PFAS stands for per and polyfluoroalkyl substances a group of over 12000 man made chemicals that have been manufactured and used in products since the 1940s. These chemicals are called forever chemicals because they do not break down naturally in the environment and can persist for thousands of years contaminating everything. PFAS are found in everyday products including nonstick cookware waterproof clothing food packaging firefighting foam stain resistant carpets and many personal care products. Over 110 million Americans may have PFAS contaminated drinking water according to estimates making this one of the most widespread chemical contamination crises ever. PFAS exposure has been linked to serious health problems including cancer thyroid disease liver damage immune system suppression and reproductive issues in studies. In 2024 the EPA established the first ever national drinking water standards for six PFAS chemicals setting limits at extremely low parts per trillion levels. Military bases across America are major PFAS contamination hotspots due to decades of using PFAS containing firefighting foam during training exercises and emergencies. The cleanup cost for PFAS contamination across the United States is estimated at hundreds of billions of dollars with chemical companies facing massive lawsuits nationwide. Major chemical manufacturers including 3M and DuPont are facing thousands of lawsuits for knowingly producing and selling PFAS while hiding health risks from the public. Protecting yourself from PFAS includes using water filters certified to remove PFAS avoiding nonstick cookware and checking local water quality reports for contamination levels.