Many items we use in our daily lives are filled with man-made chemicals that we aren't even aware of—the pots and pans, carpets, furniture, possibly, makeup, skincare, hair products. Without even knowing, we come in contact with them, and it causes us harm in return. These are also known as forever chemicals because they don't break down and aren't biodegradable.
PFAS are in many household items, and most importantly, in water. This includes drinking water, or near any water sites. Chemicals like these can infiltrate the nearest water supplies in different ways, posing a risk to the community. Drinking water systems often include PFAS when they come out, and those at the waste sites. This also connects to people who fish and get seafood products from the ocean, including shrimp and crabs, which have also been contaminated.
PFAS also showed up in take-out food containers. So when we go to restaurants and notice that we get food to go in boxes, they contain chemicals that restrict grease from seeping out of the container. Even something as simple as breathing contaminated air or drinking contaminated water can cause problems.
This is a bigger problem for children as they crawl and pick up random things from the floor to eat and put in their mouths. Toys, furniture edges, scraps of food, could easily be contaminated with PFAS. So, compared to adults, children have a far higher risk of developing diseases from such products lying around.
The Environmental Protection Agency has played many parts in contributing to protecting citizens and the environment. Within their works, there is a focus on PFAS and the fact that these chemicals take the longest time to break down; some actually might not break down and contaminate the soil overall. The EPA found that many people and animals have PFAS in their bloodstreams.
So what can we do to help people be aware of such contaminants and chemicals? Instead of assuming that everything is clean, we can check where that product came from or get a general understanding of what that item is composed of. It would be helpful for many of the grocery stores, clothing lines, and products to know if certain items are PFAS or not. Doing this can make people aware of the risks associated with it.