PFAS — short for poly-fluoroalkyl substances — are a group of chemicals that don’t break down naturally in the environment. They build up in the human body and are linked to a myriad of health problems, including hormone imbalances, reproductive issues, and cancer.
“They can pretty much cause harm in every system in the body,” says Tasha Stoiber. She’s a Senior Scientist for the research and advocacy organization Environmental Working Group.
“We're finding them in drinking water. We're finding them in streams, we're finding them in the air. We're finding them in the far reaches of the planet, because they just don't break down and they tend to to be transported around the environment. We are even detecting them in rainwater.”
PFAS are used in hundreds of different commercial and consumer products, including non-stick pans, cellphones, and medical devices. Almost all Americans have PFAS in their blood. The latest tests of the nation’s drinking water supply show that about half of all Americans have PFAS in their tap water.
A map, released by Environmental Working Group shows there are more than 3000 sites in the U.S. with PFAS in the drinking water. Several of those sites are in the Bay Area, including in Pleasanton, Livermore, Fremont, and South San Francisco.
To get PFAS out of your tap water, Stoiber recommends reverse osmosis or activated carbon drinking filters.
The EPA is expected to release more data on contaminated drinking water sites in the coming months.
