Defog sprays used to stop glasses steaming up when wearing a face mask could be exposing people to cancer-causing chemicals, study warns
Daily Mail ^
Posted on 1/5/2022, 2:33:41 PM by algore
The anti-fogging sprays and cloths that have become popular to help stop glasses from steaming up when wearing a face mask may be exposing users to carcinogens.
That is the warning from Duke University-led experts, who found these treatments may contain cancer-causing per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS).
The team subjected four anti-fogging sprays and five anti-fogging cloths — all of which have received top ratings on Amazon — to high-resolution mass spectrometry.
Specifically, the chemical analysis found that all nine products contained so-called fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) and fluorotelomer ethoxylates (FTEOs).
These are two types of PFAS that have, until now, largely flown under the radar — meaning that scientists are not certain what health impacts they may carry.
However, research has suggested that, once inhaled or absorbed via the skin, FTOHs could well break down in the body into other, long-lived and toxic forms of PFAS.
Such may include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which — along with perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) — has been linked to disorders like cancer.
The study was carried out by environmental scientist Nicholas Herkert of Duke University in North Carolina and his colleagues.
'Our tests show the sprays contain up to 20.7 milligrams of PFAS per millilitre of solution, which is a pretty high concentration,' Dr Herkert said.
'If we were to assume that FTOHs and FTEOs have similar toxicity to PFOA and PFOS, then one spray from these bottles would expose you to PFAS at levels that are several orders of magnitude higher than you’d receive from drinking a litre of water that contains PFAS at the current EPA health advisory limit for safe consumption, which is 70 nanograms per litre.'
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
