Dr. Carrie McDonough: PFAS Contamination Everywhere
About this episode
This episode discusses the pervasive issue of PFAS contamination and its health implications with Dr. Carrie McDonough.
Hidden in your water, food, and even your blood, forever chemicals (PFAS) are nearly impossible to destroy - and now U.S. regulations are being rolled back. Listen in to how PFAS became unavoidable, what they're doing to our health, and whether we can ever truly get rid of them. In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Carrie McDonough discuss perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals. PFAS, which include PFOA and PFOS, are persistent organic pollutants used in various products, such as Teflon for your cooking pans and Scotchgard. While there are natural molecules that incorporate fluorine, the compounds we are most concerned about when we talk about PFAS cannot be synthesized naturally and are difficult to break down. Dr. McDonough discusses exposure risks, how we are exposed, and the efforts that have been made to regulate these chemicals. She emphasizes the need for better detection methods and remediation strategies. Key Takeaways: While some PFAS are excreted from the human body, many are not and linger in our blood and cells. A lot of pollutants accumulate in the adipose fat in the human body. However, PFAS are mostly found in proteins and membranes…
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