In an effort to address growing concerns about forever chemicals, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released new guidance for clinicians seeking to determine community-wide exposure and diagnose conditions that may be related to high exposure.
Health care providers can order tests to check PFAS blood levels through commercial clinical laboratories certified by Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), which regulate lab testing. The results can indicate both recent or past exposure, the CDC said.
Such “systematic, community-wide blood testing can enable public health officials to investigate and respond to community-wide exposures,” the CDC guidance said. The agency suggests that health care providers discuss the risks and benefits of using PFAS testing to guide medical decisions and management.
Exposure to forever chemicals, also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), is often through contaminated food or water. PFAS are a group of chemicals often used as a fluoropolymer coating on everyday products, from clothing and furniture to food packaging and heat-resistant, nonstick cookware. They do not break down in the environment, so they move through soils, contaminate waterways, and build up in fish and wildlife. Communities at risk of exposure typically include those near factories, military bases, airports, wastewater treatment facilities, incinerators, landfills, and farms where sewage sludge was used for fertilizer.
Exposure can also occur through the use of everyday products, like nonstick cookware, water-resistant fabrics, paints, varnishes, sealants, and personal care products, such as shampoo, dental floss, nail polish, and eye makeup.
According to the CDC guidance, forever chemicals are linked to myriad health conditions, including higher cholesterol levels, decreased birth weight, weakened antibody responses to vaccines, certain cancers, hypertension in pregnancy, preeclampsia, and liver enzyme changes.
Should I Be Tested for PFAS Exposure?
PFAS toxicity doesn’t present with any specific signs or symptoms, so it can be difficult to tell if or how much a person has been exposed to the chemicals. Someone with high PFAS levels could be asymptomatic or living with a disease or illness.The benefits of PFAS testing include understanding how much one has been exposed to these chemicals and how future exposure can be reduced, understanding their health effects, and getting peace of mind if one’s levels are low.
- The individual’s exposure to forever chemicals.
- Results of testing the individual’s water supply, food sources, or other possible routes of exposure.
- Whether results can help reduce exposure and promote health.
How to Reduce the Risk of PFAS Exposure
Since PFAS pose risks to human health, reducing exposure as much as possible is advised. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests checking levels in your drinking water if it comes from a public drinking water system. Some public drinking water systems self-report this information. If you choose to test your water yourself, choose a state-certified laboratory or use an EPA-developed testing method and compare the results to your state’s acceptable standards of PFAS.It is also important to check the labels on the products you purchase, especially those made of waterproof or nonstick materials. Even though recent efforts have been made to remove PFAS from commercial products to reduce the likelihood of exposure, some household products may still contain forever chemicals, the EPA reports.
- Drinking filtered water.
- Reducing the amount of freshwater fish you eat or diversifying those you eat.
- Discarding any nonstick cookware with scratches or that is visibly worn. Consider replacing nonstick cookware with stainless steel.
- Reducing the use of paper and paperboard takeout containers and fast-food packaging.
- Avoiding fabrics, textiles, and other clothes labeled water- or stain-resistant. Outdoor clothing or camping equipment are often made with PFAS.
- Replacing old carpets with new ones not made with PFAS to keep crawling babies and children safe.
- Testing private well water and installing a water purification system if necessary.
