This fact sheet tells you about chemical names within the family of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their basic chemical structure. It also spells out abbreviations for common PFAS.

PFAS are a family of man-made chemicals that contain carbon, fluorine, and other elements.

The family tree image below, Figure 1, shows some of the different families of PFAS. For simplicity, it does not include all PFAS subfamilies. Follow along – starting at the “fallen apple” of PFC and then continuing up the tree trunk into the branches.

CS278160-A

PFAS_FamilyTree_Community.pdf

Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library collection