PFAS, the Forever Chemicals

Written by Jacob Liu and Edited by Olivia Cooper

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFASs, is a category of man-made chemicals used in a variety of industries worldwide since the 1940s. One of the most produced and studied PFASs are perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, or PFOS, which is used in stain-resistant fabric, fire-fighting foam, and food packaging. Another PFAS is perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, which is used to make coatings for products that resist heat, oils, stains, and water [1] [2]. Consequently, as more research is focused on PFASs’ environmental and human health impacts, growing knowledge of their structure and function has led to the curtailing of their use.

PFASs have been in use for decades in the United States and longer worldwide, particularly in cosmetic products for their ability to make products more waterproof and therefore more durable. A preliminary study in 2013 by the Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine revealed that, among random various personal care products such as cosmetic and sunscreen samples, 21 out of 24 samples contained significant concentrations of PFASs and related components previously deemed harmful to human health with consistent exposure and contamination [3]. This study was the first formal report on the contamination of mainstream consumer products with dangerous levels of PFASs. The danger of PFASs stems from their inability to break down in the environment nor the human body , which leads to the accumulation of PFASs in amounts dangerous to environmental and human health [4]. In the body alone, PFASs can cause reproductive, developmental, and immunological problems, as well as tumors and increased cholesterol levels [5]. However, despite these undesirable effects, very little research has been formally conducted investigating PFASs; only in 2019 did the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the United Nations acknowledge PFASs as dangerous substances and take formal action to purify the environment of them [6].

Due to their structural integrity, the permanence of PFASs poses a danger to environmental and human health. This is especially concerning in the realm of cosmetics, which give PFASs a direct route into human bodies. Recent research into the American Chemical Society demonstrates that the manufacture, use, and disposal of cosmetics containing PFASs risk bodily and environmental harm. The production of these products contaminates water with PFASs, and their topical application enables PFASs to enter the body through tear ducts, inhalation, and ingestion. Also, their inadequate disposal allows PFASs to leach into groundwater, which further harms the environment and allows for it to recirculate back into human bodies through the water we drink [7]. The lack of predecessors to the EPA’s relatively recent call to action fosters the concern that there is still little understanding about PFASs and other like substances, and their effects on environmental and human health.

With the recent revelation of the prevalence of PFASs in major consumer and household products like cosmetics, the risks they pose to human and environmental health have become an urgent issue for further investigation. In this day and age of combating historical environmental damage caused by humans, progress must be made toward the phased removal of PFASs from the environment and human body and undoing the damage they have caused.

References:

1. Health Risk Assessment Unit. “PFOS and Groundwater.” Clean Water Land & Legacy Amendment, Minnesota Department of Health, 1 Apr. 2019, www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/risk/docs/guidance/gw/pfosinfo.pdf. 17 Jul. 2021.
2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) Factsheet.” National Biomonitoring Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 7 Apr. 2017, www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/PFOA_FactSheet.html. 17 Jul. 2021.
3. Fujii, Y., Harada, K. H., Koizumi, A. (2013). Occurrence of perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) in personal care products and compounding agents. Chemosphere, 3:538-544.
4. Kotthoff, M., Müller, J., Jürling, H., Schlummer, M., Fiedler, D. (2015). Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in consumer products. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int., 19:14546-14559.
5. Sunderland, E. M., Hu, X. C., Dassuncao, C., Tokranov, A. K., Wagner, C. C., Allen, J. G. (2019). A review of the pathways of human exposure to poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and present understanding of health effects. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol., 2:131-147. 
6. Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention. “UN experts recommend elimination of additional hazardous chemicals to protect human health and the environment.” Stockholm Convention, UN Environment Programme, 2 Oct. 2019, chm.pops.int/Implementation/PublicAwareness/PressReleases/POPRC15expertsrecommendelim inationofPFHxS/tabid/8153/Default.aspx. 17 Jul. 2021.
7. Whitehead, H. D., Venier, M., Wu, Y., Eastman, E., Urbanik, S. Diamond, M. L., Shalin, A., Schwartz-Narbonne, H., Bruton, T. H., Blum, A., Wang, Z., Green, M., Tighe, M., Wilkinson, J. T., McGuinness, S., Peaslee, G. F. (2021). Fluorinated Compounds in North American Cosmetics. Environmental Science & Technology Letters, 8:538-544.