Explained: Can your contact lenses give you cancer?

A new study has found that many contact lenses in the United States are made of ‘forever chemicals’ that cause cancer. Scientists have found  ‘extremely high levels’ of organic fluorine –  a marker of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in 18 popular types of contact lenses. Let’s take a closer look: What are PFAS? PFAS are human-made chemicals that remain in the environment for a very long time. Introduced in the 1940s, they are made by combining fluorine and carbon.

They are called ‘forever chemicals’ because of the time it takes for them to break down.

They are used in many everyday consumer products including food packaging, textiles, cosmetics, dental floss, cookware, outdoor gear, medications and medical devices, paint and building materials, car and floor waxes, and other cleaning products. Some “ forever chemicals ” are known to cause cancer and reproductive problems. A study in Environmental Health Perspectives published in February found that exposure to multiple PFAS found in the environment can lead to developmental disorders, cardiovascular disease and many types of cancer. “Most people carry a mixture of the chemicals in their blood,” the study noted. Last year a peer-reviewed study found that widespread concentration of synthetic chemical pollutants has already spilled deep into the danger zone. What did the testing find? According to The Guardian, the testing was commissioned by the Mamavation and Environmental Health News public health blogs and conducted by an Environmental Protection Agency-certified lab. The lab, which searched for organic fluorine in lenses made by popular brands such as Acuvue, Alcon and Coopervision, found chemical at levels between 105 parts per million (ppm) to 20,700ppm. This exceeds the highest designated level deemed safe in drinking water by the Environmental Protection Agency by 50,000 times, according to News.com.au [caption id=“attachment_12199552” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Forever chemicals can pollute water, air and soil. AP File Photo[/caption] The three lenses with the highest amounts of organic fluorine were Alcon Air Optix (No Hydraglide) for Astigmatism (20,000ppm), Alcon Air Optix Colors with Smartshield Technology (20,700ppm) and Alcon Total30 Contact Lenses for Daily Wear (20,400ppm). “You could consider [the lenses] almost pure PFAS,” Scott Belcher, a North Carolina State University researcher and scientific adviser on the contact lens testing, told the newspaper.

Belcher said PFAs in such a form are in essence soft plastic material.

They are used for disposable, soft lenses because ‘they have the properties that your eyes want’, Belcher said. “It wants to get oxygen and doesn’t want bacteria to grow like crazy, and it wants lenses to be smooth and comfortable,” Belcher added. The EPA in March proposed new standards to limit levels of harmful so-called forever chemicals in public drinking water. Under the proposed new EPA rules, public water utilities will be required to monitor for six PFAS chemicals and reduce PFAS levels in the water supply. EPA administrator Michael Regan said the new water standards have the potential to prevent thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of PFAS-related illnesses. what began as a so-called miracle, groundbreaking technology meant for practicality and convenience quickly devolved into one of the most pressing environmental and public health concerns in the modern world," Regan said. “These toxic chemicals are so pervasive and so long-lasting in the environment that they’ve been found in food, soil and water even in the most remote corners of our planet,” he said. “These chemicals can accumulate in the body over time and we know that long-term exposure to certain types of PFAS has been linked to serious illnesses, including cancer, liver damage and high cholesterol,” he added. A number of major US corporations have been phasing out the use of certain PFAS chemicals in recent years and some states have already imposed limits on PFAS in public drinking water. The EPA proposal, which will be finalized by the end of the year, would set national standards for PFAS in drinking water. The non-profit Environmental Working Group welcomed the EPA announcement as “historic progress” and the environmental law firm Earthjustice called it a “necessary and long overdue step towards addressing the nation’s PFAS crisis.” “More than 200 million Americans could have PFAS in their tap water,” said Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group.

“Americans have been drinking contaminated water for decades,” Faber said.

More from Explainers

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar Giorgio Armani will: Who will get the inheritance? What happens to his fashion empire?

“This proposal is a critical step toward getting these toxic poisons out of our water.” President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021 invests $9 billion over five years to help communities reduce PFAS contamination levels in drinking water. With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News ,  India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.