They are known as forever chemicals and they keep our food from sticking and our clothes from burning.
But per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances or PFAS can also be life-threatening and just about everyone has been exposed to them.
“They can be found in house dust,” explained Susan Pinney, an epidemiologist at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
PFAS are a large, complex group of synthetic chemicals that have been used in consumer products since the 1950s. They are used in aerospace, automotive, construction and electronic industries.
Over time PFAS leak into our soil and water and because they break down slowly, if at all, almost everyone is repeatedly exposed to them.
“The PFAS have long half-lives, which mean they are retained in the body for a long time,” Pinney said.
Now scientists are getting a clearer picture of just how dangerous these chemicals are.
PFAS can cause increased cholesterol levels, lower immunity, and some cancers. And now a new study out of the University of Cincinnati shows that exposure to PFAS may impact young girls.
“We found that PFAS delayed the onset of puberty,” Pinney said.
The results found that 85% of the young girls in the study had measurable levels of PFAS in their blood — impacting the same hormones that delay the onset of puberty which could in turn make these girls more susceptible to breast cancer, infertility, and endometriosis.
“Puberty is a time of susceptibility to environmental exposures,” Pinney said.
So, what can you do?
Use a water filter that removes PFAS, and, when possible, opt for products labeled as PFAS-free.
“If you have old Teflon cookware, get rid of it, because the older it gets, the more PFAS contamination you get for the food that you cook in it,” Pinney said.
The study also found that over 99% of the girls in the two cohorts had measurable levels of PFOA, one of the most important of the PFAS.
Now, new research will be focused on whether PFAS are related to later-life cancer such as renal and prostate cancers.