What We Know About Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

Understand the evidence on PFAS, hear from leading scientific experts. The AAAS EPI Center hosts workshops to help local leaders and others understand the emerging research on PFAS. Watch highlights from our recent workshops. Sign up to attend our next webinar.

A class of thousands of synthetic compounds used in everything from housewares to fire-fighting foam, trace doses of several of the most-researched PFAS have been linked to harmful health effects. There is not yet enough research to suggest safe exposure levels for each PFAS. 

Uncertainties about the risk of various PFAS, the evolving science, and the variability among policies and standards make addressing these emerging contaminants difficult. These guides provide an overview of the scientific evidence to help local and state leaders evaluate the risk of PFAS in drinking water, from monitoring to treatment and mitigation.

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) collaborated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues (AAAS EPI Center) for a discussion series on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).