PFAS with Your Sunday Newspaper

Researchers in the household and personal products industry are well-versed on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These long-lasting chemicals are found in everything from household cleaners to cosmetics. Now, more consumers are sure to learn more about PFAS.

Today’s New York Times Magazine includes a cover story on PFAS. The magazine cover features nail enamel and hard surface cleaners—two low-level contributors to PFAS exposure.

The article details one doctor’s research on the health implications of PFAS exposure. The doctor is located in The Faroe Islands “an incongruous speckling of green in the North Atlantic,” and he’s primarily studying PFAS in drinking water. In addition, the article gives the backstory on PFAS, including DuPont researchers discovering them in the 1930s and, later, detecting the substances in tap water in West Virginia in 1984. Most recently, in June, 3M and DuPont agreed to pay $10.3 and $1.19 billion, respectively, to clean up public water supplies.

Earlier this year, the US Geological Survey found at least one PFAS in 45% of US tap water. And yet, despite this prevalence, and nearly 100 years after their discovery, PFAS are relatively unknown by health professionals. And that has led to some wild speculation.

“People want to know, could this have contributed to my high cholesterol?” asked Courtney Carignan, an exposure scientist and epidemiologist at Michigan State University.

Sorry, but we think a diet heavy on hamburgers and French fries is the more likely culprit when it comes to high cholesterol levels.

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