In short, my girlfriend keeps talking about PFAs. Yesterday she showed me a series of PFA removal devices that are supposed to remove 100% of them from tap water. All of them are either expensive upfront of expensive over time with the filter replacements. Is it worth trying to remove them from my drinking water?
In: Biology
PFAS are **P**er- and **P**oly- **F**luoro**A**lkyl **S**ubstances; these are human-made chemical compounds. Teflon as one of the first PFAS in widespread use but there are now millions of different PFAS, each for a slightly different purpose. They are widely used to make products that are waterproof, nonstick, or that resist grease, oil, and stains — everything from yoga pants to smartphone screens and firefighting foam to cosmetics.
The concerns with PFAS are that they basically don’t break down, either in the environment or within our bodies. This means that they are literally *everywhere* — in the ground, in the air, in the water and (of course) in our bodies. Since the human body can only get rid of PFAS very slowly, they tend to accumulate in the body. High levels of PFAS can contribute to health issues such as reduced fertility, pregnancy issues, cancer, thyroid disease, and other health problems.
Drinking water with PFAS in it is a major way that these chemicals accumulate in the human body. Some water utilities are addressing the problem by filtering out PFAS from the drinking water supply, while others have not yet addressed the problem. You should be able to obtain a drinking water report from your water utility. If they don’t have a report available, or if you get your water from a well, you can have have your water tested. The important thing is to use a certified laboratory that uses accepted testing methods (as opposed to a lab that works for the company trying to sell you a filter system).
The test results will let you compare your water against State and Federal standards. This will tell you of PFAS levels (or other contaminants) are concerning — and if so, then a filter system might well be worthwhile. There are [in-home water filter and treatment systems](https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/reducing-pfas-drinking-water-treatment-technologies) that will remove PFAS from your water. Finally, if you drink well water, even if things look good now, it is a good idea to re-test regularly, because contaminants can and do show up without any obvious warning signs.
Sources:
* [US EPA: PFAS Explained](https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-explained)
* [US CDC/ATSDR: PFAS and Your Health](https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/index.html)
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