ForeverChemicalsFacts.com

Forever Chemicals
Are In Your Water,
Your Food, and
Your Home.

More than 200 million Americans have PFAS in their tap water. These synthetic chemicals do not break down. They accumulate in your body over a lifetime. No jargon. No agenda. No paywall.

By the Numbers

12,000+

Known PFAS compounds

200M+

Americans with PFAS in Tap Water

700+

Military Bases Contaminated

4 ppt

EPA Limit for PFOA & PFOS

$13B+

Manufacturer Settlements

2031

Utility Compliance Deadline

The Basics

What Are PFAS?

PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are a family of more than 12,000 synthetic chemicals sharing one characteristic: a carbon-fluorine bond so strong that no natural process breaks it down. Not sunlight. Not soil bacteria. Not your body’s metabolism. That is why they are called forever chemicals.

They went into non-stick cookware, firefighting foam, food packaging, and stain-resistant fabrics starting in the 1940s. For decades, manufacturers knew about accumulation in human blood and kept it from regulators and the public. Today, PFAS are in the blood of virtually every American tested.

“No natural process breaks these forever chemicals down. Not sunlight. Not soil bacteria. Not your body’s metabolism.”

EPA Assessment

The EPA has classified PFOA as a human carcinogen and set a maximum contaminant goal of zero for both PFOA and PFOS. The enforceable 4 ppt limit is the lowest technically achievable, not a declaration of safety below that threshold.

New Here?

Start With These Four Steps

01

Check your water
Search ewg.org/tapwater with your zip code to see what forever chemicals have been detected in your water system.

02

Understand the Risk
Read PFAS 101 for the science and Health Effects for what the evidence says about your health.

03

Reduce Your Exposure
See Action Steps for a prioritized checklist — from filtering your water to safer products in your home.

04

Know Your Rights
Read Your Rights to understand what your water utility is required to tell you and how to demand action.

Everything on This Site

Choose Your Topic

PFAS 101

The chemistry, the history, how PFAS behave in the environment and in your body.

Health Effects

Kidney cancer, thyroid disease, immune suppression, pregnancy complications, and more.

Testing Your Water

Which tests to order, which labs to use, and how to read the results.

Contamination Sites

State-by-state table of military bases, industrial facilities, and affected water systems.

PFAS in the Military

How AFFF firefighting foam contaminated hundreds of bases. Veterans benefits and PACT Act guidance.

PFAS and Children

Why children face greater risk. Prenatal exposure, breast milk, and a priority action guide for parents.

PFAS in Products

A 15-category reference of PFAS use across consumer product types, from carpeting to cosmetics.

Your Rights

What you are legally entitled to know about PFAS in your water and how to demand action.

Action Steps

A prioritized checklist of the highest-impact actions, starting with what matters most for your daily exposure.

Legal and Regulatory

Federal standards, major settlements, active litigation, and state regulatory actions.

PFAS in Food

Contaminated fish, food packaging, and how PFAS migrate from packaging into what you eat.

Glossary & FAQ

Plain-language definitions for 54 PFAS terms and the 22 questions we hear most often.

Regulation of Forever Chemicals

Recent Regulatory Updates

Jan 2026

D.C. Circuit Court denies EPA’s request to pause enforcement of PFAS MCLs for PFNA, PFHxS, and GenX. Standards remain in effect. Current status →

May 2025

Trump administration EPA extends PFOA and PFOS compliance deadline from 2029 to 2031. The 4 ppt MCLs remain in effect; utilities have additional time to install treatment systems.

Apr 2024

EPA finalizes first national drinking water standards for six PFAS. PFOA and PFOS MCLs set at 4 ppt. PFOA classified as a human carcinogen under CERCLA.

Jun 2023

3M agrees to pay up to $12.5 billion to settle claims from public water utilities contaminated by PFAS from AFFF foam. DuPont entities settle separately for $1.185 billion.