On February 23, 2021, The Guardian published an article in which author Tom Perkins investigated the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in several household items in the US, as well as his own blood with help of the University of Notre Dame and the Silent Spring Institute.
The analysis found his blood serum is contaminated with four types of PFAS and also confirmed their presence in 15 common household products, including food packaging, and cookware. The lab-test detected, among others, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA; CAS 335-67-1) and perfluorohexane-1-sulphonic acid (PFHxS; CAS 355-46-4). The article goes on to discuss the widespread use of PFAS in various household products and provides an overview of previous efforts to quantify and map their presence in humans and products.
This analysis took place after several regulatory actions in the EU were taken regarding PFAS in 2020. On July 4, 2020, EU Regulation (EU) 2020/784 came into force that, among others, restricts the use of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts, and PFOA-related compounds (FPF reported). On August 3, 2020, the EU notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about expanding the REACH Restriction List (Annex XVII) to include restriction of perfluorocarboxylic acids containing 9 to 14 carbon atoms in the chain (C9-C14 PFCAs). In September, the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) published its final scientific opinion on PFAS in food (FPF reported) in which a daily limited uptake for different groups of PFAS was set, including PFHxS. In the US, various states are now also considering restricting the use of PFAS across various products, including food packaging (FPF reported).
Read More
ChemTrust (March 26, 2021). “Investigation finds ‘forever chemicals’ PFAS contamination in everyday household products.”
Tom Perkins (February 23, 2021). “I tested my tap water, household products and cat for toxic ‘forever chemicals’.” The Guardian
