What are PFAS?

If you have ever marveled at how a fried egg slides effortlessly off a non-stick skillet, or how a bead of rain rolls right off your high-tech waterproof jacket without leaving a trace, you have likely encountered the magic of PFAS. In the quiet suburbs of Ohio, from the kitchens of Sidney to the boardrooms of Columbus, these chemicals have quietly become the backbone of modern convenience, providing us with grease-resistant pizza boxes, stain-proof carpets, and firefighting foams that can extinguish the fiercest blazes. However, this convenience comes with a catch that we are only beginning to fully comprehend…

At Environmental Consultants of Ohio, we spend a lot of time looking at what most people ignore, the microscopic “stuff” in our air, soil, and water that can have a profound impact on our long-term health. Recently, the conversation has shifted from visible mold and common allergens to a group of synthetic substances known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. These are more colloquially known as “forever chemicals,” and if that sounds like a title from a sci-fi horror movie, you aren’t entirely off track.

The Strongest Bond in the Room

To understand why these chemicals are such a big deal, we have to look at the chemistry, but don’t worry, we’ll keep it brief. PFAS are a family of thousands of man-made chemicals characterized by a bond between carbon and fluorine atoms. In the world of organic chemistry, the carbon-fluorine bond is one of the strongest and most stable links known to man. It is so strong, in fact, that naturally occurring microbes and environmental processes don’t know how to break it down.

When something is “biodegradable,” it means nature has a way of recycling it back into the earth. When something is a “forever chemical,” it means that once it is created in a lab and released into the world, it stays there. It stays in the soil, it stays in the groundwater, and eventually, it stays in us. If you’ve ever felt like a houseguest has overstayed their welcome, imagine a chemical guest that moves into your bloodstream and refuses to leave for decades. This persistence is the primary reason why environmental testing has become a critical tool for modern homeowners and real estate professionals.

A Brief History of a “Miracle” Discovery

The story of PFAS didn’t start with a warning; it started with a celebration. Developed primarily in the 1940s and 1950s, these substances were hailed as a breakthrough in materials science. Companies like 3M and DuPont discovered that by coating surfaces with these slick, resilient molecules, they could create products that were virtually indestructible to heat, water, and oil.

For decades, the “Teflon” lifestyle was the American dream. It meant less time scrubbing pans and more time enjoying life. It meant that a spilled glass of red wine on a new sofa wasn’t a catastrophe, thanks to stain-repellent treatments like Scotchgard. In industrial settings, PFAS-laden firefighting foams (AFFF) became the gold standard for putting out fuel fires at airports and military bases, many of which are right here in our Ohio backyard.

The problem is that for nearly half a century, the manufacturing and use of these chemicals occurred without a full understanding of their environmental “half-life.” As industrial waste seeped into the ground and firefighting foams washed into local streams, the PFAS didn’t disappear. They simply began their long, slow journey into our ecosystem.

Why Homeowners and Real Estate Agents Should Be Listening

If you are a homeowner, you might be wondering why a chemical used in a factory ten miles away matters to your morning coffee. The reality is that PFAS have a way of migrating. They can leach from old landfills into the groundwater that feeds private wells, or they can accumulate in the dust of a home that was treated with older stain-resistant chemicals.

For real estate agents, the presence of PFAS is quickly becoming a “Phase 1” concern. Just as we look for mold or understand air quality testing types, savvy buyers are starting to ask about the chemical history of a property. If a home is located near an industrial site, a former landfill, or an airport, the risk of PFAS contamination in the soil or water is a tangible factor that can influence property value and liability.

This requirement to know more about our environment aims to address an often-overlooked aspect of health: the cumulative effect of low-level exposure. While a single non-stick pan might not be a health crisis, the “bioaccumulation” of PFAS, the way they build up in your body faster than they can be excreted, is what keeps toxicologists up at night.

The Health Connection: More Than Just a Dirty Skillet

Why should you care about a few parts per trillion of a chemical in your water? The research is still evolving, but the data we do have is sobering. PFAS exposure has been linked to a range of health problems, including:

• Liver and Kidney Toxicity: The liver often bears the brunt of processing these foreign substances.
• Immune System Suppression: Studies have shown that high levels of PFAS can actually reduce the effectiveness of vaccines.
• Hormonal Disruption: These chemicals are known “endocrine disruptors,” which can interfere with thyroid function and fertility.
• Cancer Risks: Certain types of PFAS have been classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” specifically linked to kidney and testicular cancers.

If someone in your family has a history of medical sensitivities, or if you are raising young children, the quality of your indoor environment, from the air you breathe to the water you drink, is paramount. We often talk about the importance of indoor air quality testing for your home to catch mold or VOCs, but PFAS represent a different kind of invisible threat that requires a specialized approach.

PFAS in Your Living Room: The “Silent” Sources

It isn’t just the water. PFAS can be found in a surprising number of household items that we interact with daily. If you look around your living room or kitchen, you might find them in:

1. Microwave Popcorn Bags: The coating inside the bag that prevents grease from soaking through? Often PFAS.
2. Dental Floss: Some “glide” versions of floss use PFAS coatings to help the string slide between teeth.
3. Cosmetics: Foundation, mascara, and even some lipsticks use PFAS for their “long-wear” and water-resistant properties.
4. Stain-Resistant Furniture: If your couch was marketed as “easy clean” or “liquid repellent,” it likely has a chemical coating that can break down into household dust over time.

Because these chemicals can enter our bodies through ingestion, inhalation of contaminated dust, or even skin contact, maintaining a clean and tested environment is essential. If you have ever wondered why you should have a professional test your indoor air quality, the answer often lies in these invisible chemical signatures that DIY kits simply aren’t designed to find.

The Ohio Perspective

In Ohio, we have a unique relationship with PFAS. Our state’s industrial heritage means that we were once a hub for the manufacturing and use of these substances. While this brought jobs and economic growth, it also left a legacy in our soil and water tables. The EPA has recently issued much stricter guidelines regarding PFAS in drinking water, moving the “acceptable” levels down to near zero. This is a massive shift that underscores the seriousness of the issue.

Whether you are in a brand-new build or a historic Ohio home, the age of the structure doesn’t always protect you. In fact, unseen dangers in new homes can often include off-gassing from new carpets or furniture that contain these very substances.

What’s Next?

Understanding what PFAS are is only the first step. It can feel overwhelming to realize that a “forever” chemical is hanging out in your kitchen or under your floorboards. However, knowledge is the first line of defense. By identifying where these risks come from, we can begin to take actionable steps to reduce our exposure.

In the next part of our series, we are going to dive deeper into the Health Connection. We’ll look at how these chemicals interact with your biology and why your body has such a hard time saying goodbye to them. We will also discuss the specific symptoms and long-term concerns that have researchers so concerned.

If you are worried about the health of your home or are in the process of a real estate transaction and need a professional eye, don’t hesitate to reach out. At Environmental Consultants of Ohio, we believe that every family deserves to know exactly what is in their environment.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we pull back the curtain on the health risks of the chemicals that refuse to leave…