Every person in the Netherlands has “forever chemicals” in their blood, according to the country’s first national study on the topic.
The study, published Thursday, indicates that having per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (known as PFAS) in levels above safety thresholds does not automatically lead to illness.
“However, it does mean that PFAS can have an effect on the body. For example, the immune system may function less effectively. The effects depend on the amount of PFAS, the duration of exposure, and a person’s individual health condition,” reads the study, conducted by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, or RIVM.
For those remarking “we all do”, DuPont has a large PFAS plant in the Netherlands. It’s now called Chemours and is located in the Rotterdam area (Dordrecht / Moerdijk). There, and in their supply chain PFOA’s have leaked into the environment, including in Helmond.
It’s just super polluted in general around here, we just don’t notice because everything is sparkling clean.
Every person on the planet has forever chemicals in their blood. Literally every person we’ve ever tested. Eskimos, African tribesmen, people who have never been within a hundred miles of a piece of tupperware or a water-resistant boot. They have it too.
Once it got in the water, the whole world was screwed.
We all do.
