(VitalNews.org) – Researchers have been able to show that exposure to toxic PFAS, or forever chemicals, increases the chances of death by cardiovascular disease. These findings are significant due to the difficulty in proving an association between a chemical and death.
The researchers looked at death records from Italy where residents drank water for decades that was highly contaminated with PFAS. Annibale Biggeri, the peer-reviewed study’s lead author said “This is the first time that anyone has found strong evidence of an association of PFAS exposure and cardiovascular mortality.”
This region of Italy was contaminated with forever chemicals from 1985 to 2018 and researchers originally noticed a spike in deaths during this period. Researchers then compared these findings with another region that did not have the same water source, which helped them to uncover the differences.
PFAS are classified as a group of fifteen thousand chemicals that are used across dozens of industries to make consumer products water, heat, or stain-resistant. Researchers have previously linked these chemicals to liver damage, decreased immunity, birth defects, and cancer, among other health issues.
These chemicals can affect the cardiovascular system by creating an excess of Cholesterol which can be difficult to control as it’s not brought on by diet or exercise.
The study also shows that earlier exposure can lead to higher mortality levels. These chemicals can be transferred from mother to child through the placenta which can lead to extensive exposure and shows that the chemicals can be passed down through generations.
Laura Facciolo, a Veneto resident who drank contaminated water, said she felt like a trial for humans while continuing to say that these findings should prompt them to ban these chemicals.
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