In my biology class, earlier in this semester, my instructor taught us about something called forever chemicals. Now with our Food essay that is due, I starting to realize the way I eat and store my food is really effecting my health.
"Forever Chemicals" are everywhere and in everything. I would like to inform the public more on what they are and what they're doing to our bodies.
Products that reduce mess in our daily lives include waterproof clothing, grease-resistant food packaging, and nonstick cookware, but these conveniences come at a price.
These everyday items are water, stain, and grease-resistant in part because of a class of synthetic chemicals called PFAS, which stands for polyfluoroalkyl substances. Even at very low concentrations, PFAS are toxic and seriously dangerous for human health. They are almost unbreakable, which is why they are referred to as "forever chemicals".
Regretfully, PFAS are nearly hard to stay away from. They are virtually everywhere, in our workplaces, homes, and grocery shops.
According to Erik D. Olson, senior strategic director for health and food at NRDC, PFAS pose a serious threat for three main reasons. First, because of their chemical makeup, PFAS are resistant to deterioration in the environment and in human bodies. Secondly, their rapid environmental mobility makes it challenging to contain their contamination. Third, even very low exposure levels to some PFAS can have detrimental effects on our health.
Even worse, the majority of PFAS chemicals are not tested for or regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and manufacturers aren't obligated to inform consumers that they are using them.
What are the effects?
Numerous health risks, including kidney and testicular cancer, hormone disruption, liver and thyroid issues, interference with vaccine efficacy, reproductive harm, and abnormal fetal development, have now been linked to PFAS in both human and animal studies. Numerous of these issues, such as thyroid disease and kidney cancer, surfaced in the C8 studies, which tracked the health of roughly 69,000 West Virginians exposed to specific PFAS in their drinking water. Scientists in the chemical industry were aware of some of the major negative effects of some PFAS for decades, but they chose not to tell the public or the US Environmental Protection Agency about them.
Courtney Lindwall, "Forever Chemicals" Called PFAS Show Up in Your Food, Clothes, and Home, April 12, 2023, https://www.nrdc.org/stories/forever-chemicals-called-pfas-show-your-food-clothes-and-home?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA67CrBhC1ARIsACKAa8R3yVNwOPDv7IEDm-TS-ytDVgElC8nAX34l1WWP8ohyg4UHm7_bVqoaAmvxEALw_wcB
Wow! How cool is it when one class provides insight for another. The connection to what you are learning in biology will be incredibly helpful for the 3rd essay for this class. I genuinely enjoy how you presented your information as well as discuss the effects towards then end to balance it out. Awesome job!
ReplyDelete-Chalaya Westfall
I enjoyed reading this because there are times where I'll slip up on my diet, but I needed a reminder to lock back in on my health and make it a top priority at all times. Its sad that we can't even trust buying groceries from our local grocery stores.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see all 5 entries for the last GP, Sammy. Solid new ideas and topics and writing flow. Great visuals. Nice job with analysis and significance. You have done really well with this project...maybe you should keep blogging!!
ReplyDeleteThis was cool to read about but slightly concerning for me, considering I have used non stick before for a lot of my meals... Thank you for sharing the concerns, I honestly might look deeper into that cause I dont really want to be poisoning myself. But I really liked this blog!
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