There is a category of synthetic chemicals that has been in widespread industrial and consumer use since the 1940s. They are in your cookware, your food packaging, your stain-resistant carpet, your waterproof jacket, your firefighting foam. They do not break down. Not in the environment, not in water treatment facilities, and not in your body. They accumulate in tissue over time. They have been linked to cancer, thyroid disruption, immune suppression, reproductive harm, and developmental effects in children.
They are called PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. There are more than 12,000 of them. They are in the drinking water of an estimated 200 million Americans. They are almost certainly in yours.
This is not a fringe concern. This is EPA-acknowledged, peer-reviewed, and documented in water systems across every state in this country. The question is not whether you’ve been exposed. The question is how much, through what routes, and what you can do about it going forward.
WHAT PFAS ARE
PFAS are a class of synthetic chemicals built around a carbon-fluorine bond — one of the strongest bonds in organic chemistry. This is what makes them so useful industrially. It is also what makes them permanent. The carbon-fluorine bond does not break down under normal environmental conditions. Not in soil. Not in water. Not in heat. Not in most treatment processes. This is why they are called forever chemicals. The name is accurate.
The most studied PFAS are PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) — the original compounds used by companies like 3M and DuPont in products like Teflon and Scotchgard. Both have been phased out in the United States after decades of use, but they persist in the environment and are still detected in water systems nationwide. They have been replaced by shorter-chain PFAS that were assumed to be safer — an assumption that is increasingly questioned by emerging research.
HOW THEY GET INTO WATER
Industrial discharge — Manufacturing facilities that produce or use PFAS release them into surrounding soil and groundwater. Communities near chemical plants, military bases, and airports (where PFAS-containing firefighting foam called AFFF was used extensively for decades) have some of the highest contamination levels in the country.
Agricultural application — PFAS-contaminated sewage sludge has been used as agricultural fertilizer for decades. Rainwater carries it into groundwater. Crops grown in contaminated soil absorb it. This is a primary contamination route for rural well water in agricultural states including Illinois.
Landfill leachate — Products containing PFAS end up in landfills. As rain moves through landfill waste, it picks up PFAS and carries them into surrounding groundwater.
Municipal water treatment — Standard municipal water treatment does not remove PFAS. Chlorination, flocculation, and sand filtration — the standard treatment train — leave PFAS essentially intact. You can have a water system that meets all current federal standards and still have significant PFAS contamination, because those standards have historically not covered PFAS. The EPA finalized the first federal drinking water limits for six PFAS compounds in 2024 — but compliance timelines extend years into the future.
Your own plumbing — PFAS can leach from some types of plastic plumbing and fittings into water sitting in pipes.
BOILING MAKES IT WORSE
This is the part most people don’t know and need to.
Boiling water removes biological contaminants — bacteria, parasites, viruses. It does not remove PFAS. PFAS are not volatile at boiling temperatures and do not evaporate out of water when heated. What boiling does is reduce the volume of water through evaporation — which concentrates whatever dissolved solids and contaminants remain, including PFAS. A pot of water boiled down to half its volume has approximately twice the PFAS concentration it started with.
Do not boil water to address PFAS contamination. It makes it worse.
EXPOSURE ROUTES
Drinking water — The most direct and significant route for most people. Tap water, well water, water used to make coffee, tea, soups, and any food cooked in tap water.
Bathing and showering — PFAS absorb through skin, though at lower rates than ingestion. Hot showers increase absorption — heat opens pores and increases skin permeability, and steam carries volatile compounds into the lungs (though PFAS are less volatile than some other contaminants). Baths, particularly for young children who spend more time in the water, are a meaningful exposure route. This is not a reason to stop bathing. It is a reason to filter your water.
Food cooked in contaminated water — Pasta, rice, oatmeal, soups, broths — anything cooked in tap water absorbs whatever is in that water. This is a significant and underestimated exposure route.
Non-stick cookware — Older Teflon-coated pans (particularly scratched or overheated ones) release PFAS into food. Cast iron, stainless steel, and ceramic cookware do not.
Food packaging — Fast food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, pizza boxes, and other grease-resistant food packaging have historically contained PFAS that migrate into food. This is being phased out slowly but is still present in many products.
Stain-resistant and water-resistant products — Carpets, upholstery, clothing treated with DWR (durable water repellent) coatings, and similar products off-gas PFAS into household air and dust, which is then inhaled and ingested. Children who spend time on treated carpets have higher PFAS body burden for this reason.
