Toxic PFAS Detected: Band-Aid and Other Brands Under Scrutiny

The AHA! Team — Thu, 09 May 2024 20:06:31 +0000

Patrick Tims via NaturalHealth365 – Prepare for an eye-opening insight into the world of first aid. The very bandages we depend on to heal wounds may harbor a concerning (toxic) secret. Recent investigations have brought Band-Aid and other leading brands under scrutiny, revealing the presence of toxic PFAS chemicals. PFAS, known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been used for decades in commercial products for their stain-resistant, oil-resistant, grease-resistant, and water-resistant properties. These synthetic compounds, which have been present in consumer products since the 1950s, raise significant questions about potential health implications. PFAS are in more than two dozen commonly used bandages The bandage analysis was conducted at a lab certified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). According to the findings, 26 out of 40 tested bandages showed organic fluorine levels above 10 parts per million (ppm). Furthermore, among bandages marketed for black and brown skin tones, 63% exhibited traces of PFAS “forever chemicals,” with 10 out of 16 tested bandages surpassing the 10 ppm threshold. The detected ranges of organic fluorine, serving as an indicator for PFAS, varied from 11 ppm to 328 ppm. Bandages containing PFAS are problematic because they are placed on top of open wounds, which allows for direct entry into the bloodstream. However, bandage makers have not taken steps to remove PFAS from bandages in response to calls for materials without PFAS. Organic fluorine is a threat to the body’s immune system The presence of organic fluorine in the referenced bandages signals the existence of “forever chemicals,” scientifically proven to diminish immune system function and impair cognitive abilities. Furthermore, these chemicals disrupt the body’s endocrine system, leading to unhealthy hormonal responses, and are linked to reduced fertility and increased cancer risk. Researchers from North Carolina State University’s Center for Environmental & Health Effects of PFAS highlight fluoropolymers as a common type of PFAS contributing to bandage toxicity. PFAS can also be found in other consumer products such as dental floss, fast food packaging, deodorant, and contact lenses. Notably, 3M, the manufacturer of Sticky Notes, has announced plans to discontinue the use of PFAS in its products by the end of next year. Scientists are not completely clear as to whether topical exposure to PFAS is at the same risk level as other forms of exposure. However, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has determined topical PFAS exposure is as dangerous as ingestion through water or food. According to Mamavation, PFAS have been found in popular bandages such as the aforementioned Band-Aid and those made by CVS Health and Equate. However, there are some bandages on the market, including those made by Tru Colour and 3M, that do not contain organic fluorine. Of the 18 brands analyzed, 65% contained harmful chemicals. Aside from the aforementioned Band-Aid brand bandages, the following brands’ bandages also contain organic fluorine: Equate First Honey Manuka CVS Health Care Science Curad Assorted Rite Aid First UP & UP Solimo (Amazon) Bypass the bandage brands listed above in favor of safer and healthier brands, including: Dry See Thin Dealmed Flexible Browndages Rite Aid Smart-Flex Sterile bandages Each of these safer bandages has fewer than 100 ppm of organic fluorine, meaning they pose minimal threat to human health. The cream of the crop with zero organic fluorine includes 3M Micropore, FEBU organic bamboo, Tru Colour, Trutone, Welly, and Patch Bamboo. Sources for this article include: Childrenshealthdefense.org Mamavation.com To read the original article click here.

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No Need to Rip Off the Bandage: This One Dissolves in Water

AHA Publisher — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 07:00:21 +0000

