(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) It was revealed that bandages from some of the most well-reputed brands, including Band-Aid and Curad, contain dangerous levels of forever chemicals.
A leading watchdog found the chemical fluorine in over two dozen different bandages that can be found in millions of medicine cabinets across the United States, the Daily Mail reported.
PFAS chemicals are sometimes used to make adhesives, with the investigators believing they are products of the normal manufacturing process.
The news source added that fluorine, a chemical that is used to make rocket fuel, can lead to skin burns and eye damage, but it is most dangerous when inhaled.
Dr. Linda Birnbaum, a toxicologist and former head of the National Toxicology Program who co-led the lab testing, expressed her concerns regarding the risky chemicals coming in direct contact with open wounds.
“Because bandages are placed upon open wounds, it’s troubling to learn that they may be also exposing children and adults to PFAS. It’s obvious from the data that PFAS are not needed for wound care, so it’s important that the industry remove their presence to protect the public from PFAS and opt instead for PFAS-free materials,” she said.
The Mail reported that PFAS chemicals can easily enter the bloodstream after a person drinks water or eats food laced with the chemicals. Once they get in the bloodstream, PFAS can lodge themselves within healthy tissue and damage the immune system, the liver, the kidneys and other organs.
Environmental health watchdogs looked at 40 bandages from 18 different brands and tested them for fluorine. Detectable levels were found in 26 of the bandages.
An EPA-certified lab was used by the consumer watchdog blog Mamavation and Environmental Health News to look for PFAS chemicals in the absorbent pads and adhesive flaps of bandages sold at major retailers, such as CVS, Walmart, Rite Aid, Target and Amazon.
Band-Aid, Care Science, Curad, CVS Health, Equate, First Honey, Rite Aid brand, Amazon’s brand, Solimo, and Target’s brand, Up & Up, were among the brands that had their bandages containing high levels of fluorine above 100 parts per million.
