PFAS and Microplastics: Hidden Chemicals in Everyday Products
By Don DiCostanzo ·
What do your cookware, food packaging, cosmetics, clothing, and drinking water have in common? They may expose you to chemicals and tiny plastic particles that are increasingly drawing attention from scientists and public-health experts.
Many everyday products make life easier. Nonstick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, grease-resistant food wrappers, personal-care products, and plastic containers are all designed for convenience. But some of these products can also be sources of environmental contaminants known as PFAS and microplastics.
Understanding where these substances come from, how they enter our environment, and how we can reduce exposure is an important step toward protecting our health and the world around us.
What Are PFAS?
PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These are a large family of human-made chemicals used in manufacturing products that resist water, grease, oil, and stains. Often called forever chemicals, many PFAS break down extremely slowly in the environment.
They have been used for decades in products such as:
- Nonstick cookware
- Grease-resistant food packaging and fast-food wrappers
- Microwave popcorn bags
- Stain-resistant carpets and clothing
- Water-resistant materials
- Some cosmetics and personal-care products
- Certain firefighting foams
- Paints, sealants, and cleaning products
PFAS can escape from products during manufacturing, use, and disposal. Once released, they can travel through soil, groundwater, rivers, and eventually into drinking water and food supplies.
Scientists have linked exposure to certain PFAS with health concerns, including immune-system effects, changes in hormone function, developmental effects, elevated cholesterol, and increased risks of certain cancers. Not all PFAS are the same, and health risks depend on the specific chemical, exposure level, and duration of exposure.
What Are Microplastics?
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles, generally smaller than five millimeters. They come from the breakdown of larger plastic items and from materials manufactured using small plastic particles.
Plastic bottles, food containers, packaging, synthetic fabrics, tires, and other common materials can contribute to microplastic pollution. Over time, sunlight, heat, friction, and environmental conditions cause plastic materials to break into increasingly smaller pieces.
These particles have been detected in drinking water, seafood and other foods, household dust and indoor air, soil and waterways, and various environmental samples. Researchers are continuing to investigate how microplastic exposure affects human health.
Why Should We Care?
PFAS and microplastics are different pollutants, but both are widespread in our modern environment. Potential sources exist in products we use, the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air around us.
The goal isn’t to create fear. It’s to increase awareness and encourage informed decisions.
What Can You Do?
To help reduce potential PFAS exposure:
- Look for products labeled PFAS-free when appropriate
- Reduce grease-resistant food wrappers and packaging
- Consider alternatives to nonstick cookware
- Replace damaged nonstick pans
- Avoid overheating nonstick cookware
- Learn about local drinking water quality and consider appropriately certified filtration when needed
To help reduce microplastic exposure:
- Choose glass, stainless steel, or ceramic food-storage when practical
- Avoid heating food in plastic
- Reduce single-use plastics
- Choose reusable alternatives
- Limit bottled-water consumption
- Keep indoor dust under control with regular cleaning and appropriate filtration
Awareness is the first step toward change. Read labels. Ask questions. Learn about your drinking water. Make thoughtful purchasing decisions. Even small changes can help reduce unnecessary exposure. The choices we make today can help create a healthier tomorrow.
Read more on Hydrology University. Also published on the WaterVO blog: PFAS and Microplastics: Hidden Chemicals in Everyday Products.