PFAS Are in Many Americans’ Drinking Water. Here’s What You Need To Know

From nonstick cookware to rain jackets and even mattress pads, PFAS (otherwise known ominously as “forever chemicals”) seem to be just about everywhere. In fact, these days, even the most assiduously green household will likely find them impossible to avoid entirely — because they’ve made their way into many American cities’ water systems.

PFAS — short for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are used in so many industries because they have the unique and useful properties of being oil-, dirt-, water- and even heat-repellent. (In fact, one major way they wind up in water supplies is because of their use in firefighting foams.) But PFAS also have the ability to build up in the human body, where they may lead to a host of unfortunate health effects. As their name suggests, they also tend to hang around, well, forever.

Here’s what you need to know.

Are PFAS in your drinking water?

USA Today analyzed new results released by the EPA, which tested the levels of certain types of PFAS in American drinking water supplies.

While the majority of water systems tested in the U.S. (6,611) found no trace of the 29 different types of PFAS the tests were looking for, they were detected in 2,470 water systems. 597 water systems had PFAS levels up to three times over the EPA’s limits, while in 242 systems they ranged between three and 86 times higher.

Communities with notably exorbitant levels of PFAS in their water supplies, according to the analysis, include Nashville, N.C. — a system that serves 5,600 customers — where levels of PFOS (a variant of PFAS) were 86.3 times higher than the limit. Potrero Elementary School in Pine Valley, Calif., had levels of PFOA (another type of PFAS) more than 45 times higher than the limit, while an Emmaus, Pa., official told USA Today that chemicals used in firefighter training may have contributed to PFOS levels in the water system being nearly 32 times over the limit. (You can enter your address at USA TODAY’s interactive page to see if any of your local water systems are contaminated.)

Does insurance cover PFAS testing?

While more research needs to be done to fully understand how these chemicals affect the human body (and at what concentrations), some studies have linked high levels of PFAS to a range of health consequences. These include higher cholesterol levels, childhood obesity, early puberty, decreased fertility and increased chances of kidney, prostate and testicular cancer, among many others.

And while it’s possible to have your blood tested for PFAS, the tests can be expensive — and they’re not always covered by insurance. (If your doctor deems a PFAS test medically necessary, you may have a better chance at being covered.)

Further, the CDC predicts that measurable blood levels of PFAS exist in nearly every human being in the United States — so the test may not actually tell you much new information.

Still, reading your health insurance policy carefully to understand exceptions — or calling your carrier directly to discuss your coverage — can help you understand whether these tests are accessible to you. If you decide to shop around for a new policy, comparing health insurance quotes can help you save money. (The average cost of a Silver-level plan on the Marketplace is $621 per month.)

In the meantime, the good news is that PFAS contamination is becoming the subject of national (and global) scrutiny. In February of last year, the FDA announced that grease-proofing PFAS that had been used in paper and paperboard food packaging, like microwave popcorn bags and pizza boxes, are no longer being sold for food contact use in the U.S.

In addition, steps like avoiding nonstick cookware, plastic food packaging and stain-resistant bedding can help you reduce your PFAS exposure — and your family’s.