Health Effects of PFAS

People are exposed to PFAS from many sources. Most people have been exposed to PFAS via consumer products and/or industrial uses.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), people are exposed to PFAS from food packaged in materials that include PFAS, processed with equipment that used PFAS, or grown in PFAS-contaminated soil or water. People may also have been exposed to PFAS in the workplace through production facilities or industries that involve chrome plating, electronics manufacturing, and oil recovery. PFAS found in drinking water is often originally from PFAS discharged from a nearby manufacturer, landfill, wastewater treatment plant, and/or firefighter training facility. Everyday household and consumer products may also contain PFAS, including water and stain resistant products.

In the United States and other industrialized countries, most people have concentrations of PFAS in their blood. However, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), found that PFOA and PFOS blood levels have dropped more than 60% and 80% from 1999 to 2014.

People most at risk of adverse health impacts are those exposed to high levels of PFAS, and vulnerable population groups such as children and the elderly. Throughout life, people and animals accumulate PFAS in their bodies.

Health Effects of PFAS Infographic

Sources: US National Toxicology Program, (2016); C8 Health Project Reports, (2012); WHO IARC, (2017); Barry et al., (2013); Fenton et al., (2009); and White et al., (2011).