PFAS Contamination in Food and Water: The Good News and the Bad News
Concerning levels of PFAS found in drinking water
Containing linked carbon and fluorine atoms, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (aka PFAS) are a diverse group of human-made molecules used in a wide range of consumer and industrial products. Two well-known uses are in the making of non-stick frying/cooking pans and the foam used in fighting primarily aircraft fires (or other petroleum-based fires); hence, PFAS subsurface ground contamination tends to be prevalent around military air bases where foam firefighting has been taught and practiced. Regarding cookware, as of 2015 regulations, cookware must be PFAS free, so other than overheating or braising the PTFE that may be in the cookware’s nonstick coating, at least PFAS isn’t a worry. But groundwater contamination is another story—either caused by fire-fighting foams or other industrial uses/spills.
The good news is that in recent FDA tests on food, PFAS contamination isn’t much of an issue. However, the bad news: Levels found in drinking water have been problematic. A recent article, “PFAS found in 72% of drinking-water samples in Philly’s suburbs,” published on July 28, 2021, by The Philadelphia Inquirer, found that though none of the PFAS samples taken exceeded the current EPA guideline of 70 parts per trillion (ppt)*, even a number of 25 ppt is a potential health issue. One problem is that PFAS compounds accumulate in the human body and don’t go away, and thus, there are no safe levels, according to the Inquirer.