WHAT PFAS DO IN THE BODY
PFAS accumulate in blood, liver, kidney, thyroid, and other tissues. They bind to proteins — particularly albumin in the blood — and distribute throughout the body. They are not metabolized and are excreted very slowly. The half-life of PFOA in the human body is approximately 3.5 years. PFOS has a half-life of approximately 5 years. This means that without continued exposure, it takes years to reduce your body burden by half — and most people are continuously re-exposed through water, food, and environment.
Documented health associations from peer-reviewed research and EPA risk assessments:
Cancer — Kidney cancer and testicular cancer have the strongest documented associations. Bladder cancer, breast cancer, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma have also been linked in population studies.
Thyroid disruption — PFAS interfere with thyroid hormone synthesis, transport, and receptor binding. Thyroid disruption has cascading effects on metabolism, energy, mood, weight regulation, and immune function. This may be one of the most widespread health impacts given how many people are exposed.
Immune suppression — PFAS reduce vaccine antibody response and impair immune function. Children with higher PFAS exposure show reduced immune response to standard childhood vaccines. This is among the most concerning findings for populations with developing immune systems.
Reproductive and developmental harm — PFAS cross the placenta and are present in breast milk. Prenatal and early childhood exposure is associated with developmental delays, reduced birth weight, altered puberty timing, and reduced fertility. The developing immune and hormonal systems are particularly vulnerable.
Liver and kidney effects — Elevated liver enzymes and reduced kidney function have been documented in high-exposure populations. The liver is the primary organ of detoxification and the most heavily burdened by PFAS accumulation.
Cholesterol and metabolic effects — PFAS exposure is associated with elevated total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. The mechanism appears to involve interference with lipid metabolism pathways.
WHAT ACTUALLY REMOVES PFAS FROM WATER
Not all filtration is equal. Most common filtration methods do not adequately remove PFAS.
Reverse osmosis (RO) — The most effective widely available point-of-use treatment for PFAS. A quality RO system removes 90-99% of PFAS from drinking water. An under-sink RO system ($150-400) is the most practical high-performance option for most households. The limitation is flow rate — RO systems produce filtered water slowly, typically 1-3 gallons per hour, stored in a tank under the sink. They also waste water in the filtration process (typically 3-4 gallons of wastewater per gallon filtered). For drinking and cooking water, this is the current standard recommendation.
Activated carbon (granular activated carbon / GAC and carbon block filters) — Adsorbs many PFAS compounds, with effectiveness varying by PFAS type, carbon contact time, and filter quality. High-quality activated carbon block filters (not all Brita-style pitcher filters qualify) can remove 70-90% of some PFAS. The NSF/ANSI 53 and 58 certifications indicate testing for PFAS reduction — look for these on filter products. A quality countertop or under-sink carbon block filter is better than no filtration and significantly better than a basic pitcher filter.
Gravity filters (Berkey and similar) — Berkey filters with Black elements have documented PFAS reduction capacity, though independent testing results have varied. Berkey has faced regulatory scrutiny and their testing claims have been challenged. They are better than nothing for PFAS but not the current gold standard. If you use a Berkey, add the fluoride/arsenic reduction filters which also improve PFAS reduction.
What does NOT remove PFAS: Standard boiling (concentrates it), refrigerator filters (minimal PFAS reduction), basic pitcher filters like standard Brita (minimal reduction), water softeners (not designed for PFAS), UV treatment (does not affect PFAS).
Whole-house filtration — For bathing and showering exposure, point-of-use kitchen filtration doesn’t help. Whole-house RO or whole-house GAC systems address this but are expensive ($1,000-5,000+ installed). A practical middle ground: point-of-use RO under the kitchen sink for drinking and cooking water, plus a shower filter with activated carbon for bathing. Shower filters reduce some contaminants including some PFAS, though less completely than under-sink RO.
FINDING OUT WHAT’S IN YOUR WATER
Municipal water: Your water utility is required to publish an annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) listing detected contaminants and their levels. Request it or find it on your utility’s website. EWG’s Tap Water Database (ewg.org/tapwater) aggregates this data by zip code and is a useful starting point — search your zip code to see what has been detected in your system and how it compares to health guidelines (which are more protective than legal limits).
Well water: Private wells are not regulated and not routinely tested. If you are on a well in Illinois, PFAS testing is strongly recommended — particularly if you are near agricultural land, a military base, an airport, or an industrial facility. Test through a state-certified laboratory. The Illinois EPA maintains a list of certified labs. A comprehensive PFAS panel typically runs $150-400 depending on the number of compounds tested.
SUPPORTING YOUR BODY
Reducing ongoing exposure through filtration is the primary intervention. The body will gradually reduce its PFAS burden when exposure decreases, though slowly given the long half-lives. Supporting the organs of elimination — particularly the liver and kidneys — helps the body process what is already there.
