How Hazardous Is the Air You Breathe?

October 8th, 2021

By Dr. Joseph Mercola

Contributing writer for Wake Up World

Current research shows that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) not only are contaminating water and food, but also the air you breathe.1 These are a group of man-made chemicals developed in the 1930s that are resistant to water, heat and oil and are used to make products nonstick.

There are more than 4,700 synthetic chemicals in the group with different properties and applications.2 In 1967, there was a deadly fire3 on the Navy aircraft carrier USS Forrestal, killing more than 130 people. Not long afterward, manufacturers developed a PFAS firefighting foam mixture that continues to be used to this day in the military and some fire departments.4

PFOA and PFOS are the most extensively studied classes of PFAS. Experts estimate that 98% of the population has detectable levels of PFOA in their bloodstream.5 The presence of the chemical has been linked with higher levels of cholesterol and uric acid, which may lead to kidney stones and gout.

Since they are nearly indestructible and do not break down easily, PFAS chemicals have earned the name “forever chemicals.” The Environmental Working Group (EWG), characterizes the damage this way:6

“Today nearly all Americans, including newborn babies, have PFAS in their blood, and up to 110 million people may be drinking PFAS-tainted water. What began as a ‘miracle of modern chemistry’ is now a national crisis.”

PFAS in the Air Correlate With Blood Serum Measurements

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,7 when humans or animals eat food or drink water that is contaminated with PFAS, it can be absorbed and build up in the body. Because the chemical does not break down easily, it can also be stored in the body for long periods of time.

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