Imagine substances that, once released in the environment, never go: they do not degrade, accumulate, infiltrate the food chain and reach us. These exist and have a name: Pfas – Substances for- and polypluoroalchiliche. They are chemical compounds that have become protagonists, in recent years, of a heated scientific and political debate. These fluo compounds are resistant to the natural degradation processes, and for this reason they have gained the nickname “Forever Chemicals“, That is” eternal chemicals “.
Today some types of PFAS (such as Pfoa and Pfos have been prohibited by the EUprecisely because of their persistence, which generates the accumulation of these substances in the environmental matrices (water, soil) and in the food chain. Once you arrive, given their high mobility, they can have toxic effects On the liver, kidneys, immune system and also in the brain level. On the other hand, there are not enough scientific evidence to condemn black plastic tools, in which Pfas have not been found and which for some time have been victims of disinformation.
What are the PFAS and why they never degrade
THE Pfas They had never existed in nature before the man created them since the 1940s. This term does not mean only one substance, but a very vast of compounds used in industrial processes. The molecules identified as Pfas to date are officially 4 700but the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) speaks of an estimate of more than 12 000 different substances.
Their chemical structure is based on one of the strongest chemical ties knownthat is, the one between chains, more or less long, of atoms of carbon linked to atoms of fluorine. It is precisely this bond so resistant that it makes them practically indestructible in nature: In fact, no bacterium and no environmental chemical reaction manage to dismantle them. For this reason their presence persists and yes accumulation Everywhere, for example in soils, in waters, in fish, in crops, and also in our blood. Although some Pfas have been prohibitedthey have actually been often replaced by similar moleculesalso suspicious or toxicwho are silently growing in the environment.
Even if a PFAS was not toxic, in fact, the main problem would remain its persistence. A substance that never disappearsThat It accumulates in ecosystems and living bodiesis intrinsically problematic. This is why many experts ask to treat PFAS as a single great category from regulating urgentlyavoiding that the replacement of one PFAS with another, perhaps less studied, becomes an “undesirable replacement”.
Where the PFAS are located and how they spread in the environment until us
Pfas are practically everywhere And they entered every corner of our daily life. There is no industrial sector or consumer product that has not made use of these substances, directly or indirectly and this has meant that they accumulate in the environment: we find them in the non -stick coatings of the pansin the industrial lubricantsin the waterproof clothes, in the Stagchia rugsin the medical devicesin fire extinguishersin the water resistant cosmeticsin the Food containers (also compostable), in paintsin the pesticides.
These compounds can be defined as one “Planetary contamination” which has become widespread and persistent. To get an idea, they were found in worrying quantities even in the rain, in honey, in the interior air, alpine lakes and in the most remote regions of the planet, such as theAntarctica and theHimalaya.
The PFAS are released in the environment through industrial exhausts, waste water, incinerators not efficient enough, landfills and even through air. Once in the environment these compounds move easily because the pfas a short chain They are highly mobile and pass quickly in the ground and in the aquifers. Those a long chainInstead, they tend to accumulate in animal tissues. In any case, both end up, sooner or later, in the food chain, reaching us.
Because they are harmful and what effects they have on health
According to the European food safety authority (Efsa), PFAS can have toxic effects on the liver, kidneys, thyroid and also on the immune system. Some studies show one correlation between high levels of pfas in the blood and a lowering of the antibody response to vaccines in children: in a study conducted in the Faroe Islands on 431 children, high levels of Pfas in the blood have been related to lower concentrations of antibodies against diphtheria and tetanus. Children with high levels of Pfas also had up to 50% less antibody response after vaccination. In a study conducted in Norway, however, 99 mother-child couples have been analyzed. It was found that theprenatal exposure A Pfas was associated with a reduced production of 3 years of age vaccination antibodiesas well as a potential increase in the risk of infections and allergies.
Just from these data, the EFSA derived an extremely low weekly threshold of Pfas: only 4.4 Nanograms per kilo of body weight. The PFAS were also associated with reduction of birth weight, hormonal alterations, Increase in cholesterol, infertility, neurotoxicity and suspicious carcinogenic effects (such as kidney and testicles tumors). They also seem to be associated with alterations of brain development, decrease in the intellectual quotient, greater incidence of ADHD in children, and even increased risk of Alzheimer’s. This happens because some of these substances they easily cross the blood-brain barrier And they remain in the brain for years.
Do black kitchen utensils contain the PFAS?
A curiosity that emerged recently concerns black plastic kitchen utensils. A study published on Chemosphere analyzed 203 black plastic objects, discovering that beyond the80% it contained flame delayers, some of which are prohibited. However, Pfas was not detected in those objects. The study highlighted other worrying substances, but not the “Forever Chemicals”We talked about, and also contained some calculation errors related to human exposure, then correct that readers had initially alarmed. Although the PFAS have not been found in these tools, the presence of other toxic compounds deriving from the recycling of electronic waste raises concerns about the safety of these products.
In Italy, Altroconsumo has tested various black plastic tools sold in our stores e has not found significant contaminations. So, although caution is always useful, There is no solid evidence that using black spoons to turn the pasta exposes us to the PFAS.
The PFAS are everywhere, but not invincible. Exist Fluorine-free alternatives For many of their applications, from waterproof fabrics to packaging materials. However, there is still a systemic, political, industrial and cultural thrust, to truly reduce its diffusion. A more severe European regulation is coming, but in the meantime we can make more aware choices: prefer products without PFAS, reduce the use of disposable containers, inquire, ask for transparency from the producers. Because even an “eternal” substance can have an end, if we really want it.