Liver support:
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) — Silymarin, the active compound in milk thistle seed, is one of the most well-documented hepatoprotective (liver-protective) compounds in botanical medicine. It supports liver cell regeneration, reduces oxidative stress in liver tissue, and has demonstrated protective effects against a range of chemical exposures in research. Standard preparation: tincture or standardized extract. See the Herbalism section for preparation details.
Dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale) — Bitter liver tonic. Supports bile production and flow, which is one of the primary routes of toxin elimination from the liver. The root is more specific to liver and digestive support than the leaf, which is more diuretic. Roasted dandelion root as a tea or coffee substitute is a gentle daily addition. The plant grows in every yard and ditch in Illinois — learn to identify and use it.
Burdock root (Arctium lappa) — Traditional blood and lymphatic cleanser. Supports both liver and kidney elimination pathways. Used across multiple traditional medicine systems for chronic toxic burden. Prepare as a decoction (simmered root tea) or tincture.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) — Curcumin has documented anti-inflammatory effects in liver tissue and supports phase II liver detoxification pathways. Combine with black pepper (piperine dramatically increases curcumin bioavailability) and a fat source for best absorption. Daily use in food or as a preparation with black pepper and oil is more practical than most supplement forms.
Kidney support:
Nettle leaf (Urtica dioica) — Gentle diuretic, rich in minerals, supports kidney filtration. A strong nettle leaf tea daily is one of the most accessible kidney support herbs available and grows wild throughout Illinois. Harvest in spring, dry, and store.
Marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis) — Demulcent and soothing to the urinary tract. Supports kidney function particularly when irritation or inflammation is present. Cold-infused (steeped in cold water rather than hot) to preserve the mucilaginous compounds.
Adequate water intake — The kidneys eliminate PFAS in urine, primarily PFAS with shorter chain lengths. Adequate hydration supports this elimination pathway. Filtered water only — drinking more contaminated water to flush PFAS is counterproductive.
Gut support:
Emerging research suggests that bile acid-binding compounds may reduce PFAS enterohepatic recirculation — the process by which PFAS excreted in bile are reabsorbed in the gut and recirculated. Dietary fiber, particularly soluble fiber (oats, psyllium, legumes), supports bile acid binding and elimination. Fermented foods support the gut microbiome, which plays a role in detoxification pathways. This is not a cure but a meaningful adjunct.
Cholestyramine — A prescription bile acid sequestrant that has shown some evidence for reducing PFAS body burden in high-exposure cases. This is a pharmaceutical intervention requiring a physician’s involvement, noted here for awareness.
A NOTE ON CHILDREN AND PREGNANCY
Children have higher PFAS exposure per body weight than adults due to smaller body size and behaviors like floor play, hand-to-mouth contact, and higher water intake relative to weight. Their developing systems are more vulnerable to hormonal and immune disruption. If children are in your household, water filtration is not optional — it is the most direct protective measure available.
PFAS cross the placenta and are present in breast milk. The benefits of breastfeeding are well-documented and substantial — this is not a reason to stop breastfeeding. It is a reason to reduce maternal PFAS exposure through filtration before and during pregnancy and nursing, and to address household sources of ongoing exposure.
WHERE TO START TODAY
If you do nothing else after reading this: look up your water system in EWG’s Tap Water Database. Know what’s in your water. Then make decisions from there.
If PFAS are detected above health guidelines in your water — or if you are on a well and haven’t tested — a point-of-use reverse osmosis system under your kitchen sink addresses the majority of your drinking and cooking exposure for $150-400. It is the single most impactful intervention available.
Replace non-stick cookware with cast iron, stainless steel, or ceramic. Reduce food packaging exposure by cooking from whole ingredients. Support your liver and kidneys with the herbs above as daily practice, not crisis response.
This is not about fear. It is about knowing what is in your environment and making informed choices about it. That has always been what Haven is about.
Cross-reference: Know Your Food | Know Your Body | Herbal Remedies — Liver Support | Flora Archive — Milk Thistle, Dandelion, Nettle | Root Cellar — Water Protocols
FROM THE BUNKER
Forever Stain Blues — Civic Hush
“No taste, no smell but it’s eatin’ at our soul / In the fields, the rivers where the wasteland takes its toll.”
Civic Hush wrote this one about the water. About the thing you can’t see, can’t taste, can’t smell — but that’s been there the whole time. This is the soundtrack to everything on this page.
Listen →
FROM THE WASTELAND
Leaf Juice — Wasteland Survival Series, Book 1
The liver and kidney herbs in this post — milk thistle, dandelion root, nettle, burdock — have full preparation protocols in Leaf Juice. Real recipes, wasteland framing, fiction that functions.
Paperback | Kindle