A common “permanent chemical” has been linked to liver cancer  

One of the deadliest

A common “permanent chemical” known as PFOS which imparted waterproofing properties to materials and was known by the trade name Scotchguard, has been linked to liver cancer. The chemical was discarded by industry at the turn of the century due to concerns about its toxicity and environmental impact. However, the term “permanent chemical” is not accidental, as it is still found at alarmingly high levels around the world.

The study comes from University of Southern California researchers and links PFOS to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which accounts for four out of five cases of liver cancer. It is one of the deadliest forms of cancer in general, since the five-year survival rate is less than 20%.

Although PFAS and PFOS have been banned worldwide, the damage they cause persists as they do not dissolve in the environment, with a half-life of up to 7 years. Despite our efforts to replace their use in many areas of industry, from cosmetics to fire extinguisher foam, we continue to be exposed to what ended up down the drain decades ago.

Over 98% of the US adult population has detectable concentrations of ubiquitous chemicals in their blood. The reason we can’t get an accurate picture of the damage they cause is that we need human samples long before diagnosis, since cancer takes a long time to manifest itself.

This research fills an important gap in our knowledge of the true effects of exposure to these chemicals.

The damage may already be done since the ubiquitous chemicals will be around for a long time to come, but the sooner we learn how they affect us, the sooner we can protect future generations.

The research was published in JHEP Reports .