PFAS (FOREVER CHEM) 9 details

Per- and poly- fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s. Commonly referred to as “forever chemicals,” PFAS do not break down easily in the environment. While the science around the potential health impacts of PFAS exposure is still emerging, evidence suggests that high PFAS exposure is associated with certain health conditions. People are most likely exposed to these chemicals by consuming PFAS-contaminated water or food, using products made with PFAS, or breathing contaminated air.

Elevated levels of PFAS may be associated with increased risk to certain health conditions reported in individuals with high levels of industrial or environmental exposure.[1] In persons with high levels of exposure, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has reported sufficient evidence of a link between PFAS exposure and numerous health problems[1] including:

• Decreased response in immune system
• Higher than normal lipid levels (dyslipidemia)
• Decreased growth in unborn babies and infants
• Increased risk of kidney cancer in adults

Certain groups of people may be at higher risk of health impacts from elevated PFAS levels, including those who[1]:

• May have been exposed on the job, such as firefighters
• Uses a water supply near a commercial or industrial location, including airports, military bases, manufacturing plants, or sewage plants
• Lives near a facility that manufactures fluorochemicals
• Lives near areas of documented PFAS environmental contamination

The PFAS 9 Panel includes the individual and combined levels of 9 PFAS analytes in individual’s serum, based on those that have been associated with certain health risks, per NASEM recommendations. The report includes a summation of total PFAS levels at the time of the blood sample collection, as well as the Health Risk assessment values (per NASEM) and the US population median data. This test does not identify the sources of a person’s exposure or predict future health outcomes.

References

1. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Division on Earth and Life Studies; Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice; Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology; Committee on the Guidance on PFAS Testing and Health Outcomes. Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-Up. National Academies Press (US); 2022. doi:10.17226/26156