What You Need to Know About PFASs (PFOA/PFOS)What are PFASs?
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (together known as PFASs) are a class of man-made chemicals, not found naturally in the environment. PFOA (sometimes known as “C8”) and PFOS are the two PFASs that have been the most extensively produced and therefore are the most studied of these chemicals. Both of these chemicals are very persistent in the environment and in the human body. What are PFASs Used For? Perfluoroalkyls were made in large amounts in the United States–by companies like DuPont and 3M–until they began to be phased out in 2006 because of concerns about the impact of PFOA and long-chain PFASs on human health and the environment. PFASs were widely used to make products more stain-resistant, waterproof and/or nonstick. For example, PFASs were used in the manufacture of products that:
Although the major manufacturers began winding down PFOA production in 2006, some facilities are replacing perfluoroalkyls with other similar substances. How Might I be Exposed to PFASs? Exposure to PFASs is widespread and global. Most people in the United States and in other industrialized nations have measurable amounts of PFASs in their blood. The major pathways of human exposure to PFAS include:
What Happens to PFASs in the Environment? Perfluoroalkyls can be released into the air, water, and soil near locations where they were manufactured or used. Because PFASs are very stable compounds that are resistant to typical environmental degradation, they are extremely persistent in the environment. Perfluoroalkyls have been found in both air and dust; surface water and groundwater; and soil and sediment. Although the highest levels of perfluoroalkyls in the environment are typically found near facilities that have made or used these substances, they have also been found at remote locations. This is attributable to the fact that, due to their persistence, PFASs can travel long distances through the air. Perfluoroalkyls may also be carried through soil by groundwater and flooding and become airborne during windy conditions. How Can PFASs Affect My Health? The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a division of the World Health Organization, has classified PFOA as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2B), based on limited evidence in humans that it can cause testicular and kidney cancer, and limited evidence in lab animals. Furthermore, the EPA has concluded that both PFOA and PFOS are possibly carcinogenic to humans. PFOS and PFOA accumulate in the human body and are eliminated slowly. This propensity to be stored in the body, increases concerns about the possible effects of these compounds on human health. Studies indicate that PFOA and PFOS can cause reproductive and developmental, liver and kidney, and immunological effects in laboratory animals. Both chemicals have caused tumors in animals according to studies, and human epidemiology studies of exposure to PFOA and PFOS show findings of increased:
Perfluoroalkyl compounds can be measured in blood, but this is not a routine test that can be performed in a doctor’s office. The blood test for PFAS exposure indicates the levels of specific PFASs in your body at the time you were tested but does not predict future health effects. How Can I Reduce my Family’s Risk of Exposure to PFASs? Although PFASs are not manufactured in the U.S. anymore, older products and imported materials may still contain PFASs. In addition, PFASs have been found in the drinking water near facilities that manufactured the substances years ago and near military bases that used firefighting foam. Take the following steps to reduce your risk:
See your family doctor or an occupational doctor familiar with chemical exposure. Let him or her know if you have been exposed to PFASs and bring any test results. PFASs May Also be Labeled as: Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDeA) Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUA) Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA) Perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBuS) Perfluorobutyric acid (PFBA) Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) Perfluorooctane sulfonamide (PFOSA) 2-(N-Methyl-perfluorooctane sulfonamide) acetic acid (Me-PFOSA-AcOH) 2-(N-Ethyl-perfluorooctane sulfonamide) acetic acid (Et-PFOSA-AcOH) https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfc/docs/pfas_clinician_fact_sheet_508.pdf https://www.epa.gov/pfas/basic-information-about-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfass#tab-1 https://www.epa.gov/pfas/basic-information-about-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfass#tab-3 https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/drinking-water-health-advisories-pfoa-and-pfos Related Posts: PFOA and PFOS Should Not be in Your Family’s Drinking Water , DON’T “LEAVE IT UP TO THE EXPERTS” TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE AGAINST GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION Posted in: PFOA / PFOS Tagged: environmental contamination, groundwater contamination, PFASs, PFOA and PFOS Updated: September 17, 2019 10:22 am Comments are closed.
