per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances

plural noun

variants or less commonly perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances

: synthetic chemicals that contain fluorinated carbon atoms, are used in consumer and industrial products for their desirable properties (such as water, stain, and fire resistance), are highly resistant to breakdown, and typically accumulate in soil and water as environmental pollutants : pfas

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are industrial pollutants ubiquitously distributed that persist in the environment.

—Andrea Rowan-Carroll et al.

PFAS, which stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, resist water, oil, heat, and grease. They've been used for decades in consumer products and industrial applications …

—John Hilliard

Chemicals called PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are sometimes called "forever chemicals" because they resist breaking down naturally in the environment, news reports said.

—Julie Washington

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of synthetic chemicals widely used in coatings and foams that resist oil, heat and water. There are thousands of types of PFAS, used in everything from dental floss to waterproof jackets and non-stick pans.

—Madeleine Cuff

—used in singular before another noun

per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance toxicity

Examples of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For more than 30 years, manufacturers of ski and snowboard waxes used PFAS – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – to make skis and snowboards glide faster over snow. —Kathryn Crawford, The Conversation, 3 June 2026

Why forever chemicals are becoming a bigger concern PFAS — short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are a group of synthetic chemicals used in products like nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing and food packaging. —Ryan Brennan may 27, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026

In 2020, the city shut down its three wells due to PFAS – also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or forever chemicals – contamination. —Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 27 May 2026

Researchers at Flinders University are now reportedly capable of removing up to 98 percent of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water. —Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 14 Apr. 2026

Microplastics and pharmaceuticals appear in the draft of the upcoming list, alongside per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, and other chemicals. —Will Stone, NPR, 2 Apr. 2026

The Metro East town of 30,000 is also one of 21 communities, covering 47 water systems, that contain levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS that exceed state and federal standards, according to a statewide investigation by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. —Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026

Forever chemicals, also known as PFAS or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of synthetic chemicals often used in non-stick coatings, food packages, cleaning products, plastics and more. —Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026

Recognized as a particularly pesky class of anthropogenic pollutants, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can take root in land once given the opportunity, according to the Interstate Technology Regulatory Council (ITRC). —Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 23 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

2007, in the meaning defined above