A new study led by researchers at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health shows that most Wisconsin residents have some “forever chemicals,” or per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), in their blood, and those with the highest levels are higher income, older white men who have eaten locally-caught fish.
The study analyzed serum from 605 adults who donated blood between 2014–16 as part of the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin. Researchers measured traces of PFAS, which are manufactured chemicals that have been used in everything from fire-suppressing foam to nonstick pans to food packaging.
The study was led by Amy Schultz, epidemiology senior data scientist with the Real-world Evidence to Advance Community Health (REACH) program at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, and conducted in collaboration with researchers at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene at UW–Madison and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. It was published this month in the Journal of Environmental Research.
The study investigated correlations between PFAS levels of volunteers and their environment, eating habits, lifestyle, race, income level, and other demographic data. Knowing who is most likely to be affected by PFAS can help researchers target public health messaging and interventions, but this study was unable to determine whether there is a cause-and-effect relationship, Schultz said.
Future studies will build off this one to more thoroughly examine trends seen here, she said. The research team previously found that Wisconsinites have lower PFAS levels compared to the national average.
