PFAS (Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl substances)

A clean water supply is crucial to public health and quality of life. It is integral to the success of our society whether it is being used for drinking, washing or cooking. However, due to corporations polluting our water supply with synthetic chemicals like Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), many people do not have clean and affordable tap water. 

PFAS chemicals are a toxic threat to the drinking water and the health of countless communities around the United States. PFAS are widely used in consumer products and at military and industrial sites. More than 100 million people have PFAS contaminated drinking water. This contamination is largely driven by the military’s use of PFAS-filled firefighting foam, as well as manufacturing companies releasing chemical waste into the air and waterways of surrounding communities. These “forever chemicals” never break down in the environment. PFAS are now largely detected in our food. Our bodies concentrate PFAS, so levels are detected much higher in people than they are in food and  water. 

Nearly every American has some amount of PFAS in their bodies⁠—even newborns. Exposure is linked to a variety of health problems including kidney and testicular cancer, damaged immune systems, and harm to the liver, thyroid, and pancreatic function. These chemicals are most dangerous during pregnancy and childhood because they can cause birth defects and permanently impair children’s development.

Our program advocates to end the ongoing use of PFAS chemicals in products ranging from firefighting foam to fast food wrappers. We call for government agencies and chemical companies to be responsible for cleaning up contamination in  the thousands of communities harmed by PFAS chemicals.