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![]() We all know that drinking water is good for us, but did you know it is actually essential for your health? (I’m guessing you did J ) Our bodies need to intake as much water as they put out each day. If they don’t we can become dehydrated, especially those of us that live in an area with a higher climate or altitude. Whenever we work out we should be drinking water. As we get older, we should be drinking even more water. So I think it is safe to say that almost all of us should be drinking more water. In this post I will give you some great reasons to drink more water and then some tips to get you to actually start doing it! Reason 1: (Health & Beauty Benefits) The majority of our bodies are composed of water. We needs these fluids for EVERYTHING (i.e. circulation, digestion, absorbing nutrients, making saliva, and maintaining our body temperature!) Drinking water can actually make us look younger. Instead of using moisturizes that only get to the surface of your skin, water actually hydrates our skin from the inside out and reduces the look of fine lines and wrinkles. Reason 2: (Smarter & Stronger) In order for our brains to function at higher levels, it needs a lot of oxygen. When you drink water, it carries oxygen to the different cells of your body. So by drinking 8-10 cups a day your brain has all the oxygen it needs, which can increase our cognitive function by 30%. Water also keeps our muscles properly hydrated. That means we can exercise for a longer period of time before muscle fatigue (caused by lack of oxygen in your muscles) sets in, which allows us build more muscle with fewer trips to the gym. Reason 3: (Lose Weight In A Good Way) Drinking water can also help us to lose weight, not because it has super weight loss or fat burning power, but because by keeping our bodies properly hydrated it reduces our bodies’ tendency to hold on to excess water. So drinking water can actually help you get rid of water weight. It’s weird, I know, but it is true. Also we can cut a lot of calories out of your diet by drinking water instead of other high calorie drinks such as soda, energy drinks, or coffee. Oh, and did I mention staying properly hydrated also helps to suppress your appetite? Because it does. Tips & Tricks for Drinking More Water
It has been stated that, if the condition of our extra cellular fluids, especially the blood, becomes acidic, our physical condition will first manifest tiredness, proneness to catching colds, etc. When these fluids become more acidic, our condition then manifests pains and suffering such as headaches, chest pains, stomach aches, etc.
According to Keiichi Morishita in his Hidden Truth of Cancer, if the Blood develops a more acidic condition, then our body inevitably deposits these excess acidic substances in some area of the body such so that the blood will not be able to maintain an alkaline condition which causes these areas such as the cells to become acidic and lowers in oxygen. As this tendency continues, such areas increase in acidity and some cells die; then these dead cells themselves turn into acids. However, some other cells may adapt in that environment. In other words, instead of dying - as normal cells do in an acid environment - some cells survive by becoming abnormal cells. These abnormal cells are called malignant cells. Malignant cells do not correspond with brain function or with our own DNS memory code. Your body's pH level is a large indicator of your alkalinity. Why should we be concerned about pH levels? Since most of the body is water-based (50-60%), the pH level has profound effects on all body chemistry, health and disease. All regulatory mechanisms (including breathing, circulation, digestion, hormonal production) serve the purpose of balancing pH, by removing caustic metabolized acid residues from body tissues without damaging living cells. If the pH deviates too far to the acid side or too far to the alkaline side, cells become poisoned by their own toxic waste and die. Just as acid rain can destroy a forest and alkaline wastes can pollute a lake; an imbalanced pH corrodes all body tissue, slowly eating into the 60,000 miles of veins and arteries like corrosives eating into marble. If left unchecked, an imbalanced pH will interrupt all cellular activities and functions, from the beating of your heart to the neural firing of your brain. The body is largely made up of water, a medium that is biologically useful in allowing nutrients, oxygen and bio-chemicals to be transported from place to place. This water-based medium can have either acid or alkaline properties that are measured by a graduated scale called pH (for potential hydrogen), wherein 1.0 to 6.9 is considered acidic, 7.0 is neutral and 7.1 to 14.0 is alkaline. what is the pH of some popular drinks? Colas 1.0 Soft drinks artificially sweetened 1.0 Sugar 1.0 Liquor 1.0-2.0 Coffee 1.5 Salt Refined 1.5 Wheat Refined 1.5 White Rice 1.5 Cereal Corn 2.5 Meat 2.5 Fried Potato Chips 3.0 Chicken & Fish 3.0 Prescribed drugs are normally highly acidic Melons 