Do you use water/stain-resistant products and clothing? You could be exposing yourself and others to persistent, harmful chemicals... And since some products that contain these chemicals don’t say so on the label, you could be completely unaware they are there.
Per- and Poly-Fluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) are a newer class of chemicals used to make products resist oil and water. They're supposed to be safer than the older PFOS (Perfluoro Octane Sulfonates) like Teflon and Scotchgard. But are they?
These chemicals have been detected in over 98% of blood samples of tested Canadians and are showing up in the environment, sometimes in levels high enough to harm wildlife (and us!). And some of them disappear quickly from the blood but are stored in organ tissues (such as lungs). Researchers are learning how they disrupt our hormones and immune systems...
What are PFAS chemicals?
The PFAS class of chemicals are used to waterproof fabrics and clothing; to stain-proof fabrics, carpets and furniture; in coatings for non-stick pans; to keep food wrap paper from soaking up grease; for water-resistant cosmetics, and in fire-fighting foams.
The chemicals are only loosely attached to fabrics so are often detected in measurable amounts in house dust. They are persistent and mobile: they do not break down for decades and travel easily in the atmosphere. They concentrate in animals high in the food chain, resulting in higher levels in larger animals and humans as we eat contaminated food. Levels gradually increase over time from these low-level exposures, because the chemicals are not eliminated from our bodies or broken down over time.
What do PFAS do to us?
There are over 5,000 different PFAS chemicals that have been synthesized. The harmful effects vary, but some are known to either block or mimic our hormones, and inhibit the effectiveness of our immune systems. Sadly, these chemicals have been presumed to be safe, partly because they are so stable. Like cigarettes, the burden of proving they are harmful falls to governments and environmental groups, rather than requiring the companies who manufacture them to prove they are safe long-term.
One early sign there was a problem was when an increased cases of breast cancer in women and testicular cancer in men were noted in firefighters regularly exposed to high levels of PFAS in firefighting foams. As well as exposure while putting out fires and during training, their protective equipment often contains similar chemicals, so they were being exposed to these chemicals more than most. "Canaries in the mine..."
Other diseases and conditions have also been found to be associated with exposure to these chemicals, too. Some of these include:
· increased risk of prostate, liver and kidney cancer,
· ulcerative colitis (inflammatory bowel disease),
· increased blood cholesterol,
· increased blood pressure during pregnancy,
· thyroid and other hormone changes,
· early menopause,
· decreased birth weight in babies,
· decreased fertility,
· changes in bone density, and
· Type 2 diabetes.
A 3M sponsored study in the 1970s showed this type of chemical could decrease immune response in monkeys, and another at Harvard University in 2015 showed the same in humans. A 2015 study in children demonstrated that higher levels of PFAS in the blood were associated with a decreased immune response to vaccines.
Ongoing studies report that patients with higher levels of PFAS, especially one known as PFBA that deposits in lung tissue, tend to have worse outcomes from COVID-19 infection. The fact that men and older individuals tend to have higher levels of these chemicals may explain the increased risk these groups have of more severe COVID infection. Note that PFBA was thought to be safer because less was detected in the blood, while instead it was being pulled directly into the lungs where it appears to be having a local effect in lowering the immune response there.
CEPA, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, was written in 1999 and is now outdated. It needs to take into consideration newer studies, vulnerable populations (like those working in the industry), those who live near hot spots (like previous spills or plants that create or use these chemicals), possible contamination of food by packaging, and babies born to mothers who are affected. PFAS and the similar, older PFOS are excreted in breast milk and can result in babies having 10 times the level of the mother, at a crucial time in the development of the immune system.
Older chemical safety tests generally consisted of a 1-time high dose test in an animal, but what about chronic low dose exposure? Because these chemicals do not break down and are stored in body fat, they accumulate in us over the years. Chronic low dose exposure is now considered more harmful than a single large dose exposure, in which the body appears to have a better chance of eliminating the chemical. These kinds of exposures need to be tested, too, before deciding a chemical is safe.
Although none of these chemicals are currently manufactured in Canada, according to a report I read, they are found in products we import. A recent CBC Marketplace investigation found 1 in 5 imported children’s clothing items they examined contained elevated levels of harmful chemicals, including PFAS, lead and phthalates (chemicals used in plastic that can contaminate the product packaged in it). On a positive note, all the companies were contacted and immediately removed the affected products from sale. They also committed to examining their supply chains for other harmful products.
Meanwhile, like PCBs and dioxins, these chemicals appear to be concentrating in the North. They travel easily through the atmosphere, enter the food chain there and concentrate in larger animals, like seals and polar bears… and humans.
Chemicals are too often considered safe until proven dangerous. Even with evidence, laws are slow to change. We saw this in the many years it took for tobacco to be considered a harmful substance (and it is still being sold today for daily use!). Because of their persistence and stability, we will continue to be exposed to forever chemicals like PFAS for many years after they are finally banned from use.
Current regulations need to be updated, and safety testing must improve to protect us from potential harm from newly synthesized chemicals. It’s just not acceptable to allow persistent substances to be sold with insufficient testing, only to discover the harm they cause after years of exposure to the public. Full labelling of chemicals added to products needs to be required.
So, how can you avoid these chemicals?
Be suspicious of any product that is water, grease, or stain resistant. These include food packaging, rain gear, waterproof cosmetics, stain resistant carpets and furniture, and non-stick pans. I’m choosing to cook in stainless steel and cast-iron pots these days!
References:
A new class of ‘forever chemicals’ is an emerging threat to our health and environment—CBC Radio series: Quirks and Quarks episodes on Oct 9, Oct 23 and Nov 6, 2020 (find it on the CBC Listen app)
Experts warn of high levels of chemicals in clothes by some fast-fashion retailers—CBC News Marketplace
PFAS exposure linked with worse COVID-19 outcomes—Harvard T.H.Chan School of Public Health
Severity of COVID-19 at elevated exposure to perfluorinated alkylates—PLOS ONE
Photo by Alex Kondratiev on Unsplash
Thank you Jeannie for writing on this topic. We are exposed to so many new devices and products every day which we hope will make our lives easier, however, we don't take the time to even consider if these devices or products could produce any harm. Perhaps your readers/audience could share what their favourite convenience is and we could share ideas how to make this convenience a safer product and/or task. I definitely will evaluate some of those conveniences I use and reconsider their purchase.