Toxic PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' May Pass Through Human Skin and Enter Bloodstream, Study Reveals

Scientists have discovered that toxic and dangerous "forever chemicals" may pass through the skin and go into the bloodstream.

These concerning findings have sparked questions regarding the safety of everyday products that contain such chemicals and the extent to which humans are exposed to these chemicals.

Forever Chemicals

PFAS (per and polyfluorinated alkyl substances), dubbed "forever chemicals," is a chemical class that can be spotted in usual daily items, such as food packaging and toilet paper.

A 2023 study discovered that almost half of the tap water of the country was contaminated by PFAS of some sort.

It takes a very long time for these compounds to break down. They tend to stick to the environment that surrounds them. Because of this, such chemicals can be spotted in oceans, soil, and waterways across the globe.

The chemicals' widespread nature has raised concerns. Several studies have discovered links between exposure to these chemicals and heightened blood pressure and cholesterol, issues with reproduction, immunity declines, and increased cancer risk.

PFAS Could Take a Dermal Route

Though it has been previously known that these chemicals could take various routes to enter the body, it was previously believed that these chemicals were incapable of penetrating the skin.

However, this is apparently not the case. Oddny Ragnarsdóttir, a trace chemical analysis research fellow from the University of Birmingham, explained that their new study shows that uptake via skin could even be a significant exposure source for such dangerous chemicals.

Findings were noted in the "Dermal bioavailability of perfluoroalkyl substances using in vitro 3D human skin equivalent models" study.

Ragnarsdóttir noted that the possibility of such chemicals being absorbed into the skin was disregarded due to how they are ionized. Such chemicals contain electrical charges that enable them to repel stains and water. These charges were previously thought to make them incapable of piercing through the skin.

As part of the study, the researchers made use of 3D skin models of humans to examine the absorption of 17 of the most prevalent PFAS chemicals. There were 15 out of 17 chemicals that were found to get absorbed by the skin.

Most notably, PFAS, which had a shorter structure of molecules, appeared to have easier skin absorption.

Start Harrad, a co-author of the study and environmental chemistry professor from the University of Birmingham, explained that this is crucial as they can observe industry shifts toward these chemicals with shorter chain lengths due to how these are thought to be less toxic.

However, there could be a trade-off. This could mean that more of these chemicals could be absorbed.

Mohamed Abdullah, a co-author of the study and a persistent organic pollution associate professor from the British university, explained that their study is the first to offer insight regarding the importance of a dermal route as an exposure pathway to various forever chemicals.

The exact degree of risk posed by such chemicals remains unclear. However, the findings stress how important it is for future studies to look into how these toxins could affect health.

Abdullah noted that, considering the huge variety of PFAS that exist, it is crucial for future studies to look into the broad range of risks of such chemicals.

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