PFAS and STRIVE

What are PFAS?

What does the name Poly and Perfluoroalkyl Substances or PFAS really mean?

They are named for their chemical structures. All PFAS have the element Fluorine (represented as F) bonded to a chain of carbon atoms (represented in green)

This is where the fluoroalkyl part of the name comes from. Fluoro is a way to say there is Fluorine bonded to the alkyl which is a chemical name for carbon chain.

These carbon-fluorine bonds are very stable. This makes them useful for making products non-stick, water resistant, and stain resistant. However, it also makes them not break down easily so they stay around in the environment and our bodies for a long time- giving them the nickname “forever chemicals.” 

What has STRIVE measured?

We measured the levels of 25 different PFAS in the blood of the first 500 STRIVE participants. 

A list those PFAS we tested can be found below:

PFBA	PFPeA	PFHxA	PFHpA	PFOA	PFNA	PFDA
PFUnA	PFDoA	HFPO-DA	PFBS	PFPeS	PFHxS	PFHpS
PFOS	4:2FTS	6:2FTS	8:2FTS	PFMPA	PFMBA	ADONA
PFEESA	NFDHA	9Cl-PF3ONS	11Cl-PF3OUdS

Why did STRIVE measure PFAS?

Because PFAS are so common in our environment today, it is not yet known all the impacts they could have on human health. 

Looking at liver health, the STRIVE study’s main interest, there have been studies that have shown that poorer outcomes in liver health can be linked to PFAS exposure. We are studying this topic more so we can know more about this relationship and how it may impact your progression / risk of liver disease and liver cancer. 

To understand a little about how PFAS may be impacting liver health, it may help to have some background on how the liver works. The liver is in charge of cleaning your blood. How does the liver do this?

One way is that the liver is the first stop for the nutrients that you get from eating or drinking, including food, medications, drugs and alcohol. These nutrients enter your bloodstream during digestion. The blood then flows to the liver where it works hard to remove toxins, prepare nutrients to be shipped out to the rest of the body, and store things for later use.

The liver also filters almost all of the blood in the body to remove toxins, some that are naturally created (watch this video or go to this link to learn more about the functions of the liver). If the liver is having to work too hard over a long time to filter out many toxins, it can become damaged.

In STRIVE, we want to see how PFAS and other environmental contaminants may put healthy people at risk of liver disease or put people who already have liver disease at risk of developing liver cancer.