- A large US laboratory study found at least one PFAS chemical in 98.8% of more than 10,500 blood samples.
- Most people were carrying several PFAS at once, not just one, which matters because real-world exposure is usually to mixtures rather than single chemicals.
- The study does not tell us exactly what those mixtures mean for health, but it adds to concerns that PFAS exposure is now almost universal.
A large new study suggests exposure to PFAS is now so widespread that it is close to universal.
Researchers tested 10,566 blood samples and found at least one PFAS in 98.8% of them.
More strikingly, 98.5% of people were carrying multiple PFAS at the same time.
PFAS are often called forever chemicals because they do not break down easily and can build up in the environment and in the body.
They are used in a huge range of products, from non-stick cookware and stain-resistant fabrics to electronics and firefighting foam.
That is why the findings are worrying, but not exactly surprising.
The more useful part of the study is that it looked at combinations, not just single compounds.
That matters because people are rarely exposed to one PFAS in isolation.
They are usually exposed to mixtures, and those mixtures may behave differently from any one chemical on its own.
The most common pattern in this study involved five PFAS together.
Researchers say this should push risk assessment towards mixture-based thinking rather than treating each compound as a separate issue.
- PFAS exposure may blunt blood sugar gains after bariatric surgery in teenagers
- Teenage weight gain after bariatric surgery triggered by elevated blood levels of PFAS
- PFAS: hormone-altering chemicals could be linked to certain cancers in women
There are limits.
The study does not tell us where the exposures came from or what health effects these specific combinations are causing.
It also cannot capture every PFAS that may have been present.
But it does underline the scale of the issue.
For many people, PFAS exposure is no longer a rare environmental problem. It is part of everyday background biology.
