To Protect Human Health, PFAS Must Be Managed as a Class

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a large group, or class, of fluorinated chemicals that are widely used in consumer products and industrial processes—and are harmful to human health. Currently, most chemicals are regulated by the government one at a time, and assessing the risk for a single chemical can take decades. Instead of this slow process, scientists and advocates are calling for PFAS—which now include more than 9,000 chemicals used in hundreds of different products—to be managed as a single chemical class. This approach will allow government agencies, as well as product manufacturers and retailers, to set more comprehensive policies and thus move more quickly to reduce harm.