Hard PFAS Quiz

Incorrect.

It’s true.

Incorrect.

It’s 20 ng/ml.

This is a blood risk level established by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in 2022. On this site’s What’s My Exposure tool, we use this as a benchmark to help people know how their blood levels compare to this risk level.

Incorrect.

This one’s complicated, but this is false.

There’s very strong evidence that certain types of PFAS compounds, like PFOA and PFOS, can cause cancer. However, for the vast majority of other PFAS compounds, scientists have not yet evaluated whether they can lead to cancer. Because many PFAS are chemically similar to PFOS and PFOA, scientists suspect that other PFAS may have similar health effects.

Incorrect.

It’s six: PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, GenX, PFNA, and PFBS.

Incorrect.

Firefighters can be exposed to PFAS when using PFAS-containing firefighting foams. These are special foams used for putting out fuel fires. They can also be exposed from their turnout gear, which is treated with PFAS to make it water-resistant.

Incorrect.

PFOA and PFOS are the two most common PFAS in drinking water and people’s blood. Although major U.S. manufacturers have agreed to phase out PFOA and PFOS in consumer products, other countries still produce them, and many companies have been replacing them with other PFAS, such as GenX, that raise similar health concerns.

Incorrect.

EPA’s CompTox database currently identifies over 12,000 compounds as PFAS. You can sometimes see the count as “>4700” or “>9000.”

Incorrect.

A maximum contaminant level, or MCL, is an enforceable water standard. A health advisory level, or HAL, is not technically a standard. It's an non-enforceable level recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency or others. In March 2023, EPA proposed a PFAS MCL, which are expected to come into effect by the end of 2023.