PFAS known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a family of over 12,000 synthetic chemicals that have been manufactured since the 1950s. They're used in everything from non-stick cookware and food packaging to waterproof clothing and firefighting foam. Its something I'm increasingly talking to clients about as the number of studies showing significant health risks continues to grow.
They're called "forever chemicals" for a simple, troubling reason: they never break down. Not in sunlight, not in water, not in soil, not in your body.
Where Do PFAS Come From?
PFAS enter our water supply through multiple pathways:
- Industrial discharge — manufacturing facilities that use or produce PFAS
- Firefighting foam — AFFF foam used at airports and military bases
- Landfill leachate — PFAS-containing products breaking down in waste sites
- Agricultural runoff — biosolids (treated sewage sludge) used as fertiliser
- Atmospheric deposition — PFAS can travel thousands of miles in the air
The Health Concerns
Research into PFAS health effects has accelerated dramatically in recent years. Peer-reviewed studies have linked chronic PFAS exposure to:
- Thyroid disease and hormonal disruption
- Liver damage and elevated cholesterol
- Immune system suppression, including reduced vaccine response
- Certain cancers, particularly kidney and testicular
- Reproductive issues and developmental effects in children
The European Environment Agency has called PFAS contamination "one of the most important chemical threats" facing Europe's water supplies.
The Regulatory Gap
UK water companies are not currently required to routinely test for most PFAS compounds. The existing regulatory framework covers only a handful of the 12,000+ known PFAS chemicals, and maximum allowable concentrations are still being debated.
Standard water treatment processes — including chlorination, coagulation, and sand filtration — are largely ineffective against PFAS. These chemicals are specifically engineered to be stable, which makes them extremely difficult to remove through conventional means.
How to Protect Yourself
Point-of-use filtration is currently the most practical way to reduce PFAS exposure from drinking water. The most effective technologies combine:
- Activated carbon — adsorbs longer-chain PFAS compounds effectively
- Ion exchange resin — captures shorter-chain PFAS that carbon may miss
- Precision membrane filtration — provides an additional physical barrier
Not all water companies publicly report PFAS levels yet, so if you're concerned, a home filter that targets PFAS specifically is a reasonable precaution.
