Where do forever chemicals go?
New research uses computational models to understand PFAS chemicals, found in every day products, and their behavior in the body.
They’re known as ‘forever chemicals’ because they just don’t go away. Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), are common in consumer products for their non-stick and water-repellent properties. T
hey are found in anything from personal care products to kitchenware because they make items not sticky and repel water and oil, as well as stains. It is the same durability and life-extending property valued in PFAS in the service industry that causes the chemicals to stay in the environment and our bodies, adding up and becoming highly concerning from a health viewpoint.
PFAS compounds are notorious for contaminating water supplies and accumulating in the human body, where they have been linked to various health issues including cancers, hormonal disruptions, and impaired fetal growth.
James Chan, a researcher at A*STAR’s Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation and A*STAR Skin Research Labs, explains that understanding how PFAS behaves in the human body is still a developing science. PFOA, for instance, is a strongly charged molecule that can’t easily pass through cell membranes; it needs specific transporters to move into and out of cells…
