This ‘forever chemical’ is almost certainly in your blood

Results from Australia’s first widespread PFAS testing is in — and it found ‘forever chemicals’ in almost everyone. So how does it affect your health?

Almost all Australians have ‘forever chemicals’ in their blood, results from the first national PFAS testing have revealed.

New ABS data, released amid growing public concern about PFAS’ health effects, show more than 98 per cent of the adult and adolescent population had a common type, PFOS, detected in their blood.

The figures represent the first time Australia’s per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance exposure levels have been measured on a large-scale and attracted mixed reactions from experts, who were split on the health impacts.

WHAT ARE PFAS?

PFAS are heat, stain, grease, oil and water resistant, man-made chemicals that are highly resistant to breaking down and have been used in various products, such as non-stick cooking surfaces, for decades.

HOW MANY AUSTRALIANS HAVE PFAS IN THEIR BLOOD?

The ABS survey found PFOS and PFOA — two types widely used in firefighting foam before Australia began reducing PFAS’ use — in 98.6 per cent and 96.1 per cent of people respectively.

The ABS said a ‘non-detect’ result did not mean a person did not have that type of PFAS in their blood — as they expect everyone has been exposed — and that it was just too low to be measured.

Another type, PFHxS was found in almost 90 per cent of participants, while PFNA was found in two in five.

There are about 15,000 types of PFAS, and the study — using blood samples from 7500 volunteers aged 12 and over — tested for eleven of the most commonly use types.

Detectable levels were found in less than 0.3 per cent of volunteers for three substances, while the remaining four chemicals were found in between 19 and 1.5 per cent of people.

The ABS said the average level was typically higher in older Australians and men, and the country’s mean levels for the three most common chemicals, PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS, was lower than other countries.

HOW DOES PFAS EXPOSURE IMPACT OUR HEALTH?

RMIT Chemistry Professor Oliver Jones said there was no need to panic about the ABS results because PFAS could be detected at small doses, well below a harmful amount.

“Just because something is present in tiny amounts does not automatically mean it is causing harm,” he said.

“Anything can be toxic if you are exposed to enough of it, even water.

“The real question we should ask is: ‘Are PFAS present in our blood at high enough concentrations to cause harm?”.

He said “the answer for most of us” was “no”.

“We don’t have any strong evidence that the concentrations most people are exposed to are sufficient to cause an issue,” he said.

But Sydney University Civil Engineering Professor Stuart Khan said the “public health implications remain highly uncertain” and called for tougher regulations.

A senate committee interim report on PFAS released late last year said the impact of PFAS on human health was a “complicated and contested subject”.

The Federal Health Department’s website has said there “is currently limited evidence of human disease or other clinically significant harm resulting from PFAS exposure”.

It said some studies have found “associations” between people exposed to specific PFAS chemicals and health outcomes including an increased risk of testicular and kidney cancer, reduced kidney function, lower birth weight in babies, increased cholesterol and thyroid hormone levels.

But it said “an ‘association’ to health outcomes does not confirm a direct cause” and research was ongoing.

The ABS release did not directly comment on the health implications of their current data, and their health statistics head James Eynstone-Hinkins said it would “help “create a national baseline”.

“The dataset will enable future monitoring and support further research into PFAS and the potential impacts of these chemicals on human health,” he said.

WHY IS PFAS EVERYWHERE?

PFAS can be found in everyday items including carpet and upholstery protective sprays, cosmetics, sunscreens, some non-stick cookware, and were widely used in firefighting foams.

University of New South Wales Sydney Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Denis O’Carroll said the results were “unsurprising” given its “widespread use” in consumer and industrial products for decades.

“It has been pervasive in our day-to-day lives,” he said.

“PFAS contamination to the environment is through a wide range of activities, including firefighting activities, stormwater, landfills, wastewater treatment plants and land application of biosolids.”

He said his own research, published last year, had detailed the extent of this environmental contamination.

“Our study found that while Australia has no PFAS manufacturing facilities, there are a number of highly contaminated PFAS sites from firefighting activities,” he said.

Professor Stuart Khan said “the mere presence of these chemicals in our blood should cause us to consider the importance of much better management of environmental contaminants“.

“Almost every molecule of PFAS that has ever been synthesised is still with us in PFAS form,” he said.

“Some do break down – but mostly into new PFAS.

“Many of these molecules contaminate soil, waterways, food, the atmosphere, rainfall, fish, reptiles, birds and mammals, including humans.”

Originally published as This ‘forever chemical’ is almost certainly in your blood