What are PFAS?
PFAS is the "acronym for" perfluoroalkyl substances ". These are chemical compounds belonging to the category of surfactants and used since 1950 in a" wide range of industrial applications and beyond. PFAS are for example necessary for:
- Body care products
- Fire fighting foams
- Waterproofing, making various objects less sensitive to grease and encrustation, such as:
- Food containers and packaging, e.g. plastic boxes, greaseproof paper etc.
- Cookware, e.g. non-stick pans etc.
- Coatings of objects, eg. carpets, seats, sofas etc.
- Garments, eg leathers, Gore-Tex® etc.
Some examples of PFAS are:
- Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
- Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS)
- Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS)
- Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
- Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA).
