
“Forever” PFAS chemicals appear to harm bone health in Hispanic teenagers, a new study finds. The more PFAS chemicals found in the bodies of Hispanic adolescents, the lower their bone density was, researchers report in the Dec. 6 issue of the journal Environmental Research. Peak bone mineral density in adolescence helps predict whether a person will develop osteoporosis later in life, University of Southern California researchers noted. “Many existing studies haven’t included participants this young, but we’re now able to see that this association is already happening at a time when bones are supposed to be developing,” said lead researcher Emily Beglarian, a doctoral student in the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences at USC’s Keck School of Medicine. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are used in a wide range of consumer products, and also are widely present in drinking water and the environment. They are called “forever chemicals” because of their carbon and fluorine molecules, one of the strongest chemical bonds possible. PFAS have been linked to reproductive problems and increased cancer risk, while a growing body of evidence has also tied the chemicals to lower bone mineral density, researchers said. But those studies have focused mainly on older whites. This research team decided to see whether the same risk holds in young Hispanics, a group that faces a heightened risk of bone… read on > read on >