What are PFAS?

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, stand out as a class of persistent synthetic compounds.  These substances are often referred to as "forever chemicals" due to their resistance to environmental breakdown.  PFAS have qualities that resist heat, grease, and water, making them useful for many consumer products.  While there are thousands of PFAS, the most common are PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctanoic sulfonic acid).  More information can be found on the PFAS family tree. 

Since PFAS are resistant to biodegradation, they can move through soil and contaminate drinking water sources, and they can build up, or bioaccumulate, in fish and wildlife.  

Exposure to PFAS has been linked to adverse health outcomes, and can occur not only by environmental contamination, but also by a variety of consumer products.

How can I be exposed to PFAS?

The main ways people can be exposed to PFAS include:

• Drinking contaminated municipal water or private well water
• Eating fish caught from contaminated water
• Eating food grown or raised near places that used or made PFAS
• Eating food packaged in material that contains PFAS
• Ingesting contaminated soil or dust
• Using consumer products that contain PFAS, such as stain resistant and water repellent fabrics, personal care products and cosmetics, nonstick cookware, and cleaning products

How does PFAS affect health?

Numerous studies have explored potential connections between blood levels of PFAS and adverse health effects in individuals.  However, the diversity in study populations, exposure types, and PFAS variants has resulted in a range of reported health outcomes.  Human research indicates that elevated levels of specific PFAS could be associated with the following:

• Increased cholesterol level
• Decreased vaccine response in children
• Changes in liver enzymes, decreased liver function
• Increased risk of cancer, especially kidney and testicular
• Small decreases in infant birth weights
• Increased risk of high blood pressure or preeclampsia in pregnant women
• Infertility
• Increased chance of thyroid disease
• Altered immune response
• Delayed puberty
• Disruption of regular hormone function

How can I protect myself and my family from PFAS?

Since PFAS are so common in our environment, there is no easy way to completely avoid them.  The best way to limit adverse health affects is to limit exposure to PFAS as much as possible.  Methods to limit exposure could include:

• Avoid single-use plastics as they are more likely to contain PFAS – pack your own re-usable containers (use glass or metal containers if possible)
• Avoid Teflon-based nonstick cookware
• Look for personal care products labeled to be without "PTFE" or "Flouro" ingredients
• Pop popcorn on the stove top, as microwaveable popcorn bags are often coated with PFAS chemicals on the inside
• Look for PFAS free household items

Massachusetts offers a guide to PFAS-free purchasing resources, for more information click here.

What does this mean for Newton Residents?

In 2020 the Massachusetts legislature appointed the PFAS Interagency Taskforce to investigate water and ground contamination of PFAS.

In October of 2020, MassDEP published the PFAS public drinking water standard.  The Massachusetts Maximum Contaminant Level is 20 nanograms per liter (ng/L) or parts per trillion (ppt).  This applies to both community and non-transient community systems for the sum of the concentrations of six specific PFAS.  This standard provides Massachusetts residents with a barrier against PFAS exposure from contaminated water.  For more information on Massachusetts' response to PFAS, click here.

The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) publishes results of PFAS testing in the water supply.  The MWRA has stated that it will easily meet EPA's proposed new PFAS drinking water standards.  Additionally, the MWRA has stated that it has met the MassDEP PFAS drinking water standard, and will continue with the compliance testing.  For more information on the MWRA's response to PFAS, click here.

If you are a private well owner, click here for more information.

PFAS flyer