PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals used in a variety of consumer products and industries throughout the world. Two PFAS chemicals, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), were extensively produced and are the most studied and regulated of these chemicals. Many other PFAS exist. These PFAS are contained in some firefighting foams used to extinguish oil and gas fires. They have also been used in a number of industrial processes, and to make carpets, clothing, fabrics for furniture, paper packaging for food, and other materials (e.g., cookware) that are resistant to water, grease, and stains. Because these chemicals have been used in many consumer products over the past 50 years, most people have been exposed to them.*
*For more detail see:
https://www.mass.gov/doc/massdep-fact-sheet-pfas-in-drinking-water-questions-and-answers-for-consumers/download
See Oak Bluffs Water District PFAS6 sample results on the 2021 Consumer Confidence Report
https://www.oakbluffswaterdistrict.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2021OB-CCR-Final.pdf