5 ways to reduce everyday exposure to 'forever chemicals'

Drinking water is one of the main ways people are exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or "PFAS." These chemicals have been linked to negative health outcomes, including certain cancers. show999/Getty Images hide caption

Reporting for this story comes from the series Safe to Drink , a podcast that follows stories of water contamination in New England by Mara Hoplamazian from New Hampshire Public Radio .

"Forever chemicals" are everywhere — in our drinking water, in our food and in products like nonstick frying pans, raincoats and even some types of floss.

Also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or "PFAS," these chemicals have been linked to negative health outcomes, including certain cancers.

PFAS are strong and can repel both water and oil, which is why they're widely used in manufacturing. But they don't break down easily in the environment, and they can linger in our bodies. In fact, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry , nearly everyone in the United States has PFAS in their blood.

"They have really unique properties, and that's part of what has made them so attractive to industry. Unfortunately, we're learning that it is also something that makes them toxic and causes problems in the human body," says Megan Romano , an epidemiologist at Dartmouth who studies PFAS.

Eliminating all sources of PFAS in your life would be impossible, according to one report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. And researchers are still trying to pin down which actions reduce exposure.

But it's worth trying. Research has found that when people remove their exposures, the levels of these contaminants in their bodies decrease over the course of several years.