What People in the United States Are Asking About Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Their Drinking Water Based on Online Search Behaviors

Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a human health concern associated with increased incidence of specific cancers, reproductive health effects, immune effects, and developmental effects on children, among other issues. One study found that 45% of municipal water in the U.S. contains at least ≥1 PFAS; according to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, nearly all people in the U.S. have measurable amounts of PFAS in their blood (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2024a). Many people first turn to the internet for health-related questions. For public health communicators to successfully educate communities about PFAS exposure from water supplies, it is helpful to know what questions people are already asking online about PFAS. For this research, we used a search engine analytics tool called Semrush to identify common questions asked and to inform subsequent outreach messages. Using Semrush, we categorized the type of questions and search terms online that information seekers used related to PFAS in their water and ranked the questions and search terms based on search volume. Overall, the highest search volume was related to how to reduce risk for exposure to PFAS, followed by general questions about PFAS in water. These insights on search terms can help health professionals create informational resources tailored to address what people want to know about PFAS.