What’s a Forever Chemical doing in my Blood?
A “forever chemical” is a toxic substance, more specifically a synthetic chemical, known as per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS chemicals persist and accumulate in the environment throughout the lifecycle of manufacturing, processing, distribution in commerce, use, and disposal. PFAS chemicals are manufactured for a wide range of purposes, from nonstick cookware and grease resistant packaging, to water proof clothing and yoga pants, paints, fabrics, carpets, furniture, and firefighting foams, these substances have been used in homes, businesses, and industries since the 1940’s.
The health and ecological effects of the thousands of these ubiquitous chemicals were not well understood however until a half-century later. The routes of exposure and health effects of PFAS are still being understood, however, the four most studied PFAS chemicals have a biological half-life of 2-8 years within the body, even if the source of a person’s exposure is completely removed.
In 2021, the United States EPA published a Strategic Roadmap and later acknowledged that PFAS may pose a bigger risk to our health than scientists thought by issuing a Health Advisory for drinking water in 2022. Soon after, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine released the first clinical guidelines quantifying blood concentration levels of PFAS that could put someone’s health at risk and just recently, the US EPA published its first PFAS standard in 2024 to protect over 100 million people from the potential pollution in our drinking water. Tap water is regulated by the Safe Water Drinking Act of 1974 which requires the EPA to set safe limits for contaminants. The maximum contaminant levels for PFAS chemicals are 4-10 parts per trillion, 1000 times less than the action level for lead.
To learn more about what is in your Tap Water or PFAS Forever Chemicals, contact us for more information.
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