Here's some more tips for reducing exposure:
Specific Products Containing PFASs
Microwave popcorn bags
Fact: Microwave popcorn bags are coated with PFCs to help keep oil from permeating and leaking out of the bag.18
Tip: Use an air popcorn popper (check with the manufacturer to ensure it is PFAS-free) or make your own on the stove.
Pizza Boxes
Fact: Although U.S. manufacturers stopped using long-chain PFASs in pizza boxes and other food containers in 2012, they were replaced with C6 PFAS. These replacement chemicals, which have already been proven unsafe, are being detected in the bloodstream of many Americans.19 Plus, as we?ve mentioned before, pizza boxes often contain BPA, which can transfer into the hot pizza as it sits in the box.
Tip: Consider eating pizza at the restaurant or making your own at home instead.
Food wrappers and packaging
Fact: Fast-food packaging, foil cooking liners, pet food bags, and candy wrappers are now often coated with short-chain PFASs to help keep oil from permeating and leaking out of the wrapper.20 Any bag that?s paper on the outside with a plastic interior liner should be in question. Even worse, many restaurants are using imported containers and wrappers that contain the banned long-chain C8.21
Tip: Avoid consuming food from packaging that contains PFASs. Inquire with the company about their food packaging. Better yet, cut back on carry-out fast foods and candy.
Tap Water
Fact: PFASs are contaminating the nation?s water supplies. They do not break down or degrade in the environment, which means they persist in the soil. PFASs in groundwater runoff from landfills contaminate drinking water at levels that have an adverse affect on children?s immune systems.22
Tip: Drink purified water.
Cookware & Baking Dishes
Fact: There is continuing controversy about nonstick cookware treated with PFASs. DuPont owns the trademark for the well known Teflon, which is a specific type of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). PTFE coatings are also sold under the trade names Silverstone, Fluoron, Supra, Excalibar, Greblon, Xylon, and others. There are also an increasing number of ?green? and ?nonstick? cookware options, but the safety of the chemicals being used to replace Teflon are in question. source Remember, it is always important to check if cookware contains any PFAS.
Tip: Avoid cookware with nonstick coatings. Opt for stainless steel, cast iron, glass, ceramic, or porcelain cookware. In addition to pots, pans, and baking sheets, also check out deep fryers, crock pots, electric skillets, griddles, broiler pans, coffee makers, never-stick-stainless steel stockpots, bread makers, roasters, non-stick cookie or cake molds, lollipop molds, pizza pans, tortilla or sandwich presses, waffle makers, woks, and cooking utensils for PFAS. Replace nonstick cookware as you can afford it
Clothing
Fact: PFAS coatings are added to clothing, jackets, and shoes for both their water-repellency as well as their resistance to oil and dirt stains.
Tip: Buy only PFAS-free clothes. Avoid tags that say ?stain-repellant? or ?water-repellant? or feature brand names like GoreTex or Teflon, which are still using the short-chain PFAS.23 If you?re curious what brands are leading the way to nontoxic clothing and gear options, check out Greenpeace?s Detox Catwalk (companies committed to Toxic-Free Fashion by 2020).
Outdoor Clothing
Fact: Weather-resistant outdoor clothing, such as jackets and shoes, are typically treated with PFAS to provide lasting level of weather protection.24 In 2012, Greenpeace found that the following manufacturers have made products containing the long-chain C8 repellent ? PFOA: Adidas (Gore-Tex, Formation), Columbia (Omni-Heat Thermal Reflective, Omni-Tech Waterproof Breathable), Jack Wolfskin (Texapore, Nanuk 300), Mammut (Exotherm Pro STR), Patagonia (Gore-Tex), The North Face (Gore-Tex, Primaloft One).25 Gore-Tex has already switched from long-chain repellents (C8) to the short chain repellents (C6), but this solution is not the best for human health or the environment.26
Tip: Do your research before buying outdoor gear ? there are already companies searching for safer ways to treat clothing.27 Many companies on the list above have responded to the ?Detox Campaign? and EPA recommendations by making the switch to non-PFAS treatments ? such as Jack Wolfskin.28 Purchase PFAS-free, weather-proof, breathable membranes made from polyester or polyurethane.
