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Some anti-fog sprays and cloths that are applied on the crystals of the glasses To avoid condensation, especially now with the use of the mask, they may contain high levels perfluoroalkylated and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS, for its acronym in English), according to the findings of a new study led by Duke University and published in the journal «
Environmental Science & Technology».
The researchers tested four top-rated sprays and five anti-fog wipes sold by an e-commerce platform. They found that all nine products contained fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) and fluorotelomer ethoxylates (FTEO), two types of PFAS that have largely gone unrecognized until now.
Exposure to some PFAS, particularly perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), is associated with impaired immune function, cancer, thyroid disease, and other health disorders.
«Our tests show that aerosols contain up to 20.7 milligrams of PFAS per milliliter of solution, which is a fairly high concentration, ”says Nicholas Herkert, a postdoctoral researcher at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment, who led the study.
Because FTOH and FTEO have relatively few studies, scientists don’t yet know what health risks they might pose, Herkert says, but research suggests that once FTOH are inhaled or absorbed through the skin, they might break down in the body into PFOA or other long-lasting PFAS substances that are known to be toxic. In addition, the FTEOs used in the four spray mixes that were tested in the new study showed significant cell-disrupting toxicity and their conversion to fat cells in the Lab testsHerkert warns.
“If we were to assume that FTOH and FTEO have similar toxicity to PFOA and PFOS, then one application of these sprays would expose you to PFAS at levels that are several orders of magnitude higher than what you would get from drinking a liter of water containing PFAS at the current EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency) health advisory limit for a safe consumption, that is of 70 nanograms per literHerkert says.
“It’s disturbing to think that some products that people have been using on a daily basis to help stay safe during the Covid pandemic may expose them to a different risk,” says Heather Stapleton, Distinguished Professor of Environmental Chemistry and Health at Duke, who started the study following checking the ingredient label on an anti-fog spray bottle she bought for her 9-year-old daughter.
None of the other eight products tested listed their ingredientsadds Stapleton, which made it nearly impossible to tell if they contained potentially harmful chemicals until they were analyzed using high-resolution mass spectrometry in his research lab.
Because their study is only the second to focus on FTEOs and it had a small sample size, more research will be needed to develop these initial findings, the researchers note. The next logical step is larger studies that include testing with living organisms.
‘FTOH and FTEO might be metabolic disruptors, but the only way to know is through in vivo testing in whole organisms. We only did in vitro (lab plate) tests, ”Herkert explains.
“Due to Covid, more people than ever, including many medical and other healthcare professionals, are using these sprays and wipes to prevent their glasses from fogging up when wearing a mask. They deserve to know what is in the products they use, ”concludes Stapleton.
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