Is it safe to live in homes with elevated PFAS in dust if you have young kids?

What's actually in it

PFAS in homes come from stain-resistant carpet, waterproof furniture, nonstick cookware, carpet padding, and many other consumer products. The chemicals migrate out and settle as dust. Kids, who spend time at floor level and have hand-to-mouth behavior, ingest more dust per pound than adults. Emerging research connects residential PFAS dust to serious childhood health outcomes.

Childhood leukemia rates have been slowly rising for decades. Environmental chemistry is one of the hypotheses being investigated.

What the research says

A study in Int J Cancer looked at exposure to PFAS in residential settled dust and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Higher household PFAS dust levels correlated with elevated ALL risk in children. The effect was dose-dependent and was seen even after adjusting for other risk factors.

Reducing residential PFAS: remove stain-treated carpet when possible, choose untreated upholstery for new furniture, swap nonstick cookware for stainless or cast iron, and avoid waterproof sprays on kids' jackets and car seats. Run a HEPA vacuum weekly and use a damp mop on hard floors. An air purifier with a HEPA and carbon filter reduces airborne PFAS-bound dust. Ongoing testing of household dust isn't common, but if you live in an area known for PFAS contamination, a consult with a public health lab may be worthwhile.