How to reduce your exposure to “forever chemicals”
As the federal government weakens protections, here's what you can do.
Federal protections against “forever chemicals” — or PFAS — just took a giant step backward under the Trump administration.
On May 18, the administration announced it would rescind several Biden-era limits meant to keep these chemicals, which are harmful even at very low levels, out of Americans’ drinking water. The Trump EPA will also allow delayed compliance for those who ask for it.
“PFAS are linked to liver damage, cancers and other health problems for children and pregnant women,” says Environmental Defense Fund’s Maria Doa, an expert in chemical safety who spent more than two decades at the EPA. “Needlessly exposing millions of Americans to PFAS prioritizes the interests of polluters over the rest of us.”
In addition to weakening rules meant to protect the public from forever chemicals in drinking water, the Trump administration has also proposed weakening PFAS reporting rules, which aim to keep regulators informed about where forever chemicals are being made, imported, used and released. This reporting is a requirement of the Toxic Substances Control Act, America’s bedrock chemical safety law, which Republicans in Congress are also working on rewriting.
What are PFAS?
PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These entirely man-made chemicals never break down. Instead, they build up in soil, waterways and our bodies, where they wreak havoc on the immune and reproductive systems. One study found that women with higher levels of PFAS in their blood had a 40% lower chance of becoming pregnant.
While drinking water is the most common way Americans are exposed to forever chemicals, they can be found in everything from nonstick pans to furniture since they are used because of their ability to repel grease, water and oil.
Environmental news that matters, straight to your inbox
How can I avoid PFAS?
Strong federal safeguards are the best way to ensure that everyone is protected. When government protections are weakened, families are left to test their own water and try to figure out which products contain these chemicals on their own, a nearly impossible task.
That said, some changes can meaningfully reduce your PFAS exposure.
1. Test your water for PFAS
The first step to check for PFAS in your tap water is to ask your water utility for recent measurements or conduct private testing if you use a home well. Local health departments may help measure PFAS in well water, but well owners may need to hire a private laboratory, says Heather Stapleton, a Duke University environmental chemist and exposure scientist. Stapleton recommends starting with the PFAS Exchange to find an accredited lab for private water testing.
If you find out your drinking water is contaminated, home water filters can help. A 2020 study that found that activated carbon water filters — ranging from pitcher to refrigerator filters — removed PFAS to some degree. Reverse osmosis filters remove the chemicals completely, but they are expensive and more involved than buying a pitcher to filter your water. “We found, in general, reverse osmosis filters were the best,” Stapleton says.
2. Replace nonstick cookware, especially if it’s scratched
Most nonstick cookware uses PFAS. You should replace it if you can, especially if it is scratched.
If replacing all your cookware with a cast iron, glass, stainless steel or ceramic set isn’t practical for you, you can still reduce your exposure by turning down the heat to limit any chemical release during cooking.
Also, always use softer utensils — wooden spatulas, not metal — on nonstick cookware to avoid scratches that could increase PFAS exposure. And when cleaning your nonstick pot or pan, stick with sponges to avoid scratches or chips.
3. Check cosmetic labels for “PTFE” and “flouro”
A December 2025 FDA report found that more than 1,700 cosmetics sold in the U.S. include PFAS ingredients, most often in eyeshadows, face and neck skin care products, eyeliners, face powders and foundations. They are also in some aerosols — like dry shampoo. To avoid them, skip products that have ingredients with “PTFE” or “fluoro” in their name.
4. Be careful with products that are stain-resistant or waterproof
PFAS can build up in household dust, especially in homes with stain-resistant carpeting, waterproof fabrics or older furniture.
Vacuuming with a HEPA filter, wet-dusting surfaces and washing hands before eating helps reduce exposure, especially for young children who are more likely to put their hands in their mouths. When shopping for home goods, look for products that are labeled as “PFAS-free.”
More safeguards under threat
Americans will be exposed to even more chemicals at higher rates if some Republicans in Congress are successful in their move to rewrite the Toxic Substances Control Act.
Proposals, released by both the House and Senate, have raised alarm bells. Health experts say the proposed changes would give the chemical industry undue influence over how safety reviews are conducted, even allowing the industry into the room when the EPA is making safety determinations, which can result in bias and make it harder for the agency to accurately assess risk.
Another change raising concern would allow regulators to assess chemical exposures in isolation from each other, rather than considering how people are exposed to chemicals in the real world.
“To your body, it does not matter whether your exposure comes from a consumer product or drinking water,” explains Doa. “Artificially breaking exposures into isolated pieces can lead regulators to underestimate risks, leaving dangerous levels of exposure in place.”
Doa and other health and environmental advocates are watching to see whether these proposals make any progress in Congress, sharing analyses of the impacts of legislative changes to the Toxic Substances Control Act and urging lawmakers to protect people’s health.
“The proposals we’ve seen would profoundly undermine public protections from toxic chemicals,” explains Sarah Vogel, who leads EDF’s health work, adding that they “would put the interests of chemical producers far above the millions of Americans.”
