I’m loyal to the type of dental floss I buy—same brand month after month, year after year. Or at least I was loyal. That changed in the past week when I began researching a story on PFAS in personal and household products. PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are also known as “forever chemicals,” because that’s pretty much how long they linger in the environment. These persistent manufacturing chemicals, which have been linked by the EPA to a long list of health effects, including high blood pressure, an increased risk of certain cancers, developmental delays, and more.
PFAS are used in everything from clothing to furniture to pizza boxes to—yes—dental floss, which is why I’ve now switched to a brand that advertises itself as PFAS-free.
Some other danger zones include:
Beauty and personal care products: These pose special risk because makeup and shampoo are used on or near the eyes—mucus membranes that can easily pick up contaminants. Cell phones: The fingerprint-resistant coating on your screen is, unfortunately, made with PFAS. Carpeting: Carpets are designed to be stain- and water-resistant, and the chemicals used to give them those properties are filled with PFAS. While some companies began phasing out PFAS in carpeting in 2019, most people don’t replace theirs every year and still have carpeting that was laid down before the switch began.
The bad news: the “forever chemicals” aren’t going anywhere soon. The good news: more and more products are going PFAS-free.
"[The pandemic accelerated] a broader trend of people being interested in information about their own bodies, the function of their bodies, their physiology, their health."
—Thomas McDade, biological anthropologist at Northwestern University
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Today's newsletter was written by Jeffrey Kluger and Jamie Ducharme, and edited by Mandy Oaklander.
