Read the full article by Sharon Udasin and Rachel Frazin (The Hill)
“Cancer-linked ‘forever chemicals’ got their moniker because of how long they linger without breaking down — in the environment and the human body. Menstruation can provide a way of shedding at least some of the compounds, however.
‘Some PFAS bind strongly to proteins in blood, and when women menstruate, they lose those blood proteins linked to PFAS,’ Suzanne Fenton, who at the time was a group leader in the Mechanistic Toxicology Branch of the National Toxicology Program at the National Institutes of Health, told The Hill.
‘Therefore, this is a unique route of elimination,’ added Fenton, who is now the director of North Carolina State University’s Center for Human Health and the Environment.
Forever chemicals or PFAS, which stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of toxic compounds that have been connected to numerous cancers and other illnesses. They are found in many common household items — including waterproof apparel, nonstick pans and cosmetics — and have become pervasive in the air, soil and water due to their use in manufacturing and in certain firefighting foams.” …