PFAS explained: FAQs on ‘forever chemicals’ in food and drinks

Wondering if there’s a test for PFAS or whether you should stop drinking tap water? Here’s the answer to those and a few other common questions.

‘Forever chemicals’ are technically known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. They’re a group of nearly 15,000 human-made chemicals that have been used in anti-stain and anti-stick treatments. They’ve been used on non-stick cookware, as well as in insecticides and firefighting foams, since the 1970s. They’re used in cosmetics, dental floss, waterproof clothing and, more recently, sustainable food packaging. They’re labelled with the ‘forever’ tag because they don’t break down easily in the environment and, over time, also tend to build up in the bodies of living things – including us.

Q: Should I get tested for PFAS?

ANSWER: Currently, PFAS blood tests aren’t considered routine or particularly useful for individuals. A test may show you’ve been exposed to PFAS, but they have no diagnostic value because a clear connection between specific blood levels of PFAS and any effect on health isn’t supported by evidence.

Q: Should I stop drinking tap water?

ANSWER: While limiting or avoiding drinking heavily contaminated water may help to reduce PFAS exposure, experts say Australia’s tap water is largely safe as far as PFAS levels are concerned. If you’re worried, check with the water supplier in your area for specific, local information. It’s also important to note that in Australia at least 90 per cent of PFAS exposure comes from sources other than drinking water, like household products.

Q: So, is non-stick cookware safe or not?

ANSWER: Teflon is made from a chemical that belongs to the PFAS family, but it has a different structure to the PFAS chemicals that have been identified as being potentially the most problematic ones. As a result, regulators don’t consider Teflon to be a chemical of
concern for either the environment or health.

Q: Are PFAS and microplastics the same thing?

ANSWER: No. While PFAS can be present in microplastics, they’re separate things.

Q: Is BPA a forever chemical?

ANSWER: No it’s not. While bisphenol A, or BPA for short, is a chemical that’s often used in hard plastic food containers and has been linked to some of the same health impacts as PFAS, it’s not a forever chemical.

Q: Will boiling water or using a water filter remove PFAS?

ANSWER: Boiling water before you drink it won’t destroy any PFAS that might be present, and while some water filters may help, not all do. Research into the best filtration method is ongoing but filters that use granular activated carbon, ion exchange or reverse osmosis are thought to be most effective.

Trust your gut

Despite the jury being out on the health impacts of PFAS and whether people can – or should – personally take steps to significantly limit their exposure, new research also suggests that doing what you can to improve your gut health may be a smart strategy. The results of the study, albeit an animal one, showed certain species of healthy gut bacteria can soak up between 25 and 74 per cent of the PFAS they’re exposed to. The researchers say it’s the first evidence that the gut microbiome may have an important role to play in helping to remove PFAS chemicals from the body.