11 hours agoShareSaveCatrin NyeBBC PanoramaShareSaveAs I walked into the medical clinic for my blood test, all I could think about was how to avoid looking like a wimp on camera. I didn’t really contemplate what the test would reveal.I am not great with needles – but as part of a BBC Panorama investigation into so-called forever chemicals, I was being tested to see what level of them I had in my blood. As a mum with two small children, I also wanted to know whether they may be having an impact on my family.Forever chemicals, or PFAS (per-and poly fluoroalkyl substances), are a group of about 10,000 chemicals. They have been used for decades, in anything from waterproof clothes, to cookware, electronics and medical equipment.They are persistent pollutants, meaning they don’t degrade easily and instead build up in the environment.They exist in our homes, our water and in our food.Scientists have linked a small number of them to serious harms, such as infertility and cancer.Any level of PFAS above 2ng (nanograms) per millilitre of blood is considered to bring health risks, according to Dr Sabine Donnai, a specialist in preventative healthcare. She has never met anyone without at least some PFAS in their bloodstream.My result was 9.8ng per millilitre.Dr Donnai delivered the news very gently – but it still hit me hard.The forever chemicals in my blood would “most likely” have an impact on my health, she told me.I also learned that, sadly, my body would have rid itself of some of these chemicals during pregnancy, by passing it on to my babies.That was the moment this investigation stopped being just work and felt very personal.”They [PFAS levels] would have been even higher before your pregnancies,” Dr Donnai told me.”You will have passed on to your children for sure.”I was worried, but I also felt angry about how this could have happened without me having any knowledge, and very little control.I wanted to know more about these substances and the health issues they have been linked to.PFAS chemicals “don’t break down”, said Stephanie Metzger from the Royal Society of Chemistry.”Once they get into our bodies, they stick around and build up little-by-little until they start to interfere with our systems.”Some PFAS have been linked to thyroid problems, some to kidney and liver cancer, and some have been shown to affect fertility.” …
