A groundbreaking study reveals that PFAS – toxic chemicals found in everyday products, including personal care products – can seep through human skin and enter the bloodstream.
Amudalat Ajasa reports for The Washington Post.
In short:
- In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers found that PFAS can penetrate the skin barrier and enter the bloodstream, challenging previous assumptions about skin absorption of these compounds.
- Shorter carbon-chained PFAS compounds were more easily absorbed into the bloodstream compared to longer chains.
- Only eight states have restricted PFAS in personal care products like sunscreen, lipstick and waterproof mascara, and the EPA has recently set limits for these chemicals in drinking water.
Key quote:
“If you put some of these products directly onto your skin and they contain PFAS, there’s a very high potential for them to be transferred across the skin.”— Stuart Harrad, study co-author and an environmental chemistry professor at the University of Birmingham.
Why this matters:
Understanding the dermal absorption of PFAS points to yet another significant exposure route for these persistent chemicals, which have been linked to severe health issues, including cancer and hormonal disruptions. Read more: Michelle Gin on the role of government in advancing beauty justice.
