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

Things have changed drastically in the last two years, with New York and California banning per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in textiles early last year. — Rachel Cernansky, Wired News, 5 June 2026

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

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

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

Word History

First Known Use

2007, in the meaning defined above