trillion (think four single drops of food coloring spread out in twenty Olympic-sized swimming pools full of water):
  • PFOA
  • PFOS
• 10 parts per trillion (Think ten single drops of food coloring spread out in twenty Olympic-sized swimming pools full of water):
  • PFNA
  • PFHxS
  • HFPO-DA (GenX)
• Combined Limit (Hazard Index of 1): This applies when you have a mix of two or more of these (Think of it like having a few different spices in a dish. A little of each might be fine, but if you add too much of several different strong spices, the whole dish can become overpowering):
  • PFHxS
  • PFNA
  • HFPO-DA
  • PFBS

To get rid of PFAS in water, treatment plants often use special filters with activated carbon or resins that grab the PFAS, or they push the water through really fine membranes like in reverse osmosis. For your home, you can get water filter pitchers or under-sink systems with activated carbon or reverse osmosis that are certified to remove these chemicals. Just remember to change the filters regularly, and boiling water won’t help (PFAS doesn’t break down unless under extremely high heat like 1,300-1,830 °F).

PFAS are definitely floating around in the air we breathe as well. Indoors, you can find them in dust and potentially released from household items. Outdoors, they’re more likely near places that make or use a lot of PFAS, like factories and firefighting training spots, but they’ve even been found in pretty remote areas because they can travel on air currents and fall back down in rain or snow. While we probably get more PFAS by swallowing them in food and water, breathing them in is another way these ‘forever chemicals’ can get into our bodies.

Although there aren’t nationwide air regulations for PFAS yet, several states are stepping up. Michigan has set health-based limits for PFOA and PFOS in the air, New Hampshire regulates a compound that degrades into PFOA, and New York has proposed its own air limit for PFOA. These state rules mainly focus on specific PFAS and often apply to industrial sites through air permits, signaling an early effort to control these airborne ‘forever chemicals’ before comprehensive federal rules are in place. Nationally, the EPA is working on federal air regulations for PFAS and has developed a draft testing method called OTM-45 for their measurement.

OTM-45 (Other Test Method 45: Measurement of Selected Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances from Stationary Sources) involves collecting air samples and then using a sensitive lab technique called liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to identify and measure the PFAS.  Imagine LC-MS/MS as a very precise airport security system. The ‘LC’ is like the baggage scanner that separates different types of bags based on their size and contents. Then, the ‘MS/MS’ is like the bomb squad that carefully takes each separated bag and analyzes its contents, even breaking down suspicious items to identify exactly what they are based on their unique chemical ‘fingerprint.’ This lets them know exactly what’s in each bag, even in tiny amounts.

So simply put, these chemicals are abundant, not yet comprehensively regulated, can pose significant risks to human health, and their persistent nature means the challenges of exposure and remediation will likely continue for generations to come.

But Earthlings, knowledge is power. Assume anything that is waterproof, holding water, or keeping oil and grease at bay may likely contain PFAS and warrants a closer look. Investigate the materials in your rain gear, those handy non-stick pans, the linings of your favorite canned goods (like soda cans – did you know they have plastic liners inside that, while often BPA-free these days, could still contain other concerning chemicals, including PFAS in some cases?), and even the packaging for your takeout. Look beyond the label and seek out products that are transparent about their ingredients, actively choosing PFAS-free alternatives whenever possible. This empowers us to make conscious choices, ensuring a healthier Terra for all.