EWG Explains:

In 1946, DuPont introduced nonstick cookware coated with Teflon, a fluorinated chemical. Today, that same family of compounds—known as PFAS—is found not only in cookware but in the blood of nearly everyone on Earth, including 98% of Americans and even newborns.

PFAS are used in countless products: nonstick pans, stain-resistant carpets, waterproof clothing, fast-food wrappers, firefighting foam, and even cosmetics. When these items are made, used, or discarded, PFAS enter the environment, contaminating our water and food. Because of their strong carbon-fluorine bond, they don’t break down, lingering for decades in nature and in our bodies. That’s why they’re called “forever chemicals.”