A new study led by Duke University shows that anti-fogging sprays and cloths may contain high levels of potentially toxic PFCs.
Researchers tested the effectiveness of anti-fogging sprays and anti-fogging cloths. The experts found two types of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances in all the products.
Due to their long-term effects on the environment, they have been dubbed forever chemicals.
Nicholas Herkert, a researcher at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment, said that the sprays contain up to 20.7 milligrams of PFAS per liter of solution.
Exposure to some PFOA and PFOS have been linked to a number of health problems.
Herkert said that scientists don't know what health risks they could pose, but research shows that long-term exposure to FTEOs could cause serious health problems.
In the new study, the FTEOs used in all four anti-fogging sprays were analyzed and found to have cell-altering toxicity and conversion to fat cells.
Heather Stapleton, a distinguished professor of environmental chemistry and health at Duke, said that it was disturbing to think that products people have been using on a daily basis to help keep themselves safe during the Covid pandemic may be exposing them to a different risk.
The study was started after she reviewed the ingredients in the anti-fogging spray she bought for her daughter.
It was virtually impossible to tell if the products contained toxic chemicals until they were analyzed using equipment from her research laboratory, because the other eight products did not have their ingredients listed.
The study was conducted by Herkert and Stapleton with researchers from Duke University, Wayne State University, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The study was published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Larger studies involving tests on living organisms are the next step after initial findings, Herkert and Stapleton said. Studies that include a larger sample size of sprays and cloths could help identify other unknown chemicals being used in these products.
More people are using sprays and cloths to keep their glasses from fogging up when they wear masks or face shields because of Covid. They deserve to know what is in their products.
