PFAS leave fingerprints in your blood – researchers are figuring out how forever chemicals transform in your body to read these clues

Your body likely contains an accumulation of various PFAS types, making it difficult to trace them to their sources.

By: Carrie McDonough, Carnegie Mellon University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: May 29, 2026

Words: 1,464

Last Updated: 1 month, 3 weeks ago


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By Carrie McDonough, Carnegie Mellon University

Virtually every living thing on Earth, from Patagonian penguins to newborn human babies, has been touched by the synthetic chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find a sample of human blood, tissue or breast milk without detectable levels of at least one type of PFAS.

Making matters worse, researchers are continually uncovering links …

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