Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of over 14,000 synthetic chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products for more than 70 years. Often called “forever chemicals,” PFAS are valued for their unique properties: they resist water, oil, stains, and heat while providing durability and weatherproofing capabilities. However, these same properties that make them useful also make them extremely persistent in the environment and potentially harmful to human health.
PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s because of their useful properties, and one common characteristic of concern of PFAS is that many break down very slowly and can build up in people, animals, and the environment over time.
The building industry’s reliance on PFAS is extensive and often invisible to building occupants. PFAS are used in numerous types of building products, spanning from the foundation to the roof. These chemicals are integrated into building materials to provide essential functions such as weatherproofing, corrosion prevention, and stain resistance.
Common Building Applications
Roofing and Exterior Systems: PFAS are used to resist weathering and prolong a roof’s useful life as well as to reflect solar radiation and keep building interiors cool. They’re also found in exterior paints and coatings that protect against environmental degradation.
Flooring and Interior Finishes: PFAS are sometimes used to add stain and soil repellency to resilient flooring and are more commonly used as levelling and wetting agents in after-market floor protectors, finishes, waxes, and polishes. While PFAS were used extensively as stain, soil, and water repellents in carpets and rugs, safer alternatives have become more widely available.
Sealants and Protective Coatings: PFAS are used in surface sealers for stone, tile, grout and concrete to increase resistance to oil, water, and stains. For exterior applications, PFAS are also used to protect against graffiti and limit buildup of snow and ice.
Structural Components: PFAS have been detected in composite wood products like oriented strand board, medium and high-density fiberboard, and plywood, as well as wood fiber insulation. The source often traces back to adhesives used in these products.
Specialized Applications: PFAS are employed in seismic dampers used to make large buildings and bridges resilient to earthquakes and in O-rings used for high-pressure, high-stress, and high-temperature applications.
Health Risks to Building Occupants
The health implications of PFAS exposure are increasingly well-documented and concerning. One report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), found PFAS in the blood of 97% of Americans.
Current peer-reviewed scientific studies have shown that exposure to certain levels of PFAS may lead to: Reproductive effects such as decreased fertility or increased high blood pressure in pregnant women. Developmental effects or delays in children, including low birth weight, accelerated puberty, bone variations, or behavioral changes, and increased risk of some cancers, including prostate, kidney, and testicular cancers. Additional health effects identified by research include altered metabolism and body weight regulation, and risk of childhood obesity and reduced ability of the immune system to fight infections.
Building occupants can be exposed to PFAS through multiple pathways. PFAS can make their way into our water, air, food, and indoor dust during the manufacturing, use, and disposal of these materials. This is particularly concerning because children drink more water, eat more food, and breathe more air per pound of body weight than adults, which can increase their exposure to PFAS. Additionally, young children crawl on floors and put things in their mouths which leads to a higher risk of exposure to PFAS in carpets, household dust, toys, and cleaning products.
Construction workers and building maintenance professionals face particularly elevated risks. Building construction and maintenance workers or do-it-yourselfers may be particularly at risk. Workers might be exposed to PFAS in ways that are different than the general public, such as by touching concentrated products or breathing PFAS in the air at their workplace.
How Health Product Declarations (HPDs) Address PFAS
The Health Product Declaration Collaborative (HPDC) has developed comprehensive solutions to address the PFAS challenge in building materials. The PFAS Attestation feature is a powerful tool for manufacturers to provide greater transparency about their product ingredients and empowers product manufacturers and design teams to respond proactively to growing interest in how and where PFAS ingredients are in use.
In April 2025, HPDC has also released new PFAS Best Practice Guidance documents. These resources help manufacturers and project teams better understand PFAS-related disclosure and integrate safer material choices into their practices. The PFAS Attestation addresses critical data gaps that were identified through research. Based on the research, only 60 products contained PFAS substances out of 4000+ HPDs evaluated, which based on knowledge of the building industry, seemed very low. This discrepancy led to the hypothesis that PFAS substances are below the reporting threshold in an HPD or that manufacturers don’t know there is PFAS in their products because they either haven’t looked yet or didn’t know they needed to look at products being supplied to them.
Key Features of the HPD PFAS Solution
Comprehensive Reporting: The PFAS Attestation will solve these data and knowledge gaps by creating an attestation is for reporting any PFAS Class chemical, even under the reporting threshold and differentiating “No Intentionally Added PFAS” and “PFAS Free” Products.
Supply Chain Verification: The system requires manufacturers to verify PFAS status throughout their supply chains, addressing the challenge that many manufacturers may be unaware of PFAS in components they source from suppliers.
Screening Tools: Create the ability for a manufacturer who has not started reviewed for PFAS in their products, to start by screening CAS numbers using automated screening tools that compare product ingredients against established PFAS databases.
Laboratory Testing Integration: The system accommodates various levels of verification, from supplier attestations to third-party laboratory testing, providing flexibility while encouraging the highest levels of verification possible.
Supporting Resources
HPDC provides manufacturers with comprehensive support tools including:
- Supplier PFAS Attestation Request Templates: Standardized forms for requesting PFAS information from suppliers
- PFAS Identification Checklists: Three-tiered guidance for manufacturers beginning their PFAS assessment process
- Laboratory Testing Guidance: Overview of testing methods, benefits, limitations, and costs
- Response Protocols: Guidance for manufacturers who discover PFAS in their products
Industry Impact and Future Outlook
The construction industry’s response to PFAS concerns is accelerating. As specifiers and consumers, we have power here. The process has gotten easier, both in terms of improved access to product ingredients and greater availability of alternatives. Tools like HPDs are making it increasingly feasible for architects, designers, and engineers to identify and avoid PFAS-containing products.
The regulatory environment is evolving rapidly. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is planning a complete ban on all PFAS, which is expected from around mid-2025, with companies having a transition period of 18 months to find and implement PFAS-free alternatives. PFAS represent one of the most significant challenges facing the building industry today. All of us would likely test positive for PFAS in our blood. They are one of the biggest health and environmental challenges ever faced by consumers and the building industry. However, the good news is that safer alternatives already exist. This is a problem that architects, designers, and manufacturers can solve.
The path forward requires continued collaboration between manufacturers, design professionals, and regulatory bodies, supported by robust transparency tools like those provided by the Health Product Declaration Collaborative. Through these collective efforts, the building industry can work toward eliminating unnecessary PFAS exposure while maintaining the performance characteristics that modern buildings require.
Building product manufacturers that need to develop HPDs, Declare Labels, and LEED documentation can contact Elixir Environmental for more information.