PFAS AFFECTED COMMUNITIES AND A GUIDE TO SAFELY CELEBRATING FALL

Article Author: Olivia Parrott, Biology Major & Pre Med Track, Class of 2028, Science Coordinator

As colder weather arrives, many of us are revamping our wardrobes with warmer clothes, purchasing new makeup as our summer tans fade, stocking up on ingredients to bake our favorite fall treats, and so much more. But as we prepare for the new season, how often do we think about what is actually in the products we are buying?

What are PFAS? 

Ingredient lists are often filled with complicated chemical names that are difficult to understand – and many of them lack warnings about the harm they can do to our health. Some of the longest and hardest-to-read words on product packaging labels are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals, encompassing somewhere around 14,000 different chemical compounds. Often called “forever chemicals,” they remain in the environment and human body for years before breaking down. Multiple PFAS are endocrine disruptors and mammary toxicants that interfere with proper hormone function and lead to DNA mutations and tumor growth. 

While the crisis surrounding PFAS has only recently gained national attention, they have quickly become some of the most talked-about chemical contaminants. Despite this growing concern, there have been significant funding cuts to recent PFAS research, including the shut down of a $15 million program meant to investigate how these chemicals leak into water and crops from farm fertilizers. Studies have shown that PFAS exist in many areas of life, including in food and food packaging, water, soil, fertilizers, cosmetics, household products, and fire extinguishing foam. High levels of PFAS have been detected at many military installations, as well. In December 2024, the United States Pentagon released plans to begin cleanup of PFAS at military sites. However, as of September 2025, the projects have been delayed by roughly five years at about 140 of the 600 PFAS contaminated sites. Given that everyone is exposed to PFAS, with almost all people living in the U.S. having them in their blood, these halts in research are alarming. Even more unsettling is that many people remain unaware of the dangers PFAS present. 

Exposure to PFAS are associated with numerous negative health effects. These include worsened immune function, reduced fertility, decreased infant and fetal growth, dyslipidemia, and increased risk of cancers such as testicular and breast cancer. Toxic and carcinogenic substances are lingering among us, endangering our long-term health. However, being cognizant of areas with high PFAS levels and staying alert to how frequently we inhale, consume, or apply PFAS containing products, we can try to reduce associated health risks. For measures beyond our control, including PFAS monitoring and cleanup, we can put pressure on the government for increased environmental protections. 

The Experience of PFAS Contamination in Impacted Communities by Phil Brown

On September 10th, Phil Brown, a Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Health Science at Northeastern University and Co-Director at the Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute and its PFAS Project Lab, hosted a webinar. His talk, The Experience of PFAS Contamination in Impacted Communities, discussed recent findings and activist efforts relating to PFAS, their negative health effects, and the communities most affected. 

Affected Populations

Certain populations have higher exposure to PFAS than others, including people who work in manufacturing facilities, airport workers, firefighters, farmers, and those who live in fenceline communities and areas with contaminated drinking water. 

In his talk, Brown primarily focused on PFAS’ impact on farmers, firefighters, and surrounding communities. For example, he discussed DuPont, an American chemical company that purchased land to use for agriculture and dumped approximately 7,000 tons of PFAS there, killing all the cattle on the property. DuPont faced multiple lawsuits and ultimately settled with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for $16.5 million. Brown mentioned how other farmers have had to shut down their farms because of PFAS contamination, too. 

Firefighters and nearby communities also face heightened exposure. In Nantucket, for instance, PFAS in fire extinguishing foam led to high levels of exposure for both firefighters and residents of the community, spurring the development of environmental and health activist groups. Those dedicating their lives to protect us are being forced to use equipment that ultimately harms them. This has a rippling effect: those in need of saving are exposed to chemicals that put their long-term health at risk. PFAS in fire extinguishing foam quite literally feels like “adding fuel to the fire,” and it exemplifies how no one is immune to the presence and dangers of PFAS. Whether your job requires you to interact with these harmful chemicals or you are on the receiving end – like those in need of fire extinguishing foam – PFAS do not discriminate. 

Challenges Faced by Affected Communities 

Brown outlined numerous challenges faced by communities with high PFAS exposure. Blood testing for PFAS is expensive and often inaccessible, and many medical professionals are unfamiliar with associated health risks. While it is important to try to avoid PFAS, we also must recognize that, frustratingly, certain precautionary measures like blood testing are often unavailable to us. Additionally, opportunities for health studies are limited, so if you feel stressed or like a solution is out of your control, you are not wrong! In some states, drinking water testing only looks for a small number of chemical compounds. Brown added to this, mentioning how the United States EPA has already begun retracting standards set in 2024 for drinking water. Furthermore, fish and other local foods often are not tested for PFAS at all. 

