The refreshing glass of cold water from your home, school, or work tap may hold dangers you have never envisioned. Once you understand the current state of PFAS entrance into the system, you may never again be as casual about your water consumption.

We already know about the microplastics that have been found everywhere, including the rivers, lakes, and the deep oceans, and our bodies’ blood. It is inescapable at this time, but the PFAS chemicals may be something that can be controlled in some manner.

Some of the health damage is begun through our constant dependence on plastics—that “miracle” product of the 1940s that has become so entrenched in our lives that we can’t seem to exist without it. Discarded and broken down consumer goods such as single-use plastic bottles, food packaging, and plastic pellets — tiny bits of plastic utilized to create packaging, automotive components, toys, and other things — give rise to microplastics, which are defined as fragments of plastic shorter than 5 millimeters in length.

Microplastics end up in human water sources because of ocean dumping and landfills. These bits also make it into the air when plastic-filled bubbles burst at the surface of the ocean, according to the World Health Organization, and into lakes, rivers, and estuaries. They have even found microplastic in the breath of dolphins.

Additionally, humans can consume microplastics more directly, most frequently through food. For example, a study conducted in Italy found plastics in fish meant for human consumption, while scientists in China discovered thousands of tons of microplastics on farmland and in crops. Another study found that containers, especially those subjected to high temperatures, can leach microplastics into the food they contain.

Have you ever considered that your disposable container or cup might be filling your food or drink with dangerous plastic or chemicals? Most of us would never have had that thought, but now we cannot escape it. Each sip and each bit of food is another opportunity on a journey toward illness.

In this age of prioritizing health, we have complete control over this area without needing a gym or exercise. All we need to do is to try to eliminate certain items from our lives. While you’re at it, consider all those non-stick cooking utensils you use and research them and what they might put into your body. Would you rather have material that wasn’t so resistant to sticking and save your health in the process? Of course, this is a rhetorical question because we all want to remain healthy for as long as possible.

What PFAS Chemicals Do

PFAS has been used in various products since the 1950s because they effectively repel water and grease. Water, soil, plants, sludge, serum from humans and animals, and tissues are just some of the matrices where they have been found, attesting to their environmental durability. But in addition to their ability to withstand adverse environmental conditions, they remain serious neurotoxins. These toxic chemicals have even been found in menstrual pads and may contribute to reproductive issues in the future

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, an initiative run by the CDC in the United States, reports that the typical American has a blood level of about 4.7 ppb.

A number of major health issues have been linked to exposure to high amounts of PFAS, according to studies. These include cancer, liver and immune system damage, developmental effects on fetuses during pregnancy or on breastfed infants, thyroid issues, and high cholesterol.

More than two years after a Maine dairy farmer and his wife stopped drinking the milk and water from their farm, blood tests on both showed levels of the “forever chemicals” 20 times the national average.

The family doctor had submitted blood tests for them to a lab. There was 111 ppb of PFAS in his blood, and 93.5 ppb in his wife. A blood level of about 4.7 ppb is typical for Americans. What caused this? The farm used contaminated sludge from a paper factory.

One example of how this sludge may get into our water system and air is illustrated by an investigation in Florida where sludge is used in a variety of ways. According to the Florida DEP, over 40 facilities produce an estimated 350,000 tons of biosolids. Of that, 100,000 dry tons go straight to landfills. On land, another 100,000 are dispersed.

About 200,000 tons of biosolid “fertilizer” is made from the remaining 150,000 dry tons by mixing and mulching it with landscape material. How safe is fertilizer in the rest of the states that might be producing similar products from sludge? It might be an interesting area to explore wherever you may live and buy fertilizer.

Various health problems like cancer, liver damage, and developmental issues can occur at high levels. When we see blood results like this, we cannot overstate the danger of PFAS. It might lead us to wonder if we should have our blood tested and what the result would be if we were to test. This is not to say that everyone needs to run out and have a blood test for PFAS, but if there is concern about certain serious and or neurologic disorders, perhaps this would be indicated as a rule-out possibility.

I once evaluated a young man whose wife complained that he was having severe bouts of depression, rages, and sleep problems. Once I delved into his lifestyle, I discovered he was a landscaper and frequently used a variety of pesticides and fertilizers. He was, of course, then referred for further evaluation by a neurologist and a hematologist. He had elevated levels of chemicals in his blood and his “mental disorder” was the result of close, daily interaction with these materials, where he both inhaled and had these products on his skin.

What Can You Do to Protect Yourself?

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that if you have questions about your household drinking water, whether it comes from the town water supply, or private wells, you might want to have the water tested. When purchasing items that are indicated to be water resistant or have some other form of protection, that protection may contain PFAS. It is, therefore, on the consumer’s part that each individual can make changes in their life. It’s not easy, but isn’t your health worth it?

Certain PFAS may still be present in indoor air or dust, even if there have been recent attempts to remove them from commerce, reducing the probability of exposure. Call (301) 504–8120 or email ConsumerOmbudsman@cpsc.gov to reach the Consumer Ombudsman, who is part of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. You can also visit their website.

Technology has made wonderful advances and has improved our lives, but some of the changes may not be as beneficial as we had hoped. As before, each of us must remember that phrase “caveat emptor,” “let the buyer beware.“