Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Your Health

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals that have been widely used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s and remain in the environment for a long time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) are helping our local, territorial, tribal, state, and federal partners address human exposure to PFAS.

Over the last decade, interest in PFAS has grown. ATSDR and our state health partners are investigating exposure to and possible health effects associated with PFAS in more than 30 communities across the United States.