Do you eat take-out French fries or microwave popcorn? Do you use protective sprays on your favorite shoes, or have stain-resistant carpet in your home? Then you’ve probably been exposed to chemicals called perfloalkyl and polyfloalkyl substances (PFASs). There are thousands of PFASs, which are some of the longest-lasting chemicals ever made. PFASs have spread throughout our environment and are found everywhere we look: from house dust in China, to polar bears in the Arctic, to people right here in California.
What are PFASs used for?
PFASs are used to make products resistant to oil, stains, grease, and water. Everyday items that could contain PFASs include:
- Stain- or water-resistant carpets, furniture, and clothing
- Grease-repellent take-out containers, fast-food wrappers, and microwave popcorn bags
- Protective sprays, polishes, waxes, and cleaning products
- Personal care products, such as skin lotion, eye makeup, and dental floss
How can PFASs get in your body?
- Eating foods that contain PFASs, such as some meat and fish, vegetables grown with PFAS-contaminated water, or food that comes in certain grease-repellent containers and wrappers.
- Drinking and cooking with water that contains PFASs.
- Getting house dust on your hands and preparing or eating food. Dust can contain PFASs from products in your home.
- Inhaling or swallowing PFASs when using products that contain them, like certain sprays or waxes.
What are the health concerns for PFASs?
PFASs may harm the growing fetus and child; affect the immune system and liver function; increase the risk of thyroid disease; interfere with the body’s natural hormones; and increase cancer risk. Manufacturers are removing some of the older, more toxic PFASs from products, but the replacements are not well studied and may also be harmful.
What are possible ways to reduce your exposure?
- Include plenty of variety in your diet, and eat less food in grease-repellent packaging.
- Avoid buying carpets, furniture, clothing, and other products labeled as stain resistant or water resistant.
- Check labels on household and personal care products, and avoid those with “fluoro” ingredients. Contact the manufacturer if you can’t find the ingredients on the label.
- If you choose to use protective sprays, polishes, waxes, or similar products, make sure you have enough ventilation and follow other safety precautions on the label.
- Wash your and your children’s hands often, especially before preparing or eating food.
- Clean your floors regularly, using a wet mop or a vacuum with a HEPA filter if possible, and use a damp cloth to dust.
How can biomonitoring help?
Biomonitoring is a way to measure how much contact people have had with PFASs and other chemicals, by testing samples of their blood. To find out how people might have been exposed to these chemicals, we ask them about their daily activities and habits.
Biomonitoring California is measuring PFASs in the CARE Study. Starting in November 2018, people in Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial, Mono, and Inyo counties can sign up for the study at cdph.ca.gov/CARE.
The CARE Study will help us learn about exposures to PFASs across the state. Our findings can support regulatory policies and other efforts to reduce harmful chemical exposures for everyone.
For more information
Visit our website, biomonitoring.ca.gov, to find fact sheets on the chemicals we measure and learn more about biomonitoring.
