‘Forever chemicals' found in blood of 97 per cent of Victorians
More than 97 per cent of Victorians aged over 12 have a detectable concentration of PFAS in their bloodstream, with the 'forever chemicals' more likely to be found in men than women, and more often in older people.
The synthetic chemicals – perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are found in everyday products ranging from the linings of take-away coffee cups and pizza boxes to carpets and non-stick cookware. Once consumed, they take many years to exit the body.
On Tuesday, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released national and state-level data about the prevalence of 11 types of PFAS in the Australian population and found it is almost universally detectable in people.
The data was also broken down by sex and age, with PFAS concentrations in blood slightly higher in men than in women and gradually increasing from childhood to old age, peaking at age 75 and over. Data was gathered between 2022 and 2024.
The findings were 'in line with expectations' as use of PFAS within products peaked between the 1980s and the early 2000s but has since fallen through efforts to reduce its usage.
'As a result, older people have been exposed to more PFAS in the past, before the decrease in use of these chemicals. This historical exposure, combined with the long elimination half-lives of many PFAS, means that levels of PFAS are likely to be higher in older people,' the ABS said.
In Victoria, PFAS was detected in 97.3 per cent of people, just above the national level of 97.1 per cent. Tasmanians had the highest levels (98.9 per cent) and Northern Territorians the lowest (91.2 per cent).
Stuart Khan, a professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of New South Wales, said the results were 'shocking but not surprising' and broadly in line with results from studies in other countries such as the United States.
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