MADISON, Wis. — A new study is looking at PFAS levels in people's blood, as compared to demographics and the lifestyles of those who volunteered to be part of the study.
Researchers found eating caught fish has one of the strongest links to high PFAS levels in the body.
The study was conducted by the Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, who looked at serum from 605 adults who donated blood between 2014 and 2016. Researchers wanted to learn more about correlations between PFAS levels and the volunteer's lifestyles, race, income levels, and other demographics, the university said in a news release.
PFAS are manufactured chemicals, sometimes called "forever chemicals" that have been used in everything from fire-suppressing foam to non-stick pans to food packaging, the university said. PFAS has been linked to health problems including cancer and lower birth weights.
What the UW School of Medicine and Public Health study found is that there is a link between higher PFAS levels and older age, men, and higher income level, and eating caught fish.
“This is just a first look at understanding who is more likely to be exposed to PFAS in Wisconsin,” said Amy Schultz, who led the study. “Overall, PFAS averages were low, and just because we found an association with eating caught fish with higher PFAS serum levels does not mean anglers should stop eating local fish. Additionally, even though we did not find an association between eating fast food and PFAS, we know fast food containers are a source of exposure.”
Schultz said the Upper Midwest is an area of "special concern" because of the history of manufacturing and because of a strong tradition of fishing.
“While other localized studies have identified eating caught fish as a source of PFAS exposure, this was the first population-based biomonitoring study in the Great Lakes area to examine what other factors may also be associated with PFAS levels. However, even in this statewide study, we found an association between PFAS levels and eating caught fish," she said in the press release.
The study also looked at if people who ate microwave popcorn may have higher PFAS levels in their blood, because PFAS compounds were not banned from being used in bag linings until this past February. The study did find those who ate microwave popcorn did have "somewhat higher levels," the news release stated.
According to the press release, knowing who is most likely to be affected by PFAS can help with targeting public health messaging and interventions.
