In a new study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters, plastic containers from
This study demonstrates the ability of PFAS to leach from containers into food products and the effect of temperature on the leaching process.
The results also showed that PFAS are capable ofmigrate from fluorinated containers into food, resulting in significant human health exposure to hazardous chemicals: they are associated with a number of health problems, including prostate, kidney and testicular cancer, low birth weight, immunotoxicity, and thyroid disease.
“We not only measured significant concentrationsPFAS in these containers, but we can estimate the amount of PFAS that was leached out,” said Graham Peasley, professor of physics at Notre Dame’s Department of Physics and Astronomy.
It is important to note that these types of containers are notdesigned to store products, but nothing prevents them from being used for this at the moment. The researchers noted that while not all high-density polyethylene is fluorinated, it is often impossible for the consumer to know if a container has been fluorinated. Indeed, Peasley added, if substances such as pesticides are stored in these containers and then used to treat crops, those same PFASs will thus end up in human food sources.
Read more:
Named a vitamin that protects the brain from dementia
See how the Earth has changed over 100 million years on the most detailed map
It turned out which men are the most fertile: their sperm is 50% better than the rest