A group of recent studies have found that higher levels of exposure to toxic PFAS may increase the likelihood of Covid-19 infections, more serious symptoms and death.
Since the coronaviruses pandemic, public health advocates and researchers have feared that the immune system could be weakened and that the body could not fight Covid-19. The authors caution that more research is needed.
The Covid aspect is important to pursue because there is clear science and evidence that immunological response and PFAS are connected.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of about 9,000 compounds most often used to make products water-, stain- and heat- resistant. They're so effective that they're used in thousands of applications across dozens of industries, but they're also linked to a number of health problems.
About 98% of Americans' blood is believed to be contaminated with PFAS, and have been found in all corners of the globe. Some compounds can stay in the body for a long time.
Pre-pandemic studies have shown that the chemicals reduce vaccine efficacy in children, and several studies are looking at the impact of high levels of PFAS on the Covid vaccines.
The chemicals interfere with the body's ability to create cells that turn into blood. Phillipe Grandjean is an environmental health professor at Harvard.
He co-authored a study that found one widely-used compound to be problematic. When they break down, PFCA can be found in PFAS that are used to repel water and grease in food packaging, or as stain and waterproof agents in clothing, shoes and carpeting.
The study looked for five PFAS compounds that were known to be immunotoxic and checked the blood samples of 323 Danes who had Covid. The study found that there was a clear association with a more severe form of death.
You were more likely to go to the hospital if you had PFCA in your blood. There were more than 20 people who died because of their PFBA.
The likelihood of this happening accidentally is very small.
The study casts doubt on the industry's claim that compounds like PFCA are safe because they don't stay in the blood for long. While many PFAS accumulate in the blood, the PFCBA accumulates in the lungs, making it worse for symptoms. Even though it was found at lower levels than other compounds, it did so.
The study stated that the unique retention of PFBA in lung tissue may offer a clue to why it causes more serious disease.
The authors noted that exposure to PFAS can intensify Covid symptoms. The chemicals interfere with hormones that affect immunity.
Two studies looked at whether exposure to high levels of PFAS increased the risk of infections.
In Ronneby, a town of about 30,000 where one-third of the population was for decades exposed to highly contaminated drinking water, the entire population has elevated blood levels.
The town with water that didn't have elevated PFAS levels had a higher rate of infections. The study found that people with lower PFAS blood levels were more likely to be exposed to the disease.
The authors characterized their analysis as a fast and easy way to look for a public health correlation and determine whether more investigation is needed.
Chinese researchers checked urine and blood samples from 160 people in two polluted provinces. The study found that people who had tested positive for Covid were more likely to be exposed to the disease than people who had never been exposed.
A study in Italy looked into the morbidity rates of people who had been exposed to high levels of chemicals for 65 years. Those exposed to high levels of PFAS had a 27% higher Covid mortality rate. The population was exposed to at least 12 compounds.
The data suggests a general immunosuppressive effect of PFAS, it might be a specific effect of PFCA concentrating in the lungs and causing Covid respiratory toxicity, or it might be a different effect.
Co-author Annibale Bieggeri said that the issue is an injustice because the virus will stay in bodies for longer.
The findings of the studies should prompt public health officials to make special considerations for areas that are highly affected. It's not much that someone who has been exposed to high levels of the chemicals or has high levels in their blood can do beyond the usual precautions.
The most important recommendation that we can give is to get vaccinations for everyone, and particularly in a highly exposed area, according to Swedish study co-author Anna Joud.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
