MEC&F Expert Engineers : Health Effects of PFAS

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Health Effects of PFAS



How can PFAS affect people’s health?

Scientists are not sure about the possible health effects of human exposure to PFAS. 

PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS and PFNA have been more widely studied than other PFAS. For the most part, studies have found that animals exposed to PFAS at high levels have shown changes in the function of the liver, thyroid, pancreas, and hormone levels. However, scientists are not sure how animal data applies to human exposure, because PFAS behave differently in humans than they do in animals and may be harmful in different ways.

PFAS build up and remain in the human body and the amount reduces very slowly over time. So scientists and doctors are concerned about their effects on human health.

Studies in humans have shown that certain PFAS may be associated with
  • developmental delays in the fetus and child, including possible changes in growth, learning, and behavior.
  • decreased fertility and changes to the body’s natural hormones,
  • increased cholesterol,
  • changes to the immune system,
  • increased uric acid levels
  • changes in liver enzymes
  • prostate, kidney, and testicular cancer
More research is needed to confirm or rule out possible links between health outcomes and exposure to PFAS and to quantify the associated dose-response relationships. Overall, the scientific evidence linking PFAS exposures with specific health effects in people is mixed and inconclusive.

Should I get tested for PFAS?

ATSDR does not advise individuals to pursue testing for PFAS exposure for the following reasons:
  • Tests can be expensive
  • Interpreting results is difficult
  • There is no known way to reduce the amount of PFAS in the body other than through natural excretion (in urine or feces)
ATSDR and other federal and state public health agencies may sometimes conduct investigations to measure PFAS in people living near potential PFAS sources such as contaminated water. In such cases, blood samples are collected from a group of community participants. ATSDR tests human blood and urine for the different kinds of PFAS in a process known as “biomonitoring,” which measures how much of one or more types of PFAS is present in the human body.

Results of the blood tests are used to help ATSDR better understand the kinds and amounts of PFAS people are being exposed to in that community and how they compare to PFAS exposures in other populations. However, there are no health-based screening levels for specific PFAS that scientists can compare to the measured concentrations in blood samples. Also, the results of blood tests cannot be used to definitively identify sources of exposure. So ATSDR’s ability to interpret measured PFAS concentrations in individuals is limited.

How can people reduce the risk of exposure to PFAS?

PFAS are found in the blood of people and animals all over the world and are present at low levels in a variety of food products and in the environment (air, water, soil, etc.). Therefore, completely preventing exposure to PFAS is unlikely, and no effective recommendations can be made for reducing individual exposures in the general population. However, if you live near known sources of PFAS contamination, you can take steps to reduce your risk of exposure to PFAS.

Minnesota, Michigan, and Alabama have issued advisories cautioning consumers to either stop or limit eating fish from waters contaminated with PFOS or other PFAS. Check with your state public health and environmental quality departments for any advisories in place in your area and to learn the types and local sources of fish that are safe to eat.

A variety of consumer products such as non-stick coatings on cookware and surface-protective coatings on clothing, carpets, and paper packaging have contained different types of PFAS in the past. But recent efforts to remove PFAS in many of these products have reduced the likelihood of PFAS exposure. In addition, research has suggested that exposure from consumer products is usually low, especially when compared to the impact of exposure in contaminated drinking water or contaminated food such as fish.

You can contact CDC/ATSDR for updated information on this topic at 1-800-CDC-INFO.

If you have questions or concerns about the products you use in your home, contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission at (800) 638-2772.