PFAS - PFOS
PFAS – PFOS Blood Test
This blood test measures the amount of PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid) in the blood. PFOS belongs to the PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) group: a large group of chemicals that are very difficult to break down and can therefore persist for a long time in the environment and the human body.
What are PFAS?
PFAS are chemicals that have been used for many years in a wide range of products and industrial applications due to their water-, grease-, and dirt-repellent properties. They can be found in, or have been used in, water- and dirt-repellent textiles, certain food packaging, coatings, and firefighting foam, among other things.
Because PFAS hardly break down at all, they can spread through soil, water, and food, among other things. As a result, people may be exposed to various PFAS over the course of their lives.
What is PFOS?
PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid) is one of the best-known substances in the PFAS group. The substance was used, among other things, for its water-, grease-, and dirt-repellent properties, for example in certain types of fire-fighting foam, textile treatments, and industrial applications.
The use of PFOS has now been severely restricted, but because the substance is highly persistent, PFOS can still be found in the environment and in the human body.
What does this test measure?
This blood test specifically measures the concentration of PFOS in serum.
PFAS is a collective term for thousands of different substances. PFOS is one of them. This test therefore does not measure the total amount of PFAS in the body, but specifically the amount of PFOS.
If you want a broader picture of PFAS exposure, a PFAS panel that measures multiple individual PFAS compounds may be more appropriate.
When might a PFOS test be useful?
A PFOS test may be considered, for example, in the following cases:
possible long-term or increased exposure to PFAS;
occupational exposure;
living or working in an area known to be contaminated with PFAS;
Need for insight into one’s personal PFOS concentration in the blood.
Interpretation of the Results
A measured PFOS concentration provides information about exposure, but cannot, on its own, confirm or predict whether someone has or will develop health problems.
