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Researchers from Birmingham University have discovered that widely used PFAS “forever chemicals” are capable of being absorbed via human skin and entering the bloodstream, after just 36 hours of exposure.

The study of 17 types of PFAS – present in many everyday household products – found that 15 of them could get into the blood.

Until now, it was thought that PFAS substances were incapable of breaking through the skin barrier.

But this latest research is bound to sharpen focus on the noxious PFAS issue, given the toxicity levels that are known to exist within these substances, which have been used for decades in non-stick pans, cosmetics, waterproof clothing etc.

Alarmingly, they are also now known to be in the water supply, which is why it’s becoming more important to drink filtered water.

PFAS substances don’t break down naturally in the environment, which is why they have been labelled “forever chemicals”. They have been linked to immune disruption, impaired liver function, decreased birth weight and other diseases.

The research, which applied samples of each PFAS to laboratory grown tissue that mimics human skin, revealed “substantial” skin absorption from 15 of the chemicals.

Regarding one specific chemical, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFO) – regularly used in food packaging – 13.5% of the dose went into the bloodstream. A further 38% was retained within the skin.

“Chemicals slowly leaching into us”

Dr David Megson, a reader in Chemistry and Environmental Forensics from Manchester Metropolitan University, said the research had overturned previous assumptions showing that PFAS couldn’t penetrate the skin barrier.

“This is especially concerning given that PFAS are widely used within our clothes and many cosmetic products,” he said. “Most of the population are unknowingly covering themselves in PFAS every day when they get dressed and apply their makeup. These toxic chemicals are slowly leaching into us and may be leading to a wide range of adverse health effects.”

Said Dr Oddný Ragnarsdóttir, the study’s lead author: “The ability of these chemicals to be absorbed through skin has previously been dismissed because the molecules are ionised.

“The electrical charge that gives them the ability to repel water and stains was thought to also make them incapable of crossing the skin membrane.

“Our research shows that this theory does not always hold true and that, in fact, uptake through the skin could be a significant source of exposure to these harmful chemicals.”

Prof Stuart Harrad, of the University of Birmingham’s School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences and the study’s co-author, added: “This study helps us to understand how important exposure to these chemicals via the skin might be and, also, which chemical structures might be most easily absorbed.”

He said this was important because there was a shift in industry towards chemicals with shorter chain lengths, as these were thought to be less toxic.

“However, the trade-off might be that we absorb more of them, so we need to know more about the risks involved,” he advised, adding that the study would provide constructive information for regulators about the sort of PFAS concentration levels that would lead to higher levels being easily absorbed through the skin.