Exposure to Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

A new study finds that exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) —a large and diverse group of industrial chemicals found in many everyday products—is associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes in midlife women.

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May Increase Diabetes Risk in Middle-Aged Women

A new study published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD]) finds that exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—a large and diverse group of industrial chemicals found in many everyday products – is associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes in midlife women. The study is by Dr Sung Kyun Park and colleagues at the Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

PFAS are a group of more than 4700 synthetic chemicals, first developed in the 1940s and which are widely used in industry as well as in consumer products such as non-stick cookware, water and stain-repellent coatings, food packaging, carpeting, firefighting foam, and even cosmetics. Their molecular structure is based on a linked chain of carbon atoms with one or more fluorine atoms attached, and the extreme stability of those carbon-fluorine bonds make PFAS highly resistant to being broken down. This durability causes PFAS to persist and accumulate in the environment as well as in the bodies of humans and animals where they can remain for years, leading to them being referred to as 'forever chemicals.'