For its PFAS test, the federal government and for the environment and nature conservation Germany (BUND) examined the blood of federal executive board members as well as employees of its federal office. The result: Several PFAS chemicals were detected in the blood of all 16 test subjects. Some concentrations are even so high that health effects cannot be ruled out, reports the BUND.
The abbreviation PFAS stands for per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances. The connections come in various forms everyday products for example in outdoor clothing, coated pans, cosmetics or floor coverings, to name just a few examples. Once they enter the environment, they hardly break down – hence the name “forever chemicals”.
Some PFAS are proven to be hazardous to health: Cancer, organ damage and increased miscarriage rates are documented consequences, reports BUND. “The eternal chemicals are accumulating more and more in our bodies and in the environment. Meanwhile, Hardly any children without PFAS in their blood born,” it continues.
“Nobody is spared from PFAS contamination”
The chemicals end up in the air, water and soil during the production and subsequent disposal of products containing PFAS. Not only are PFAS hardly destructible, they also accumulate in organisms. Many connections are also so mobile that they spread quickly and to the most remote regions of the world; The concentrations in the environment are therefore constantly increasing, writes the BUND in its press release.
“PFAS can be found in the rain, in the Arctic, on mountains and in the soil. As expected, no one is spared from PFAS contamination – including me,” said BUND chairman Olaf Bandt. “I am shocked by my test results and the worrying amount of PFAS that were found in my blood. The only way to protect people and the environment is to restrict PFAS across Europe. The federal government must commit to this, and the Federal Minister of Health Karl must commit to this Use Lauterbach.”
BUND has started a petition
The BUND is calling for an EU-wide PFAS ban and therefore has one Petition brought into being. In it, the environmental protection organization calls on the Federal Minister of Health to prevent further damage to the population and to advocate for restrictions on the entire group of perennial chemicals PFAS.
We at ÖKO-TEST have also been observing and criticizing PFAS for a long time. We most recently came across them in the test of paper straws and children’s rubber boots. More about this:
How PFAS can affect health
Particularly worrying: Some PFAS have been scientifically proven to be harmful to health even at extremely low concentrations. For example, PFAS such as perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) damage the immune system and the function of the thyroid gland, emphasizes the BUND. PFOS has been banned in the EU since at least 2010.
Other consequences of PFAS contamination include liver damage, reduced birth weight, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, reduced response to routine vaccinations and an increased risk of breast, kidney and testicular cancer, the BUND lists. In addition, there would be increasing evidence of impaired fertility, developmental and behavioral disorders.
Only a few PFAS have been sufficiently researched, and in particular little is known about the long-term risks. In addition, be only 20 of the over 10,000 individual PFAS substances chemical law regulated. In recent years, health issues have been increasing Limits for PFAS be improved several times must.
Even low concentrations of PFAS pose a health risk
“So far we only see the tip of the iceberg when it comes to PFAS contamination and the health risks,” emphasizes BUND chairman Olaf Bandt.
“As an individual, it is difficult for me to avoid PFAS exposure. PFAS are everywhere. They are used for food packaging, cosmetics and dental floss, contact lenses, outdoor clothing, baking paper and for pan coatings, although Replacement products and materials known are. The EU must take the precautionary principle seriously and ban the entire group of PFAS substances, with exceptions for essential applications, such as in the medical sector,” demands Bandt.
PFOS limit exceeded twice
For the BUND’s PFAS blood test, a total of 16 samples were taken from federal executive board members and some employees of the federal office. According to the BUND, the results agree with previous European studies The Human Biomonitoring Study agree: Accordingly, I have every person has PFAS in their blood.
The BUND blood test has that Blood for 13 PFAS chemicals examined. Six of these were found: PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, PFHxS, PFHpS and PFOS. According to BUND, the chemicals PFOS (up to 15 nanograms per milliliter) or PFHxS (5.7 nanograms per milliliter) had the highest blood serum concentrations – even though PFOS has been banned in the EU since 2010.
For PFOS the Human Biomonitoring Commission has one Limit value of 5 nanograms per milliliter in the blood determined. From this point on, there is an increased risk of harmful health effects. This value was exceeded twice in the BUND test with 16 samples.
Further background: PFHxS is a PFOS alternative that has only been largely banned since August 2023 as part of the EU regulation for persistent organic pollutants (POP regulation). Other PFASs found, such as PFHpS, continue to be fully approved in the EU.
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