Image source, BBC News
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- author, Catherine Nye
- Author title, BBC Panorama
When I entered the clinic for a blood test, all I could think about was how to avoid looking like a coward on camera. I didn’t think about what the test would reveal.
I’m not skilled with needles, but as part of a BBC Panorama investigation into so-called permanent chemicals (also known as perpetuities), I was tested for the level of these substances in my blood.
As a mother of two young children, I also wanted to know if they might affect my family.
Permanent chemicals, or PFAS, are a group of about 10,000 chemicals. They’ve been used for decades in everything from waterproof clothing to kitchen utensils, electronics, and medical equipment.
They are persistent pollutants, meaning they do not break down easily and instead accumulate in the environment. They are found in our homes, in our water, and in our food.
Scientists have linked a few of them to serious harm, such as infertility and cancer.
According to preventive healthcare specialist Dr. Sabine Donnay, any PFAS level above 2 nanograms per milliliter in the blood is considered a health risk. You’ve never met anyone who doesn’t have at least some PFAS in their bloodstream.
The result was 9.8 nanograms per milliliter.
From mother to son
Donnay told me the news very kindly, but it still shocked me deeply.
He told me that the chemicals in my blood were likely having an effect on my health.
I also learned that unfortunately, my body had gotten rid of some of these chemicals during pregnancy and passed them on to my children.
That was the moment when this research stopped being just work and became something very personal.
“PFAS levels were higher before you got pregnant,” Dunay told me. “I’m sure you will pass it on to your children.”
I was worried, but also angry at how this could happen without my knowledge and with so little control.
I wanted to know more about these substances and the health problems associated with them.
Image source, Getty Images
Stephanie Metzger of the Royal Society of Chemistry said eternal chemicals “don’t decompose.”
“Once they get into our bodies, they stay and build up little by little until they start interfering with our systems.
“Some PFAS have been linked to thyroid problems, others to kidney and liver cancer, and some have been shown to affect fertility.”
In my case, it’s “unlikely” I’ll be able to get my levels down to zero, Donnay told me. “But it can be reduced in the next two or three years through a strategy.”
Next steps
The expert suggested increasing my fiber consumption, either by eating more oats, barley, legumes, nuts and seeds, or by taking gel-forming fiber supplements.
Increasing fiber in our diet is “the strongest evidence yet that it may help,” he said.
She added that menstruation will also help reduce existing PFAS levels over time.
She also recommended identifying key sources of exposure in my home: changing kitchen utensils, using a water filter, changing cleaning products, checking my makeup and hair dye, and being wary of labels that say “waterproof.”
Image source, BBC News
Similar advice was given to expectant mother Pam Kavanagh, who we visited at her home in Berkshire with Dr Federica Amati, from Imperial College London.
Pam wanted to know how to reduce the potential household risks of PFAS to her baby, and Amati studied how infants and children can be affected by persistent chemicals.
“When we drink tap water, depending on where we live, we are exposed to different levels of PFAS,” Amati said.
Simply purchasing a water filter can help reduce exposure, whether that’s a pitcher with a filter or a filter mounted on the sink, he said.
Amati advised to get rid of all scratched non-stick pans.
Stainless steel or ceramic pans are safer, he said.
He added that the carpets may have been treated with PFAS to make them more stain-resistant, and suggested vacuuming them daily.
He added: “Ensuring the room is ventilated by opening the windows daily is a good idea, as household dust accumulates.”
Amati also focused on children’s clothing. Pam was amazed to discover that waterproof or stain-resistant clothing can contain PFAS. Manufacturers are not required to disclose this information.
The BBC has learned that some baby products are not PFAS-free, despite claiming to be, at least those tested in the UK.
Professor Stuart Harrad, from the University of Birmingham, explained that if fabrics containing PFAS come into contact with human skin for an extended period, there is a possibility that the chemicals will be absorbed through the skin.
Image source, BBC News
According to the European Food Safety Authority, our greatest exposure to persistent chemicals comes from food, especially fish, meat, eggs, fruits and derived products.
She discovered that an innocent-looking strawberry could be exposed to PFAS, because these chemicals can be added to pesticides “to make them stick better to the fruit, so when it rains it doesn’t wash them off,” explained Professor David Megson of Manchester Metropolitan University.
Of the variety of picnic items we pack, a bottle of wine may be the one that carries the highest risk of PFAS, Megson told me.
“We concentrate hundreds of grapes in each bottle,” he explained. “As the pesticide decomposes, the PFAS portion remains.”
PFAS are so ingrained in modern life that no one can completely escape them. They have made our lives more comfortable and our products more durable, but at a potential cost that we are only now beginning to realize.
The European Commission is consulting on a complete ban on around 10,000 PFAS chemicals. The UK government says it is seeking to ban or restrict some chemicals, but has not committed to a comprehensive ban.
It told us it is “working closely with regulatory agencies to assess levels of PFAS in the environment, their sources, and potential risks” to guide its approach to policy and regulation.
Image source, Getty Images
The Chemical Industry Association argues that PFAS chemicals have many essential uses and there are no safer alternatives yet. He states that “regulatory bodies and industry should collaborate to establish transition periods” and thus market alternatives.
When I had my first blood tests, I thought it would be an interesting scene in our documentary.
But once you know that these chemicals are inside you, you can’t ignore them.
Having a plan to reduce my exposure is a bit of a relief. But honestly, that’s also another concern.
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