A new test to find out the level of synthetic chemicals, or PFAS, in a person's blood is now available here on the central coast.
They are called “forever chemicals” because they fail to break down fully in the environment. PFAS have been used since the 1950s to make consumer products nonstick and resistant to temperature change.
The medical lab, Quest Diagnostics, announcedthis week the first ever consumer blood-draw test for PFAS.
The test, which you order online, will be available from most of Quest's 2000 diagnostic centers across the country, including here on the central coast.
It will also include a separate telephone consultation with a licensed physician to go over the results and ways to reduce the exposure risk.
San Luis Obispo is no stranger to PFAS.
The Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board notified residents about potential PFAS in wells back in 2019. The chemicals were also found in groundwater near the San Luis Obispo Airport in 2022.
Living near a major source of PFAS isn’t the only way to be exposed. Carpets, couches, nonstick cookware, stain-resistant clothes, cell phones, cosmetics and the lining of fast-food wrappers – are just some of the popular products that contain PFAS.
In fact, PFAS chemicals have been detected in the blood of 98% of Americans, according to a 2019 reportusing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
