PFAS chemicals can pass directly through the skin into the blood
Toxic “forever chemicals” known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can be readily absorbed through the skin, according to a new study.
The research, published in Environment International, is the first to show that these chemicals can be absorbed through the skin and from there pass into the bloodstream. It had previously been thought that this couldn’t happen; although studies have shown, for example, a clear link between the user of personal-care products and PFAS concentrations in human blood and breast milk.
PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because they are chemically stable and highly resistant to decay in the environment. They accumulate in the environment and in living creatures, increasing in concentration at higher levels of the food chain. They are used in everything from plastics, carpets and cookware to greaseproof papers and fire retardants.
PFAS have been linked to a wide variety of conditions and diseases, from obesity and high blood pressure, to fertility problems and cancers, especially of the thyroid. PFAS chemicals were a central focus of the Tucker Carlson documentary The End of Men, about the massive decline in male testosterone levels and fertility, and are also a focus of Professor Shanna Swan’s recent book Count Down. Professor Swan predicts that men could be unable to reproduce by natural means within 20 years if current trends in sperm-count decline continue.
CONTACT LENSES AND PFAS.
If you wear contact lenses, you might want to think about wearing glasses instead. A new study reveals that most contact lenses contain extremely high levels of PFAS, a harmful “forever chemical” linked to reduced testosterone, obesity & eye diseases. ? pic.twitter.com/8Ku9D9bbxZ
— RAW EGG NATIONALIST (@Babygravy9) May 10, 2023
In their experiments, the researchers investigated 17 different kinds of PFAS, selecting compounds that were among the most commonly used and the most widely studied.
The researchers used 3D human skin models—layered laboratory grown tissues that mimic the properties of human skin—to test absorption. They applied samples of PFAS chemicals to the surface of the models and then measured the proportions that were absorbed, unabsorbed or retained within the models.
Of the 17 substances tested, 15 showed substantial dermal absorption (above 5% of the dose applied). The most highly absorbed PFAS was PFOA, of which 13.5% of the dose passed through right through the skin and 38% was retained within the tissues.
Molecules with shorter carbon-chain lengths showed much higher levels of absorption, which is important because manufacturers of these chemicals are adopting molecules with shorter carbon chains because they are believed to be less toxic. Instead of being beneficial for consumers and the broader environment, this move may actually increase direct bodily exposure to these chemicals, with as-yet unknown effects.
