In 1946, DuPont introduced Teflon to the world, changing millions of people’s lives – and polluting their bodies. Today, the family of compounds including Teflon, commonly called PFAS, is found not only in pots and pans but also in the blood of people around the world, including 99 percent of Americans. PFAS chemicals pollute water, do not break down, and remain in the environment and people for decades. Some scientists call them “forever chemicals."

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Mapping the PFAS contamination crisis: New data show 2,337 sites in 49 states

The extend of American communities' confirmed contamination with highly toxic fluorinated compounds known as PFAS continues to grow at an alarming rate.

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Featured Video
EWG talks to Rob Bilott, author of "Exposure"

We sat down with Rob Bilott to discuss his new book, "Exposure".

"Exposure" tells the story of Rob’s fight to expose DuPont’s coverup of Teflon’s dangers and get justice for victims of the PFAS contamination.It was Rob's work in Parkersburg, W.V., that revealed DuPont had been contaminating the drinking water of tens of thousands of people with PFOA, a chemical formerly used to make Teflon, near a DuPont plant.

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Toxic chemicals

Toxic Chemicals

Chemical companies aren't required to test chemicals for safety before they go on the market. We offer resources to help you make better, safer decisions.

Arsenic

A known human carcinogen, arsenic is a common contaminant in food and water. It was also used in virtually all pressure-treated wood products before EWG helped get it off the market.

Asbestos

10,000 Americans die each year of asbestos-related diseases. We unearthed evidence that for decades corporate executives covered up the dangers of this deadly fiber.

BPA

The plastics chemical BPA is a synthetic estrogen that can disrupt the boy’s natural hormones. We show you how to avoid it in household items you use every day.

Chemical Policy

Explore EWG’s work to ensure that government policies and standards protect public health.

Chromium-6

EWG found cancer-causing chromium-6 in tap water from 31 of 35 cities it tested. Americans deserve the protection of official safety standards to protect our water and health. Learn more.

Dioxin

EWG found cancer-causing dioxin and related chemicals in the blood of every American it tested, including cord blood from 20 newborns that came into the world “pre-polluted.”

Flame Retardants

For decades, furniture, baby products and electronics have been loaded with needless flame retardants linked to cancer, hormone disruption, and childhood development problems. The U.S. has banned the worst, but they’ve been replaced by poorly-studied substitutes.

Mercury

Mercury exposure from eating fish carries serious health risks, especially for developing fetuses. Learn how to avoid the dangers by using EWG’s Consumer Guide to Seafood.

Glyphosate

Glyphosate, a widely used toxic pesticide, is the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup. It is sprayed on oats right before harvest, so it ends up in many oat-based products, like cereals and breakfast bars.

Lead

Chronic exposure to lead is a well-known threat to health, especially for children, but it’s still a persistent problem. EWG’s research continues to track and uncover lead’s hazards.

Nanomaterials

These vanishingly small particles are turning up in thousands of new products, including cosmetics. EWG is pressing for more thorough research, because the health effects are still poorly understood.

Perchlorate

EWG has worked for more than a decade to get government to set a national drinking water standard for this component of rocket fuel, which can affect thyroid hormone levels.

Pesticides

Millions of people rely on EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce to reduce their exposure to toxic synthetic pesticides used on fruits and vegetables. The alternative is buy organic.

Phthalates

These endocrine-disrupting “plasticizer” chemicals are everywhere. EWG helped get several of them banned in children’s toys, but they are still widely used chemicals that pollute almost everyone’s bodies.

Triclosan

Consumer products containing this antibacterial pesticide don’t protect you from germs or disease, but they do expose you to a hormone-disrupting chemical. EWG shows how to avoid it.

2,4-D

This herbicide is a toxic chemical that has been linked to serious health problems, including Parkinson’s disease and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.