Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of synthetic chemicals used across a wide range of industrial and consumer applications. There are very few places in your home void of these chemicals. In mainstream circles, they are referred to as ‘forever chemicals’, due to the fact they persist in ecosystems, wildlife, and our bodies, so they are accumulative. Studies have linked these chemicals to cancer, reproductive issues, endocrine disruption, and various health effects. In this article, we dive into PFAS, what products contain them, and question why we are still exposed and how we go about reducing our exposure. 

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), the DuPont chemical, is one of a group of  15,000 chemicals known as Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). They are perhaps the most persistent class of manmade chemicals, their use prolific in various industrial and consumer products and processes. PFAS are included in so much of use and consume every day. These chemicals make pans non-stick, clothing and carpets more durable and stain-resistant, and pizza boxes resistant to grease. According to research published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters, textiles, household chemicals, and cosmetics contain the highest average concentrations among personal care products. 

So widespread is the planet’s PFAS load that, according to a study published in Environmental Science and Technology, every raindrop contains PFAS, with the clouds having picked up PFAS in water evaporating from contaminated oceans. The authors conclude that “the environmental contamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) defines a separate planetary boundary and that this boundary has been exceeded.” Such exposure, coupled with environmental persistence, led to measurable PFAS in the blood of nearly the entire population in developed countries, with health effects reported globally.

PFAS, toilet paper and our wastewater

There are six PFAS chemical compounds that account for the vast majority of PFAS detected in toilet paper and other household products—PFHxA, PFOA, PFDA, 6:2 diPAP, 6:2/8:2 diPAP, and 8:2 diPAP. For example, a study published in the Environmental Science & Technology Letters found that 6:2 diPAP represented 91% of all of the PFAS detected in the toilet paper samples and 54% detected in the sewage sludge, concluding toilet paper is an unexpected source of PFAS in wastewater. 

“Some paper manufacturers add PFAS when converting wood into pulp, which can get left behind and contaminate the final paper product. In addition, recycled toilet paper could be made with fibres that come from materials containing PFAS.”

Toilet paper usage was estimated to contribute from 6.4 to 80 μg/person-year of 6:2 diPAP to wastewater. Given that the EPA measures PFAS in water supplies in the parts per trillion, not billion, the researchers concluded that toilet paper should be considered a major source of PFAS entering our wastewater systems.

How EcoRoll approaches PFAS

From inception, EcoRoll has taken a precautionary approach to chemicals of concern. We regularly perform third-party lab tests to ensure compliance and can confirm that no PFAS were detected in our toilet paper. Some 15,000 PFAS chemicals are known, and no regulatory requirements exist to inform the public of their presence in the products we buy. 

EcoRoll toilet paper is independently tested by Société Générale de Surveillance SA (SGS) using recognised analytical methods. Our testing includes screening for total fluorine, a commonly used indicator for PFAS presence. Based on this testing, no PFAS were detected, with results below the laboratory method detection limit of 20 mg/kg.

Is anyone trying to regulate PFAS?

Yes — but regulation is still catching up.

PFAS are used in thousands of consumer products and while concerns about their health and environmental impacts continue to grow, regulation varies widely by country and by product type. We’ve seen this before. Glyphosate, for example, is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a probable carcinogen, yet it remains the active ingredient in many market-leading weed killers and is still available for purchase in garden centres. Scientific concern does not always result in immediate removal from the market.

PFAS face similar challenges:

• They are not one chemical, but a large group of substances, which makes regulation complex.
  
  

• Rules are often introduced slowly and in pieces, focusing on specific uses rather than the whole class.
  
  

• In many cases, PFAS remain legal while governments continue to review the evidence.

Until regulation becomes clearer and more consistent, some brands are choosing to go further than the minimum legal requirements, testing their products to ensure that PFAS are not intentionally added during manufacturing. In other cases brands are now acknowledging the historic and problematic use of PFAS to create water or grease resistant coatings and are now publicly committing to removing them. This involves redesigning materials and investment in alternatives. While both approaches reflect increasing public awareness, they are not the same. 

• No intentionally added PFAS” focuses on material choice and manufacturing controls today.
  

• “Removing PFAS” reflects a transition away from past practices where PFAS were deliberately used.

What matters most is clarity. Clear language, transparent testing, and disclosures that help customers understand what claims actually mean — and avoid confusion or greenwashing.

What are the effects of PFAS on human health?

It is with high certainty that PFAS can lead to health problems such as liver damage, thyroid disease, fertility issues, increased cholesterol levels and kidney cancer. Sources include the C8 Science Panel (2012), which monitored the health of some 70,000 people in West Virginia exposed to certain PFAS in their drinking water. This data was used in the class-action suit against DuPont. By this point, the dangers of PFAS are known: National Toxicology Program (2016), IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans (2017), Barry et al. (2013), Fenton et al. (2009), and White et al. (2011b), European Environment Agency (2019). Still, PFAS were used in consumer products for decades when companies knew they were harmful. Still, they assured the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other U.S. government regulators (and their employees) that PFAS exposures were harmless.

How do I avoid PFAS?

While several per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) sources are known, their use in consumer household products is far less explored. Here is a non-exhaustive list of some personal possessions and parts of your household that are exposing you to forever chemicals:

— Personal care products including shampoo, dental floss, toilet paper, tampons, period underwear and pads. Last March, a study published in Environmental Science and Technology Letters investigated Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances in toilet paper and their impact on wastewater systems. Their findings suggest that toilet paper should be considered a potentially major source of PFAS entering wastewater treatment systems. TIME covered the findings in more detail here: Now We Need to Worry About Harmful ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Our Toilet Paper Too.

— Food. PFAS are applied in food packaging and therefore transfer to the food they contain, so fast-food wrappers, takeout boxes, and any packaging that keeps oil in could contain forever chemicals. Avoid packaged foods where possible, and avoid plastic food containers, HDPE—the more rigid #2 plastics contain PFAS. And absolutely avoid non-stick anything. And where you have a chemical as persistent as PFAS (they are literally everywhere, our water, our soil, for example), if they are accumulating in human blood, then forever chemicals are going to be in animal and animal products. And fish. 

— Drinking water. Researchers at the University of Auckland confirmed the presence of PFAS in Aotearoa, New Zealand, urban waters in January 2022. In October of 2021, EPA Administrator Michael Regan announced an agency-wide “strategic roadmap” to restrict the use of PFAS and hold polluters accountable that would see a historic amount of funding available to monitor and treat the public water systems as required. The TIMES published The Challenge of Removing Toxic PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ from Drinking Water, which is well worth a read in the context of the contentious water infrastructure issues facing Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Other products. Artificial turf, bicycle lubricants, clothing, contact lenses, cosmetics (all of it, mascara, lipstick, moisturisers, makeup remover, nail polish, shampoo, conditioners, hair spray, mousse, shaving cream, sunscreen, et cetera), fishing lines, hand sanitisers, mobile phones (insulated wiring, circuit boards/semiconductors, screen coatings with fingerprint-resistant fluoropolymers), pharmaceutical packaging, pesticides used for mosquito mitigation, toner and printing ink. And more.

PFAS are in so much of what we eat, drink and use, and scientists (and regulators) are only now beginning to understand how they impact our health and what to do about it. If you are concerned, various websites provide guidance for identifying products without intentionally added PFAS, including databases sponsored by the Environmental Working Group, the Center for Environmental Health and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Research can help you limit your exposure to PFAS.