Outdoor Gear
Fact: Outdoor products such as tents, table cloths, and sleeping bags advertised as ?waterproof? or ?stain-repellant? may be treated with PFAS. These chemicals have contributed to the contamination of the environment and cause harm to human and animal health. Greenpeace calls these chemical treatments ?highly convenient, but lethal?.29
Tip: Look for products made with non-PFAS treatments such as nylon treated with polyurethane. You can even weather-proof your own canvas or other fabrics using beeswax.
Household Products
Fact: PFASs are used as emulsifiers, surfactants/wetting agents in cleaning products, floor polishes and latex paints. They are also used in water-repellent sprays for apparel and footwear, treating textiles, upholsteries, carpets, and leather, in order to impart water, oil, soil and stain-resistance.
Tip: Read labels and choose products that are free of PFAS.
Carpets
Fact: Carpet is typically treated with toxic PFAS-based, stain-proof, and water-repellent treatments. In an EPA government study, carpet and carpet treatment products were found to have very high levels of PFAS.30 Babies, children, and pets are particularly susceptible to exposure from inhalation of PFAS off-gassing from carpet and carpet protectants when they are lying, crawling or spending large amounts of time on the carpet. The EPA began recommending restriction of use in 2013 and some expansion of restriction in 2015, but this is voluntary.31 Since PFAS-based stain-repellents wear off with age and repeated cleaning, many carpet-cleaning products contain stain repellents to ?recharge? the carpet?s existing treatment.
Tip: Avoid carpets treated with perfluorinated compounds and skip optional stain treatments on new carpets. Consider replacing carpet with a chemical-free option or another type of flooring such as tile, hardwood, or untreated cork. Avoid using carpet-cleaning products with PFAS and clean up spills with non-toxic cleaners, like Branch Basics cleaning soap, instead. Use a HEPA vacuum frequently to remove SVOCs released from the carpet.
Furniture
Fact: Fabrics on upholstered furniture are often treated with stain-resistant and water-resistant PFAS. Newer nanoparticle-based soil-repellants have also been developed from the fluorocarbon chemistry.32 Beware of fabrics that have been pre-treated ? these fabric coatings are often made with PFAS.
Tip: Avoid all fluorocarbon chemistry-based ?repellants? and skip optional stain treatments on furniture. When you are able, replace treated furniture/fabrics. In the meantime, HEPA vacuum weekly to reduce dust contaminated with PFAS. If you?re concerned about staining new furniture ? check out our nontoxic stain-fighting recommendations and maybe restrict eating when on upholstered furniture.
Personal Care Products, Cosmetics, & Dental Products
Fact: PFASs are added to cosmetics to enhance the way they feel, to aid in ease of application, provide water resistance, and gloss. Personal care products and cosmetics ? from eye shadow to shaving cream to lip balm ? contain PFASs. The Food and Drug Administration does not review the safety of cosmetics ingredients and no public studies of exposure to PFAS through cosmetic products have been completed.33 Eyeshadow, foundation, facial powder, bronzer and blush account for nearly 80% of the products with PFAS. Some dental floss, like Oral B Glidefloss, is treated with PFAS. Skin Deep also identifies 15 other fluorinated chemicals in cosmetics.34
Tip: Avoid personal care products and cosmetics with PTFE, or any ingredient that contains ?perfluor? or ?polyfluor? in the word. Use unwaxed dental floss.
Housedust
Fact: A 2010 study found that PFASs were among the top-ranked SVOC contaminants of concern selected for a dust ingestion exposure assessment. In other words, PFASs are found in the dust in your home, which can be harmful if inhaled (or even ingested ? a serious concern for babies and small children).source
Tip: Remove as many sources of PFASs as you can, using this list as a guide. Vacuum with a HEPA vacuum thoroughly, at least once a week. This will reduce SVOC levels and reduce exposure to PFAS in your home.
Other Sources of PFAS
PFASs are found in many more products than listed above. Here are a few examples:
- Apple Watch Band (sports)
- thread sealant tape (Teflon tape)
- heat lamps
- portable heaters
- sole plates on irons
- ironing board covers
- burners on stove tops
- burner drip pans
- nonstick rolling pins
- corkscrews
- health-protection textiles
- seat covers
- backpacks
![:\](https://bluelight.org/xf/BL_Images/Orig_Emoji/wrygrin.gif "wry grin :\")