Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of over 4,000 synthetic chemicals that have been widely produced and used since the 1940s. They are commonly used in domestic, industrial, and agricultural products to repel water, oil, and dirt and withstand high temperatures. They have received global recognition as contaminants of concern, having been listed in the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.2 Studies have shown that they are ubiquitous in our water, air, and soil across the nation and globe.
Preparation of this article was funded in part by the Technology Research Initiative Fund/Water, Environmental and Energy Solutions Initiative administered by the University of Arizona Office for Research, Innovation and Impact, funded under Proposition 301, the Arizona Sales Tax for Education Act, in 2000.