PFAS in the home: where forever chemicals are and what to do

PFAS are a large family of man-made chemicals used to make products resist water, grease, stains and heat, so a typical home contains some. You can't remove them completely, but you can avoid adding more by being choosy about non-stick pans and items sold as water- or stain-resistant.

There's no need to clear out your house. Regulators are still working out what these chemicals do at everyday levels, and most of the useful steps are things you can do the next time you buy something.

What are PFAS?

PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) describes them as thousands of man-made chemicals, in wide use since the 1950s. They're called "forever chemicals" because their carbon-fluorine bonds are so strong that they persist in the environment for a very long time.

They don't all behave alike. Some long-chain PFAS can stay in the body for years, while many short-chain ones usually clear within days to months. The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) also separates two broad types:

• Fluoropolymers, such as the PTFE on many non-stick pans. These are plastics under our definition, and the DWI notes they have been called "polymers of low concern" because they are large, stable molecules. The UK's PFAS Plan still lists their full life cycle as an area of emerging evidence.
• Non-polymer PFAS, such as PFOA and PFOS. These aren't plastics, and they've had the most research because they are the type most often detected in people and the environment.

Where might they be in your home?

UKHSA and the DWI list these among the everyday uses:

• non-stick frying pans and baking equipment
• textile treatments, including clothing, carpets and furniture
• outdoor clothing and shoes
• food packaging, including microwave popcorn bags
• cosmetics and personal care products
• floor and car polish, and dishwasher rinse aid

This list tells you where PFAS can be used, not that every such product contains them. Labels rarely help, because they seldom list chemical additives.

A US study by Rodgers et al. (2022) tested 93 furnishing, clothing and bedding products used by children and teenagers. Items sold as water- or stain-resistant had more fluorine, and the specific PFAS the researchers looked for were found only in those items. "Green" or "non-toxic" claims made no reliable difference. These were US products, but the practical lesson travels well: treat "stain-resistant" as the warning sign, and don't treat an eco label as reassurance.

How do they actually reach us?

For most people, UKHSA says diet and drinking water are thought to be the main routes. Indoor dust and skin contact with products are other possible routes. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) says PFAS are most often found in drinking water, fish, fruit, eggs and egg products.

So the products in your home are only part of the picture, and changing them won't remove your exposure. On food packaging, the PFAS Plan says the FSA's first sampling, which focused on items such as takeaway boxes, found negligible PFAS, and that monitoring continues.

Is UK tap water affected?

The DWI says drinking water in England and Wales is safe. It sets a guideline of 0.1 micrograms per litre for the sum of 48 named PFAS, and water companies must act if levels reach it. The government's PFAS Plan says there is currently no evidence of drinking water supplies above that level.

These are guideline values rather than statutory standards in England and Wales. If you're on a private water supply, your local authority is responsible for assessing the risks, so talk to its environmental health team if you're concerned. For why switching to bottled water isn't the answer to plastic worries, see bottled water → tap.

What do we know about health?

Honestly, less than the headlines suggest. UKHSA calls the evidence inconsistent. It says exposure to PFOA and PFOS has been linked with higher cholesterol, lower birth weight, a weaker response to some vaccines and changes in liver enzymes. It adds that it isn't clear whether these changes directly lead to health problems in individuals, and that it's difficult to determine whether PFAS directly cause specific conditions. Very little is known about most other PFAS.

IARC, part of the World Health Organization, classifies PFOA as carcinogenic to humans and PFOS as possibly carcinogenic. UKHSA notes that the overall evidence remains mixed and expert bodies don't all agree. The UK has already banned or restricted PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS, and its toxicology committee is reviewing the wider group.

UKHSA doesn't recommend PFAS blood tests for individuals, through the NHS or privately, because they can't show where exposure came from or predict future health. It also says there is no evidence that reducing PFAS in the body on an individual basis improves health. And it says the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh any potential risks from PFAS in breast milk. If you're worried about your own health, talk to your GP.

What's worth doing at home?

These steps are about not adding more PFAS to your home and the environment. We can't promise they'll change your health.

• Replace non-stick gently. When a coated pan is worn out, consider stainless steel or cast iron. Until then, see our advice on non-stick cookware.
• Skip stain-resistant treatments you don't need. Decline optional stain-proofing on carpets and sofas, and be sceptical of "stain-resistant" as a selling point.
• Buy waterproofs when you need them, then look after them. Ask the maker whether the water repellency uses PFAS. Some will say; if a seller can't answer, you've learned something too.
• Ask about cosmetics and rinse aid. Check ingredient lists for names containing "fluoro", while bearing in mind that a clean list doesn't prove a product contains none.
• Don't throw things away in a panic. Binning a good jacket or carpet doesn't make the chemicals disappear.

For more low-effort changes, browse the home and shopping hub and our guide to plastic-free shopping. We'll update this page as the UK's review of the evidence reports.