The potential risk that COVID-19 may pose for people who have been exposed to PFAS
Studies have suggested that high levels of PFAS can have a detrimental effect on the body's immune system, leaving individuals with PFAS exposure at increased risk for complications from many different diseases and conditions. For these communities, it will be essential to understand how exposure to PFAS can impact the risk of contracting COVID-19, as well as the risks of COVID-19 complications or even death.
On June 11, 2020, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) issued a "Statement of Potential Intersection between PFAS Exposure and COVID-19." This statement indicated that "There is evidence from human and animal studies that PFAS exposure may reduce antibody responses to vaccines, and may reduce infectious disease resistance"
- The recent article where 19 Senators sent the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services a letter raising concerns about how COVID-19 might impact people exposed to PFAS: https://www.seacoastonline.com/news/20200629/does-pfas-exposure-add-to-covid-19-risk-shaheen-senators-push-to-find-out?fbclid=IwAR09NqllxK1Gk8v6jySsoHoFyYFnu-4k2K_2ZOw_IwbbMj2xPecBcXqwWOs
- National Toxicology Program, "Monograph on Immunotoxicity Associated with Exposure to Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)," September 2016: https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/ohat/pfoa_pfos/pfoa_pfosmonograph_508.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2Pp0uUvsc_QsoIDWJmzMqiLSYhayL_KDnabmAn55-EDdblCQajnKQzeKI
- Johns Hopkins University, "COVID-19 Dashboard," Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html?fbclid=IwAR3Px8ZfH6Am3woeBKM2T9PXq8kG-wTwopOrGZxYYBfjIW4QQ6P0rAsdPs0
- Earth Justice, "Breaking Down Toxic PFAS." https://earthjustice.org/features/breaking-down-toxic-pfas?fbclid=IwAR3iQcp6xauDVRDq0U0jt229DdJvcseNgrm5-4AgMC83xo6ln-YcrTZs9Rk#:~:text=According%20to%20data%20analyzed%20by,an%20estimated%2019%20million%20people