Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as ‘forever chemicals’, are a broad family of synthetic chemical compounds that are present in a wide variety of products we use on almost a daily basis.
Because they are composed of strong chemical bonds between carbon and fluorine, their decomposition is very slow, and when ingested they can accumulate in the bodies of living beings and in the environment, potentially causing health problems. According to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), PFAS can affect reproduction, fetal development, and in humans may harm the endocrine system and even cause cancer.
As these substances can be found in a multitude of products, such as packaging and kitchen utensils, to name a few, it is thought that the way we eat, and what we eat, may directly influence the concentration of ‘forever chemicals’ in our bodies.
A study in the United States aimed precisely to understand the link between PFAS and the human diet. In an article published in the journal Environment International, they reveal that the higher the consumption of bagged tea, processed meats, and food prepared outside the home, the higher the PFAS levels that may accumulate in the body over time.
“We are starting to see that even foods that are metabolically quite healthy can be contaminated with PFAS,” says Hailey Hampson, of the University of Southern California and the study’s first author, in a press release.
The researcher suggests that a new look at what is considered healthy food is needed, since even that may be contaminating our bodies and, by extension, the environment.
The study included surveys and the analysis of blood samples from two groups totaling 727 young American adults, in two phases spaced four years apart, to understand changes in PFAS concentrations over time.
The results showed that participants who reported higher tea consumption on the one hand, and those who reported eating more pork on the other, had the highest PFAS levels in their blood in the second round of analyses. Therefore, “participants who consume more tea, hot dogs, and processed meats had the highest PFAS levels,” conclude the scientists in a note.
However, the consumption of meals prepared at home appears to be associated with lower levels of ‘forever chemicals’, the scientists report.
Therefore, these investigators believe that changes in our diets could help reduce the intake of forever chemicals and, with that, reduce the impacts of these toxic substances on our bodies, as well as on the environment.
