All posts tagged: Forever Chemicals

‘Forever chemicals’ in newborn blood linked to childhood leukemia

‘Forever chemicals’ in newborn blood linked to childhood leukemia

Published by Jenni Sidey

A few drops of blood taken within days of birth are now adding to one of the most troubling questions in environmental health: what happens when exposure to “forever chemicals” begins before a child even leaves the hospital? Researchers at the University of California, Irvine found that newborns with higher levels of certain PFAS compounds in dried blood spots had higher odds of later developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, the most common childhood cancer. The link was strongest for two of the best-known PFAS chemicals, PFOA and PFOS, and it appeared to grow when both were elevated together. The work, published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, does not prove that PFAS cause leukemia. Still, it pushes the evidence a step closer to the earliest window of life by measuring chemicals present at birth rather than estimating exposure from drinking water or other outside sources. PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been used since the 1950s in products built to resist heat, grease, stains, and water. They have turned …

Penguin ‘toxicologists’ find PFAS chemicals in remote Patagonia

Penguin ‘toxicologists’ find PFAS chemicals in remote Patagonia

Published by Jenni Sidey

Penguins living along the Patagonian coast of Argentina can serve as living monitors of their environment by using small, chemical-detecting leg bands, according to a study from the University of California, Davis, and the State University of New York at Buffalo. For the proof-of-concept study, published in the journal Earth: Environmental Sustainability, UC Davis scientists outfitted 54 Magellanic penguins with silicone passive samplers placed gently around their legs for a few days during the 2022-24 breeding seasons. The sensors safely absorbed chemicals from the water, air and surfaces the penguins encountered while the unwitting “toxicologists” foraged to feed their chicks. Once retrieved, the samplers were sent to University at Buffalo-SUNY for testing, which revealed that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — often called “forever chemicals” — were detected in more than 90% of the bands, even in this remote region.  Magellanic penguins in Argentina served as sentinels of their own environment by wearing chemical-detecting leg bands for a few days during their breeding season in a UC Davis and SUNY-Buffalo study. (CREDIT: Ralph Vanstreels/UC Davis) “The only …

New carbon-based catalyst breaks down forever chemicals using light

New carbon-based catalyst breaks down forever chemicals using light

Published by Jenni Sidey

Blue light, a sheet of filter paper, and a stubborn class of industrial chemicals do not sound like much of a match. Yet that simple setup sits at the center of a new attempt to tackle PFAS, the long-lasting compounds often called “forever chemicals” because they resist breaking down in nature. An international research team led by the University of Bath has built a prototype carbon-based catalyst that uses light to break down a model PFAS compound. The work, published in RSC Advances, points to a possible way not only to destroy some of these chemicals but also, eventually, to help detect them outside specialist labs. PFAS have been used for years in consumer and technical products, from waterproof clothing to non-stick pans, make-up, and fire-fighting foams. Their appeal comes from their stability. That is also the problem. They persist in water systems, the food chain, the wider environment, and the human body. The source material notes that their long-term effects are not fully known, though some studies have linked some PFAS to a higher …

Forever chemicals linked to accelerated aging risk in middle-aged men

Forever chemicals linked to accelerated aging risk in middle-aged men

Published by Jenni Sidey

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent in the environment. They are found in drinking water, soil, and animal tissues. They can remain in the body long after exposure. This persistence is one reason PFAS have been used for many years as part of commercial products. For example, they are in non-stick cookware and fire-fighting foam. These products are designed to resist heat, grease, stains, and corrosion. Recent studies indicate that two PFAS chemicals (PFNA and PFOSA) may be associated with increased rates of biological aging among a subset of people. Specifically, this association is found in middle-aged men. Dr. Xiangwei Li, a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, led a study that focused on blood sample and DNA methylation data collected during the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (1999 and 2000). This study included data from 326 adults aged 50 or older in the U.S. Study Design and Data Sources The researchers found that certain PFAS chemicals can increase the risk of biological aging in middle-aged men. They measured methylation …