What to know
- The PFAS Blood Level Estimation Tool can provide an estimate of certain PFAS blood levels for people with exposure to PFAS through drinking water.
- The web-based estimator provides personalized estimates of PFAS concentrations in blood based on exposure to one or more PFAS in drinking water.
PFAS Blood Level Estimation Tool
PFAS Blood Level Estimation Tool
The per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) tool is for community members with exposure to PFAS through drinking water. It provides estimates on levels of the following PFAS in community members' blood:
- Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
- Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS)
- Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)
- Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
Blood tests for PFAS are not widely available. In response, CDC and ATSDR developed the PFAS Blood Estimation Tool. It is not intended to replace actual PFAS blood testing but rather to:
- Help understand the ways one might be exposed to PFAS.
- Offer options for reducing exposure.
- Give data for individuals to discuss with their healthcare provider.
For questions about the PFAS Blood Level Estimation Tool, email PFAS@cdc.gov.
Limitations of the tool
The PFAS Blood Level Estimation Tool is web-based and for public use. It provides personalized estimates of PFAS concentrations in blood based on exposure to one or more PFAS in drinking water. The tool also provides comparisons to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data.
The tool allows community members to obtain an estimate of their PFAS blood levels without biological sampling. While it offers useful data, it has limitations. The tool:
- Does not connect PFAS exposure with any health effects.
- Estimates levels using PFAS drinking water data entered by users.
- Bases data on assumptions about how much a person is exposed to PFAS over time.
For these reasons, the estimate from this tool does not provide the same level of certainty of an actual blood test. Even a measured blood test cannot tell you if your exposures will make you sick now or later in life.
To use this tool, you must have information on the concentrations of one or more PFAS in your drinking water. This information may be available from water quality tests or, for some locations, government data.