Many of the cosmetics sold in the US and Canada contain high levels of perfluoroalkyl substances, the infamous Pfas.
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerousMany of the cosmetics sold in the United States and Canada contain high levels of perfluoroalkyl substances, the infamous Pfas, potentially toxic and linked to a series of serious health conditions and of which we have spoken several times, also and above all in relation to the events in the Veneto, polluted by years of toxic spills operated by the Miteni chemical industry.
Now, researchers from the University of Notre Dame have tested more than 200 cosmetics including concealers, foundation, eye and brow products, and various lip products. The study was recently published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters.
Read also: Denmark is the first country to ban the use of PFAS in food containers (but not in frying pans)
According to the analyzes, 56% of the foundations and eye products, 48% of the lip products and 47% of the mascaras tested were found to contain high levels of fluoride, which is an indicator of Pfas use. in products.
These findings are of particular concern when you consider the risk of human exposure combined with the size and scale of a multi-billion dollar industry that supplies these products to millions of consumers every day, says Graham Peaslee, a physics professor at Notre Dame. There is individual risk - these are products that are applied around the eyes and mouth with the potential for absorption through the skin or tear duct, as well as possible inhalation or ingestion. Pfas are a persistent chemical - when it enters the bloodstream, it stays there and builds up. There is also the additional risk of environmental contamination associated with the production and disposal of these products, which could affect many more people.
©Environmental Science and Technology Letters
Previously found in non-stick cookware, treated fabrics, fast food wrappers and various items of personal protective equipment for firefighters, PFAS are known as "chemicals forever", because chemical compounds do not degrade naturally . This means nothing more that they end up contaminating groundwater for decades after they are released into the environment.
Also Read: Pfas, Researchers Found Them in Unsuspected Products You Use Every Day
Several studies have linked some PFAS to:
- kidney cancer
- testicular cancer
- hypertension
- thyroid disease
- low birth weight
- immunotoxicity in children
Peaslee and the research team tested products purchased at retail outlets in the United States and products purchased online in Canada. The study found high levels of fluoride in:
- lipsticks
- waterproof mascara
- foundation
all advertised as "long lasting" and "wear resistant" (PFAS are in fact often used for their water resistance and film-forming properties).
What's more concerning is that 29 products with high fluoride concentrations were further tested and found to contain between four and 13 specific PFASs, only one of these tested items listed PFAS as an ingredient on the product label.
Our measurements indicate widespread use of PFAS in these products, but it's important to note that the full extent of the use of fluorinated chemicals in cosmetics is difficult to estimate due to the lack of strict labeling requirements in both countries, he says. Peaslee.
©Environmental Science and Technology Letters
In short, considering the frequency of the presence - for the most part even subtle - of these substances in the products we use every day, what can be done to stem this situation? Scientists agree that the way forward should be to regulate all Pfas as a class and develop a regulation that eliminates all of their non-essential uses.
Fonti: Environmental Science and Technology Letters / ND University
Read also:
- Watch out for cosmetics in pregnancy: parabens enter the placenta (and promote obesity in children)
- Does using deodorants with aluminum and parabens increase the risk of breast cancer?
- Shampoos and cosmetic products in pregnancy increase precocious puberty
- The most toxic ingredients contained in cosmetics
