Did you know that ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS) are commonly found in drinking water around the world — including in regions that consider their water supply safe?
Mounting evidence now links these widespread synthetic compounds not only to various forms of cancer, but to a growing list of health impacts including thyroid disruption, immune suppression, and even a negative impact on breastfeeding duration. As water constitutes a significant portion of our bodies, it is not surprising that contaminants in our drinking water affect our health in ways we might not have anticipated.
What are PFAS — and why are they called ‘forever chemicals’?
PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — a family of thousands of synthetic chemicals that have been manufactured and used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s. They are found in non-stick cookware, food packaging, waterproof clothing, firefighting foam, and countless other everyday materials.
The reason they are called ‘forever chemicals’ is precise: the carbon-fluorine bond at the core of their structure is one of the strongest in organic chemistry. These compounds do not break down in the environment. They do not break down in the human body. They accumulate over time — in soil, in groundwater, in wildlife, and in us.
Global standards and the purity gap
Drinking water regulations vary widely across the globe, creating a dangerous discrepancy in the level of public health protection people can expect from their tap.
| Region | Contaminant / Measure | Standard / Limit | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (Proposed) | Individual PFAS (PFOA / PFOS) | 4 parts per trillion (ppt) | Strictest proposed enforceable limit |
| European Union | Sum of 20 regulated PFAS | 0.1 μg/L (100 ppt) | Effective from 2026 |
| Australia | Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) | 500 to 1,000 ppm | Aesthetic guideline, not health-based |
| South Africa (SANS 241) | Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) | ≤1,200 mg/L | Based on aesthetic risk |
| Latin America | Often follows WHO guidance | Varies greatly by country | Many regulations need updating for PFAS |
While the US and EU are moving toward tighter, lower limits for specific toxins, broad metrics like TDS — which remain high in many regions — highlight how inadequate general water quality standards remain when it comes to trace chemical threats.
Where do PFAS enter your water?
PFAS reach drinking water through several pathways. Industrial discharge from manufacturing facilities that use or produce PFAS compounds can contaminate groundwater and surface water over large areas. Runoff from land where PFAS-containing firefighting foam has been used — particularly around military bases and airports — is a well-documented source. PFAS from consumer products also make their way through wastewater treatment systems, which are generally not designed to remove them.
The problem is compounded by the fact that standard water treatment processes — the kind used by most municipal water suppliers — do not reliably remove PFAS. Conventional filtration, chlorination, and even reverse osmosis at typical household scale can reduce but not eliminate PFAS contamination. And because these chemicals are invisible, odourless, and tasteless, you have no way of knowing they are there without specialized laboratory testing.
Health impacts: what the science says
The evidence linking PFAS exposure to serious health outcomes has grown substantially over the past decade. Regulatory agencies in the US, EU, and elsewhere have classified certain PFAS compounds as probable or possible human carcinogens. Beyond cancer risk, peer-reviewed research has associated PFAS exposure with reduced vaccine response, altered thyroid hormone levels, increased cholesterol, liver damage, and developmental issues in children.
The challenge is that exposure is cumulative. A single glass of water with trace PFAS is unlikely to cause immediate harm. But decades of daily consumption — combined with PFAS exposure from food packaging, cookware, and other sources — results in a body burden that the scientific community is only beginning to fully understand.
AquaFromAir: setting a new benchmark for purity
AquaFromAir offers a fundamentally different approach. Rather than treating contaminated source water, our machines produce water directly from atmospheric moisture — air that has not passed through contaminated aquifers, aged infrastructure, or industrial runoff zones.
Where standard municipal supplies can contain between 500 and 1,000 ppm of TDS, AquaFromAir machines typically purify the water they harvest from air down to under 40 ppm. In a real-world installation at a villa in Bali, consistent readings came in at under 10 ppm — even after six months of continuous operation.
Regardless of where you are in the world, your water deserves the highest standard of purity. The question is a simple one: what price is too high for the health of you, your family, your staff, or your customers?
Sources and further reading
The data and regulatory limits cited in this article are sourced from the following:
- US PFAS limits: SGS — PFAS in Drinking Water: Five Key Facts
- EU Drinking Water Directive: SGS — EU PFAS limits effective 2026
- Australian TDS guideline: NHMRC — Australian Drinking Water Guidelines
- South African standard: SANS 241-1:2015 Drinking Water Specification
- Latin American standards: PubMed — Drinking Water Standards in South American Countries