7.0 Asparagus 6.5 Pineapple 6.5 Fresh Fruit Juices 6.5 Avocados 6.0 Citrus Fruits 6.0 Most Vegetables 5.0-6.0 Potatoes with Skin 5.5 Almonds 5.0 Even the experts, who acknowledge that a neutral or slightly alkaline pH is good, disagree on what this means with regard to body fluids. For example, some researchers consider a slightly acid urine pH to be normal (healthy) because it might indicate that the body is eliminating acids that are a natural product of metabolism. Other experts maintain that the urine should be close to neutral or slightly alkaline. Acid/alkaline balance is extremely important to normal physiology. For example, the blood will maintain a slightly alkaline range of 7.35 to 7.45. Extended pH imbalances of any kind are not well tolerated by the body. The management of the pH factor is so important that the body's primary regulatory systems (especially breathing, circulation and eliminations) closely regulate acid-alkaline balance in every cell and system of the organism. Some researchers believe that high acidity can deplete bones because the body has to steal alkalizing minerals (especially calcium) from bones to keep the blood from dropping into the acid range. Thus acid/alkaline balance may be relevant to diseases such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. Alkalinity can be increased by consuming less meat and sweets and more vegetables and fruits. Although eating fruit to increase alkalinity may seem to be a contradiction because some fruits (especially citrus) are acidic outside the body, digestion uses up their acidic components, leaving an alkaline residue (ash). Thus the net effect is alkaline-producing in the system. We live in times in which scientific and technological advances are happening very quickly. It then becomes possible to think that science can discover the technology to reverse the aging process? Well, I made it! This series of articles are intended to explain scientifically the simple truth about the aging process, how to face it and going a little further, how to reverse it, how to rejuvenate.
Let's see how it turns the process of aging. Each and every cell of the body produce waste. Every cell in the body receives the nutrients in food and energy to give us these cells to stay alive, they burn with oxygen. The burned nutrients are the waste. Whether you eat gourmet or food, all food waste is generated. The food is good or bad for you is determined by the quantity and quality of waste that these foods produce toxicity, alkalinity, acidity, etc.. Most cells are subjected to the metabolic process and the old cells become waste. These wastes must be removed from the body. The body tries its best to dispose of them through urine and perspiration. Generally, all waste products are acidic in nature. Hence, urine and skin surface are acidic. The trouble is that for various reasons, the body can not eliminate 100% of the waste it produces. The main reason for not eliminating 100% of waste is the modern lifestyle. We stay up late and wake up early, do not rest enough and some people have up to two jobs. It happens, therefore, spend more time producing waste products than processing and discharging. The second reason is food. Most of the foods consumed are acidic in nature. Saying acidic foods does not refer to his taste, but to waste it produces are acidic. Grains and meats are mostly acidic fruits and vegetables are alkaline. Citrus fruits may taste acidic but they contain alkaline minerals so they are considered alkaline. The third reason is the environment. More healthy cells are killed by the action of air pollution, water and land by natural death caused by the metabolic process. This situation generates more toxic waste in the body. The question then arises: "What happens to the wastes, toxic fail to be eliminated by the body?" The answer is simple. These wastes are solidified conviertiendo cholesterol, fatty acid, uric acid, kidney stones, and bladder, urates, phosphates, sulfates, etc.. and yet so unknown to humans, accumulate in the body. This accumulation of debris in the body is what is known as aging. By drinking alkaline water helps the body dissolve toxic waste which makes it easy and safe disposal. Since the accumulation of acidic waste is the source of aging, therefore, reduce these wastes is reverse aging is rejuvenation. Alkaline water is not a medicine to cure any disease. If taken daily according to the recommendations is gradually reduces the accumulated acid wastes in the body. As a result of elimination of toxins, there is a substantial improvement in health, as many reports of in Japan. We use alkaline soap to wash it to remove debris from the skin, hands and body equally need to clean or remove accumulated acidic wastes in our body alkaline drinking water. Alkaline water is known and taken in the countries of Asia for 30 years 2). Water ionizers to produce alkaline water have approval from the Japanese government as instruments médicos3). It is worth bearing in mind that Japan has one of the toughest laws in the world with everything related to health. |