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photo credit: Courtesy of the University of North Carolina
Illustration showing how PFAS leach into the environment.

It repels water, prevents wrinkles, resists stains and makes cooking an egg over easy, well easy....But there's also a dark side to this modern marvel that is now, just about everywhere on the planet.

It's a class of chemicals called PFAS. Recently Santa Rosa water opted out of a national legal settlement with manufacturers, with officials reasoning one couldn't attach a dollar to a problem when its true scope isn't quite known.

To learn more about these chemicals, the potential harm they pose and how and to what extent ordinary people can protect themselves, KRCB's Marc Albert spoke with Dr. Jessica Ray.

She's an assistant professor in the department of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle. Dr. Ray researches new materials for removing and degrading contaminants in water.