Artificial chemicals called PFAS, found in lots of customer goods, pose considerable health threats, with one research study showing 22% of kids exceeding safe exposure levels.
PFAS, synthetic chemicals present in common consumer items, accumulate in nature and people, triggering numerous health issue consisting of reduced vaccine response in kids and certain types of cancer. A research study from the University of Bergen showed 22% of sampled kids had PFAS levels surpassing security limits, echoing findings in other European studies.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are man-made chemicals utilized in a large range of customer items like clothes, makeup, paints, and non-stick pots and pans. Their robust resistance to breaking down outcomes in an accumulation of numerous kinds of PFAS both in the environment and within the human body. The main opportunities of PFAS direct exposure for individuals are through tainted food and polluted drinking water.
A number of negative health effects have been related to PFAS exposure, including minimized vaccine action in kids, decreased birth weight, and certain kinds of cancers. Reduced vaccine action in children was the basis for the safety limitation set by the European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2020. A number of European nations are now collaborating to restrict the production and use of all PFAS in Europe.
As part of “the Bergen Growth Study 2” from 2016, researchers at the University of Bergen collected blood samples from children aged 6-16 years for PFAS analyses. Four PFAS were present in all kids. In addition, 22% of the kids had PFAS levels above the safety limits set by EFSA, suggesting a possible risk of negative health impacts. This is in line with findings in other European and Norwegian studies.
Reference: “Levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Norwegian kids stratified by age and sex– Data from the Bergen Growth Study 2” by Ingvild Halsør Forthun, Mathieu Roelants, Line Småstuen Haug, Helle Katrine Knutsen, Lawrence M. Schell, Astanand Jugessur, Robert Bjerknes, Azemira Sabaredzovic, Ingvild Særvold Bruserud and Petur Benedikt Juliusson, 7 June 2023, International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health.DOI: 10.1016/ j.ijheh.2023.114199.
