How your body is affected by PFAS

Almost everyone has PFAS in their bodies. Here’s how the substances can affect us – and how we can reduce our exposure.

1. What are PFAS?

PFAS is a collective name for thousands of substances, many of which are produced to repel water, dirt and grease. They are used in everything from frying pans, hygiene items and impregnation of textiles, to pesticides and fire foam.

PFAS are called “forever chemicals” because they break down extremely slowly or not at all. They are widely distributed in the environment and almost all people have PFAS in their bodies to some degree.

2. How do PFAS affect the body?

PFAS do not cause acute health problems, but can damage health in the long term in several ways. The substances affect our immune system and can, for example, make vaccines less protective in children. They can disrupt the hormonal system and blood lipids, and affect reproduction and fetal development. Studies also indicate that they can lead to reduced birth weight. PFAS can also increase the risk of certain cancers, such as testicular cancer and kidney cancer.

There is clear scientific evidence for all these effects, at least when it comes to older variants of PFAS substances, according to Mattias Öberg who is a researcher in toxicology at the Karolinska Institutet. There is less research on new variants, but there are good reasons to consider all of them harmful to the environment and health.

3. How do we get PFAS?

PFAS are released into the environment both when goods are produced, used and thrown away. Once out in nature, it eventually ends up in our drinking water and our food – the main routes into our bodies. Once there, PFAS can remain for decades.

Most people in Sweden ingest low levels via food, water and indoor air. But drinking water and fish from contaminated areas can contain relatively high levels. Often it is about pollution from fire drills that has been spread in the environment.

According to a survey by the Nature Protection Association last year, over 200,000 Swedes have such high levels of PFAS in their drinking water that they exceed the maximum total intake guideline set by the European Food Safety Authority just through the daily need for water.

4. Is it possible to avoid PFAS?

Not completely, but it is possible to influence one’s exposure to a certain extent. Above all, it is about avoiding fish from lakes in polluted areas, according to Mattias Öberg.

– Keep an eye on the municipality’s advice and local dietary recommendations on lake fish, he advises.

To reduce the spread of the substances into the environment, you can ask manufacturers of, for example, functional clothing if they contain PFAS, Öberg thinks.

– Companies are obliged to inform about certain PFAS substances if they are used, but the problem is that there are new ones all the time that are not covered by the requirement.

5. How can you protect your child against PFAS?

Children can more quickly exceed the limit value for PFAS that they ingest through drinking water because they have a smaller body volume. Children who ingest high levels are also affected for a greater part of their lives than those who ingest the substance in adulthood.

Mattias Öberg believes that the best way to protect children – apart from making sure they don’t eat fish from contaminated areas – is to make sure the drinking water is cleaned of PFAS.

From 2026, all major water producers are obliged to do so. Various methods are being tested in several parts of the country and it has been possible to reduce the levels.

– It is difficult to clean the water yourself, but you can ask the municipality what and the water companies what they are doing and make sure that they clean the water.

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