The group of fluorine-based chemicals known now as “forever chemicals” have come to be extremely widely used since their discovery in the mid-20th century. From greaseproof food wrappers and non-stick cookware, to dental floss, mascara and firefighting foam, they have been used in huge quantities for decades.
Their popularity is due to their seemingly miraculous properties – they can repel water and oil, resist high temperatures and offer incredible durability.
However, they do not degrade easily, with some compounds expected to last hundreds or thousands of years, and they can leach into drinking water, contaminate food and eventually accumulate in the human body and in animals.
They have already been linked to cancers, cardiovascular disease, dementia and infertility.
New research by a team at the University of California has found that early exposure to these chemicals, also known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), was associated with a higher risk of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, the most common childhood cancer.
To investigate the effects of exposure on babies and children, the researchers analysed dried blood spots collected from newborns in Los Angeles County over a 15-year timespan to get a clearer picture of the effects of early exposure to these pervasive chemicals.
The study included 125 children who had been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia as well as 219 children without cancer, born between 2000 and 2015.
Among 17 PFAS detected in the newborn blood, two kinds – PFOA and PFOS – showed up at the highest levels. A primary source of PFOA is in drinking water, but it is also used in food packaging and waterproof fabrics, and was used in Teflon cookware until recently. PFOS is also used for similar applications, as well as being found in synthetic clothing and carpets.
The study found that the children with higher levels of PFAS detected in their blood had increased odds of developing leukaemia, the team said, though they cautioned that “estimates were not precise”.
“Risk also appeared to rise with combined exposure to the two chemicals,” they said.
Co-author Veronica Vieira, the chair and professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of California, Irvine’s Wen Public Health school, said: “This research moves us closer to understanding what babies are exposed to from the very start by directly measuring PFAS present at birth, rather than estimating exposure from drinking water.”
She added: “By capturing exposures during a critical window of development, we are gaining a clearer picture of how environmental contaminants may contribute to childhood cancer risk.”
The research team said their study does not prove cause and effect; nonetheless, they said, “It adds to growing evidence that PFAS exposure early in life may contribute to cancer risk in children.”
In recent years, a better understanding of the risks that forever chemicals pose has led to a pushback against their usage.
The use of PFAS in Teflon cookware was outlawed in the UK in 2005, in Europe in 2008, and was stopped from being sold in the US in 2014.
Further controls are also on the cards in Britain, with a number of concerned MPs calling for the government to ban a group of synthetic chemicals from being used in school uniforms, food packaging, and cookware.
In a report into the risks of PFAS, the Environmental Audit Committee urged the government to introduce restrictions on the non-essential use of the chemicals and begin a phased restriction from 2027.
The research is published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology.