What is PFOS?
PFOS, a widespread industrial ‘forever chemical’, weakens the body’s ability to fight viral infections, a study has found recently.
- PFOS (Perfluorooctane Sulfonate or Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid) is a synthetic chemical used to make products resistant to stains, grease, soil, and water.
- It is an organic perfluorinated compound, consisting of an eight-carbon backbone and a sulfonate functional group.
- It is part of a class of chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs).
- PFAS, also known as the Forever Chemicals, are a large chemical family of over 10,000 highly persistent chemicals that don’t occur in nature.
- PFOS is very stable in the environment and hard to break down. PFOS also moves easily through groundwater.
- PFOS is of particular concern because it can accumulate up the food chain in aquatic systems and can lead to high concentrations in predatory fish consumed by anglers.
- It can cause serious health effects, including cancer, endocrine disruption, accelerated puberty, liver and immune system damage, and thyroid changes.
- Starting in the 1940s, PFOS was used in many consumer and industrial products, including carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, non-stick cookware, and leather products.
- PFOS has also been present in some firefighting foams used at airports, firefighter training facilities, and military airfields.
- PFOS is listed under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), subject to international restrictions and exemptions.
