Home Safety / Products / PFAS-Contaminated Drinking Water from Industrial and Military Sources

PFAS-Contaminated Drinking Water from Industrial and Military Sources — household safety profile

Low risk

The US military used AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) at bases worldwide starting in the 1970s.

What is this product?

The US military used AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) at bases worldwide starting in the 1970s. PFOS and PFOA — the primary components — were chosen because they don't break down.

What's in it

Click any compound name for its full safety profile, regulatory consensus, and exposure data.

Detected Contaminant

Who's most at risk

  • Children — Developing endocrine and neurological systems, higher exposure per body weight

Red flags — when to walk away

  • Identified safety concernEPA April 2024 set first-ever drinking water MCL for PFOA/PFOS at 4 ppt; EWG estimates 45 million Americans on water systems exceeding new MCL.

Green flags — what to look for

  • EPA Safer Choice certifiedMeets EPA criteria for safer chemical ingredients

Safer alternatives

  • Certified bottled drinking water — Third-party tested and free from PFAS contamination
  • Point-of-use water filtration systems (PFAS-certified) — NSF/ANSI certified to remove PFAS compounds
  • Municipal treated water from non-contaminated sources — Regularly monitored for safety compliance

Frequently asked questions

What's in PFAS-Contaminated Drinking Water from Industrial and Military Sources?

This product type can contain: Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), GenX (HFPO-DA), PFPeA (Perfluoropentanoic acid), PFHpS (Perfluoroheptane sulfonic acid), among others. Click any compound name above for the full safety profile.

Who should be careful with PFAS-Contaminated Drinking Water from Industrial and Military Sources?

Vulnerable populations identified for this product type: children.

Are there safer alternatives to PFAS-Contaminated Drinking Water from Industrial and Military Sources?

Yes — consider: Certified bottled drinking water; Point-of-use water filtration systems (PFAS-certified); Municipal treated water from non-contaminated sources. See the Safer alternatives section above for details.

Look up PFAS-Contaminated Drinking Water from Industrial and Military Sources in the home app

Search by ingredient, browse by category, or compare to alternatives in the live app.

Open in home View raw API data

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific information. Why we built ALETHEIA →