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Show HN: PFAS.report – Measure the forever chemicals in your blood via Quest

pfas.report

61–70 of 155 posts

Re: Show HN: PFAS.report – Measure the forever chemicals in your blood via Quest

#61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe start donating blood regularly? https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle...

Doesn't this end up in some other poor sap then? Wouldn't you want to have the blood collected and destroyed as medical hazmat, along with testing to confirm burden reduction?

I wouldn't be surprised that in 5 years, there's a little drop down when you go to donate blood that asks if you're a firefighter, ski wax technician, factory worker or lived in certain contaminated zip codes. You select it, and they exclude you.

Re: Show HN: PFAS.report – Measure the forever chemicals in your blood via Quest

#62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Donating blood or plasma has evidence of reducing pfas. If I knew I had high measured levels, I'd certainly think about doing it more. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8994130/

Are you giving someone bad blood in that case?

The negative health effects of PFAS are completely irrelevant if the alternative to this "bad blood" is death.

Re: Show HN: PFAS.report – Measure the forever chemicals in your blood via Quest

#63

This is interesting, and I suppose has a use of "data over time" but I fail to see how this testing is of any actionable value for the average person. So you're exposed, and PFAS is in EVERYTHING.... so ... what should I do? Nothing realistically. Unless I find an obvious source like my water, there isn't much I can do besides replacing my cooking pans. I can replace my pans without this test. It's a little like thos…

There's tons of things you can do.

What you should not bother doing is replacing your cooking pans because PFAS does not come from that. (Nor does it come from food storage containers or water bottles.)

The first thing to do is avoid paper dishes, no paper straws or any other kind of compostable dishware. The are frequently sprayed with PFAS to make them waterproof, and unless you are buying them yourself and checking you have no way to know what kind they are.

Avoid snowboarding - snowboards (and skis also I think) are sprayed with PFAS to make them slippery. The snow in the area will be covered in it, so just don't do that kind of sport.

Check your outdoor clothing, and kind of breathable clothing that is also waterproof is most likely coated with PFAS to make that happen. This is not just rain jackets, but also active-wear advertised as "quick drying".

Add a carbon filter (any kind) to your drinking water, you don't need reverse osmossis, carbon works fine. And helps for tons of other things you don't know are in there - plus it tastes better.

As a general rule any time you see an object that should get soaked with water stay dry be careful!

Re: Show HN: PFAS.report – Measure the forever chemicals in your blood via Quest

#64

> forever chemicals Sorry, but that phrase really annoys me.[0] What does it actually mean? [0] full disclosure: PhD in organic chemistry

Totally agree. You can blame the Washington Post.

But we choose to use it because a lot of people don't know the chemistry but recognize this label.

Re: Show HN: PFAS.report – Measure the forever chemicals in your blood via Quest

#65
post #51
post #22

I've used PTFE dental floss for decades, and recently diagnosed with a thyroid condition. I wonder if there could be a connection. This test will at least give me an idea of my blood levels of PFAS.

Honestly, the dental floss is the most fucked PFAS application out of all of them.

No, that is incorrect. PTFE is not a PFAS (it's chemically related, but is not the same).

You are perfectly fine with PTFE dental floss - it has no reactive PFAS components in it.

Re: Show HN: PFAS.report – Measure the forever chemicals in your blood via Quest

#66

This is kind of sobering. Standard male levels of testosterone are between 3-7 ng/mL. Standard female levels of testosterone are between 0.1-0.7 ng/mL. And you're over 10 ng/mL of this crap? Even if this stuff is a fraction as bioactive as testosterone, having more of it might explain a few societal health trends.

pfas are estrogenic. And yes, it explains a few things.

Re: Show HN: PFAS.report – Measure the forever chemicals in your blood via Quest

#67
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think for certain high risk populations, specifically pregnant women or women planning on becoming pregnant, it makes sense. Based on the new clinical recommendations, my 10.86 ng/mL level puts me at elevated risk for preeclampsia (if I were a women/pregnant). Knowing that could mean my BP during pregnancy is more closely monitored, with a BP cuff for example.

Time to start blood letting. A human has ~5 liters of blood and blood donations are 0.5 liters, every two months. So with a year of effort, could cut your levels in half (0.9^6 = 53%).

I believe they let you donate every 6 weeks

Re: Show HN: PFAS.report – Measure the forever chemicals in your blood via Quest

#68
post #51
post #22

I've used PTFE dental floss for decades, and recently diagnosed with a thyroid condition. I wonder if there could be a connection. This test will at least give me an idea of my blood levels of PFAS.

Honestly, the dental floss is the most fucked PFAS application out of all of them.

What floss should one use to avoid these chemicals?

Re: Show HN: PFAS.report – Measure the forever chemicals in your blood via Quest

#69
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would also say this attitude was pervasive when we used leaded gasoline, which widely contaminated the biosphere, roads and people. It's everywhere. We all have it. Why bother. I think we now know there's no safe level of lead in the blood. If you have suspected exposure in 2023, doctors quantify your lead level through a blood test and if it's elevated, recommend a medical procedure called chelation to remove it.…

So the "what should I do?" was the big question. Even in your OP, you said you didn't know what to do about it. Neither does the website say much other than basically "lawyer". If there is something I can do to help me, then there is a purpose to the test. This chelation you mentioned. But again, this should be a "See a doctor first" situation. What are the risks of chelation? Is it safer for me to have PFAS than go…

I don't have all the answers. Just trying to provide one small solution in the chain.

Re: Show HN: PFAS.report – Measure the forever chemicals in your blood via Quest

#70
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would also say this attitude was pervasive when we used leaded gasoline, which widely contaminated the biosphere, roads and people. It's everywhere. We all have it. Why bother. I think we now know there's no safe level of lead in the blood. If you have suspected exposure in 2023, doctors quantify your lead level through a blood test and if it's elevated, recommend a medical procedure called chelation to remove it.…

So the "what should I do?" was the big question. Even in your OP, you said you didn't know what to do about it. Neither does the website say much other than basically "lawyer". If there is something I can do to help me, then there is a purpose to the test. This chelation you mentioned. But again, this should be a "See a doctor first" situation. What are the risks of chelation? Is it safer for me to have PFAS than go…

So far as I know chelation is not effective for PFAS, chelation is for metals.

PFAS will eventually (slowly) leave your body - focus on not getting anymore, not on removing it. I posted a comment with suggestions elsewhere in this thread.

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