Forever Chemicals: What are PFAS and Why Does it Matter?
PFAS – When you read those four letters, what comes to mind? Maybe the name of an up and coming hip hop artist? An acronym for a software system? Or maybe nothing – just four random letters smashed together. These four letters may seem foreign, but they are more relevant than most would imagine. In fact, since the 1940s these microscopic substances have been making their way into rivers, lakes, soil, and drinking water while posing a threat to your health.
Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances ?(PFAS ) are a group of man-made chemicals that have been manufactured and used in a variety of industries around the globe (including here in the USA ) for nearly 60 years.?These chemicals are persistent in the environment and in the human body, meaning they don’t break down and accumulate over time.
And while you may have been unfamiliar with the acronym until this read, we bet you’re not unfamiliar with the vessels that they tend to travel on.?Everyday items like your non-stick frying pan, the box that your pizza delivery came in… and even stain repellants that we commonly spray on our shoes to keep them clean can carry the dangerous PFAS chemicals.?
“Teflon, Gortex … anything that’s water repellent,” stated?Microbac Laboratories’ Kathy Albertson as she explained the places where PFAS can be found. “Companies make Gortex raincoats and gloves and all that stuff has these per- fluorinated compounds. Anything that helps things to not stick to you and your food has it. And they’re carcinogenic. They have shown to cause cancer.”
read the rest at the microbac website here: https://www.microbac.com/news/2021/01/09/pfas-water-testing-microbac-testing-labs/