Due to limits in PFAS testing, affected communities are concerned for their future – especially in regards to their children’s health. Disputes about PFAS at different levels of government have fueled distrust in policy and officials. Communities are also worried about increased water and sewer bills, job loss, decline in property values, and higher taxes. Overall, the lack of PFAS testing, medical knowledge, and government guidance has had significant detrimental impacts on communities.

What Affected Communities are Seeking

To better detect and minimize PFAS levels, affected communities are seeking the following: 

• Increased water monitoring and treatment
• More specific drinking water standards
• Better environmental measurements for detecting PFAS 
• Biomonitoring for more accurate blood tests 
• More medical monitoring guidance
• Greater education surrounding PFAS for health professionals
• Further health studies. 

Consider this your call to action – if you are frustrated by PFAS levels and how they affect you and your loved ones, speak up! Look for groups that align with your values and raise awareness of the mission.

What We Can Do to Minimize Exposure Every Day

The activism of impacted communities has been instrumental in raising awareness of PFAS and spurring action in government policy. Whether or not we participate in advocacy, there are a few simple ways we can reduce everyday exposure. 

Firstly, choosing organic foods helps reduce the levels of PFAS we consume. Organic farming techniques avoid using pesticides that contain these synthetic chemicals. 

Secondly, look for PFAS in the ingredients of foods, personal care items, and household products like cleaners and fertilizers. Because it is difficult to distinguish harmful chemicals from other ingredients on packaging labels, it is helpful to use online tools like Clearya, an app and browser extension that scans products for toxic substances. Additionally, Protect Our Breast’s Instagram provides quick tips and facts, and our website will soon have convenient cheat sheets to make avoiding these chemicals easier!

Thirdly, PFAS are frequently found in nonstick and plastic kitchenware, so opting for stainless steel, ceramic, and glassware helps minimize exposure. 

Lastly, stay updated on your local water reports to watch out for dangerous chemical contaminants you may be consuming. There are great resources online that contain information about the quality of water in different areas. One database is the Environmental Protection Agency’s How’s My Waterway site. Simply type your zipcode into the search bar and How’s My Waterway will inform you about your local waterbodies’ conditions.   

This Fall, it is important to keep in mind the harmful chemicals that linger in our foods, cosmetics, and household products. When shopping, baking, and engaging in other fun seasonal activities, stay safer by choosing organic and non-toxic ingredients and products. 

References 

Beckett, E. (2024, April 21). ‘Forever chemicals’ are now in half of your fruits and vegetables. Here’s what that means. Science Focus. https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/forever-chemicals-food-risks.

Brown, P. (2025, September 10). The Experience of PFAS Contamination in Impacted Communities [Webinar]. Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition. https://mbcc.org/webinar-recording-the-experiences-of-pfas-contamination-in-impacted-communities/.

Clearya. (n.d.) https://www.clearya.com/.

EHN Curators. (2025, July 17). Trump cuts funding for PFAS farm contamination research, halting efforts to track chemicals in crops. Environmental Health News. https://www.ehn.org/trump-cuts-funding-for-pfas-farm-contamination-research-halting-efforts-to-track-chemicals-in-crops. 

Fast Facts: PFAS in the U.S. Population. (2024, November 12). Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/data-research/facts-stats/index.html.

How’s My Waterway. (2024, December 12). Environmental Protection Agency. https://mywaterway.epa.gov/.

Li, X., Song, F., Liu, X., Shan, A., Huang, Y., Yang, Z., Li, H., Yang, Q., Yu, Y., Zheng, H., Cao, X. C., Chen, D., Chen, K. X., Chen, X., & Tang, N. J. (2022, September 9). Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) as risk factors for breast cancer: a case-control study in Chinese population. Environmental health : a global access science source, 21(1), 83. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-022-00895-3.

Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS. (2024, November 26). Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/pfas/our-current-understanding-human-health-and-environmental-risks-pfas.

PFAS Explained. (2024, October 3). Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-explained.

Tabuchi, H. (2025, September 23). Defense Department Delays Cleanup of ‘Forever Chemicals’ Nationwide. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/23/climate/military-defense-pfas-forever-chemicals-cleanup-delay.html.