Foods linked to high levels of 'forever chemicals' in the human body

Researchers have found that people who eat lots of white rice, coffee, eggs and seafood show more toxic chemicals in their plasma and breast milk.

The study examined samples from 3,000 pregnant mothers, and was among the first to suggest that coffee and white rice may be contaminated at higher rates than other foods.

The study also identified an association between red meat consumption and levels of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), one of the most common and dangerous fluorinated surfactants (PFAS).

The findings highlight the ubiquity of chemicals and the many ways they can end up in the food supply, the authors said.

“The findings definitely point to the need for environmental stewardship, and keeping PFAS out of the environment and the food chain,” explains Megan Romano, a Dartmouth researcher and lead author of the study. “We’re now in a situation where they’re everywhere and they’re going to continue to exist even if we do aggressive remediation.”

Perfluorinated surfactants (PFAS) are a class of about 16,000 compounds used to make products that are water, stain, and heat resistant.

They are called “forever chemicals” because they do not break down naturally and have been found to accumulate in humans.

The chemicals are linked to cancer, birth defects, liver disease, thyroid disease, low sperm count and a host of other serious health problems.

Although regulators focus on reducing water contamination, food is believed to be the most common route of exposure.

Fluorosurfactants can end up contaminating food in a number of ways. In rice, researchers suspect contaminated soil or agricultural water is the culprit. Nonstick cookware often contains the chemicals, or they can be in the water used for cooking.

The researchers found higher levels of fluorinated surfactants associated with eggs from domestic chickens, which Romano said could be attributed to the poultry being more commonly fed table scraps.

Sewage sludge contaminated with fluorosurfactants, which are used as a cheap alternative to fertilizers, can contaminate the soil that chickens feed on and has been found to contaminate beef. The chemicals can also be found in bird feed.

In coffee, researchers suspect that the beans, the water used in brewing, or the soil could be contaminated.

Previous research has also found that coffee filters contain fluorinated surfactants, as do paper cups or other food packaging.

Meanwhile, seafood has been found to be contaminated with fluorinated surfactants because water pollution is widespread.

Public health advocates say banning chemicals except for essential uses is the only way to begin to address the problem on a large scale.