Brian Blum via Israel21c – Sometimes the worst part about a cut or scrape is taking off the band-aid. And if the injury is a severe burn or a chronic diabetic ulcer, daily bandage changing can be excruciating. If you’re wincing in pain at the thought, you’ll be happy to hear about Israeli startup Inteligels, which is commercializing a technology from Hebrew University Prof. Daniel Cohn that turns a “smart” bandage from liquid to solid and back again. No more yanking off the bandage – it simply dissolves in response to a trigger such as cool water of a certain temperature. The bandage is smart in the other direction, too. Instead of sticking this bandage on a wound, you could simply spread it as a gel or spray it on, after which it solidifies. Cohn is a world-renowned expert on biomedical polymers. A professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Casali Institute of Applied Chemistry, he has been working on his liquid-to-solid polymer bandage for the last five years. He linked up with entrepreneur Alex Brown, now Inteligels’ development director. With a $400,000 seed investment, Inteligels was set up to take Cohn’s SLB (smart liquid bandage) to market. CEO Yair Sapir tells ISRAEL21c that US FDA and European Union CE approval could come as early as the middle of next year. For Chronic Conditions While a smart bandage for home use would be nice – and is definitely on Inteligels’ long-term roadmap – the company’s first applications will be for chronic conditions where the pain is severe and sustained. That was Dan Ariely’s motivation for joining Inteligels as an advisor. The noted Israeli American professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University has been obsessed with the topic of why humans make decisions that seem irrational ever since he suffered third-degree burns over 70% of his body as a result of an accident at his high school graduation. During three years in and out of hospitals and surgeries, he noted that many nurses ripped off his bandages quickly. “It was excruciating but the nurses insisted that tearing the bandages off was the best way,” Ariely writes in his 2010 best-selling book Predictably Irrational. But Ariely’s research found the opposite to be true: People would rather endure a lower amount of pain for a longer period time than a very high amount of pain for a shorter time. With Inteligels, Ariely may have found a company with the potential to eliminate the pain of bandage ripping altogether. Because Inteligels’ smart bandages can be spread or sprayed on, they can cover virtually any shape or size of wound, including hard-to-maneuver and wrap injuries on a joint like the knee, a pressure ulcer on your back, or even inside the body after removal of, say, a polyp, where the bandage can stop internal bleeding. When the smart bandage polymer hardens, it conforms to the body. To remove it, you can apply an ice pack or wash it off with cool water. “You can take a shower with warm water and it stays there,” Sapir explains. “The water is not the trigger. The temperature is.” That makes the bandage more environmentally friendly – you flush it away as a liquid rather than dumping a solid into the trash. Inteligels even has plans for a biodegradable tampon. Transparent, Delivering Medication Inteligels’ bandages will be transparent, allowing healthcare workers and patients to view the wound underneath. And the bandages can be a high-tech vehicle to deliver antiseptics, antibiotics or analgesics. The medicine would be delivered when the right trigger is met – a certain body temperature or pH level – and at the right level for a specific patient. “It’s much more user friendly,” Sapir says, comparing Inteligels’ product with smart bandages that have a layer of medication but no triggered release. Plus, you still have to rip off the bandage at some point. Sapir shares the example of patients who need to treat diabetic ulcers. It’s a daily struggle, he says. “The process of putting it on the ulcer, then taking it off for the next session creates a lot of stress. The patient feels that stress even before ripping off the bandage. If you could wash the bandage off the ulcer instead, it has a real impact on emotional well-being as well as physical pain.” Inteligels has just a couple of full-time staff; all the R&D was done in Prof. Cohn’s lab. The company is currently raising a $2 million round. Although the Covid-19 crisis has made it tougher to raise money and impossible to present new products at medical conferences, interest in medical startups is higher than ever. Sapir’s background is in managing clinical trials. He did that at Brainsgate, which is developing treatments for stroke, and before that at Neuronix, which is building a medical device to help patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease improve their cognitive functioning. Inteligels is working with an unnamed US medical provider to get its smart bandages into clinics and home care. And it is in advanced beta testing with a German veterinary group that has been testing Inteligels on farm animals and pets. Animals would benefit from a liquid-to-solid bandage, Sapir says. “You wouldn’t have to shave the animal’s body or wrap the whole leg. It just sticks to the body, then stays flexible, so the animal doesn’t try to pull it out.” Ultimately, a flexible bandage that dissolves in water sounds like just what the 21st century doctor ordered. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Israel21c click here.

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bandaid Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Toxic PFAS Detected: Band-Aid and Other Brands Under Scrutiny

No Need to Rip Off the Bandage: This One Dissolves in Water