It has been known for a long time that perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known by the acronym PfasI am chemical compounds which are found in many industrial and consumer products including clothing, personal care products but are also present on food coatings. If the absorption of these substances by the human body was thought to occur only through contamination of water and air, some scientists have discovered that this process is also possible through skin and what their accumulation would be permanentlyforever.
The results of the study
The study, published in Environment International, demonstrated for the first time that large numbers of Pfas can penetrate the skin barrier and engage the body’s bloodstream. Researchers from the University of Birmingham examined 17 different Pfas on over 4,700 existing types, selecting the compounds among those most used and studied for toxic effects in humans. In laboratory experiments, equivalent 3D models of human skin were used to “simulate” our external covering: well, among the 17, well 15 substances showed an absorption of at least 5% through the skin reaching peaks of a further 38% with serious risks for possible long-term absorption into the blood circulation.
Because the skin was not considered
The study’s lead author, Dr. Oddný Ragnarsdóttir, explained that it had previously been ignored that these substances could be absorbed by the balls.because the molecules are ionized. It was thought that the electric charge that gives them the ability to repel water and stains also made them incapable Of cross the skin membrane”. From the research, however, it emerges that this theory is not always true and that “Absorption through the skin may be a significant source of exposure to these harmful chemicals”, states in the pages of the University of Birmingham.
“We are exposed”
“Our study provides a first insight into the importance of the dermal route as an exposure route to a wide range of toxic chemicals,” said the professor. Mohamed Abdallah, professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences. “Our study provides a first insight into the significance of the dermal route as a route of exposure to a broad range of eternal chemicals“, which would therefore remain inside the organism forever.”Given the large number of PFAs in existence, it is important that future studies aim to assess the risk of broad ranges of these toxic chemicals, rather than focusing on one chemical at a time.“.
What are the risks
But what are the concrete risks deriving from the absorption of these substances? Whether it is through the skin or with contamination from the surrounding environment or water, as we have seen in the past they would be able to cause damage to the endocrine system as well as to the human microbiota. Some studies have also highlighted the risks linked to infertility and even some types of cancer.
Study co-author Professor Stuart Harrad of the University of Birmingham added that it would now be easier to pinpoint which chemical structures were most easily absorbed by the body.