It keeps our food from sticking and our clothes from burning, and an epidemiologist at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine says they can even be found in house dust.

Per and poly fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are used in aerospace, automotive, construction, and electronic industries. Over time, PFAS leak into our soil and water and because they break down slowly — if at all. Almost everyone is repeatedly exposed to them.

“The PFAS have long half-lives, which mean they are retained in the body for a long time,” Susan Pinney said.

PFAS can cause increased cholesterol levels, lower immunity, and some cancers. A new study out of the University of Cincinnati shows that exposure to PFAS may impact young girls.

“We found that PFAS delayed the onset of puberty,” Pinney said.

The study found that 85% of young girls in the study had measurable levels of PFAS in their blood, impacting the same hormones that delay the onset of puberty — which could in turn make these girls more susceptible to breast cancer, infertility, and endometriosis.

Experts recommend using a water filter that removes PFAS and when possible, opt for products labeled as PFAS-free.

“If you have old Teflon cookware, get rid of it," Pinney said. “Because the older it gets, the more PFAS contamination you get for the food that you cook in it."

New research will be focused on whether PFAS are related to later life cancer such as renal and prostate cancers.

Watch the video above for the full story.