Polyfluoroalkyl substances (or PFAS)—chemicals commonly found in consumer and industrial products, including  non-stick cookware, stain-resistant fast-food wrappers, and others—may increase the risk of liver injury, finds a new study. Researchers from the Keck School of Medicine-University of Southern California conducted a pioneering study on PFAS and found that exposure to this group of chemicals may increase one’s risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD].

PFAS are also dubbed as “forever chemicals” because these substances are slow to break down, both in the environment and the body. PFAS have a chemical structure that is similar to fatty acids. Therefore, when a person is exposed to these highly common substances, in their day to day lives, their body ‘reads’ this chemical intake as if it is consuming a lot of fat; thus impacting the liver.

They are used as popular additives in manufacturing various materials, such as takeout containers, because of their waterproof, stain-resistant, properties. However, once exposed to this substance, it’s difficult to get rid of PFAS. Moreover, they tend to accumulate over time in the environment, as well as in human tissue, particulary in the liver. PFAS were first detected in the blood of people exposed to these chemicals in the workplace in the 1970s. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to an elevated risk of some cancers, low birth weight, and immune dysfunction.

“PFAS are ubiquitous, and we know that all adults in the United States have detectable levels of PFAS in their bodies,” explained said Leda Chatzi, MD, PhD, professor of population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC in a press release. “There is growing interest in the long-term health effects of PFAS exposure, and this study supports that there is evidence that PFAS are associated with liver injury.” 

A connection between PFAS and liver damage has been suspected for years, but a large-scale review is needed to determine this link, explained Elizabeth Costello, MPH, PhD, one of the study’s lead authors.

This groundbreaking study is a first-in-class systematic review of data on PFAS exposure and damage to the liver, synthesizing the results of 111 peer-reviewed studies involving both humans and rodents. The researchers found that three well-known PFAS are connected to higher levels of an enzyme that indicates liver damage. These PFAS are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA). These three are the most studied PFAS to date.

“There is enough evidence, we believe, to demonstrate a need to clean up sources of exposure to PFAS and to prevent future exposures,” explained Costello.

Additional studies on human subjects are needed to confirm this link and understand how PFAS contribute to hepatotoxicity and liver injury; however, the findings of this study already stress the importance of evaluating environmental health and our physical health.

As we wish these valiant researchers all the best in their complex feat, ADRLF urges you to do what you can to protect your liver health: Access free and widely available medically credible resources to read up on liver health care! Consider a liver-friendly lifestyle. And of course, we remind you to: Screen. Vaccinate. Don’t hesitate.

To read more about this study, click here.

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