2 months ago
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In the modern world, we have countless products designed to keep us safe, particularly given the conveniences we enjoy today.
Take, for instance, the zip-lock bag—a product designed to keep your vegetables fresh and your meat or fish free from moisture, even while stored in your fridge or freezer.
Consider also the humble pizza box. These packaging solutions often contain a complex chemical compound known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a group of synthetic chemicals used in various products since the 1940s.
PFAS are known for their non-stick, waterproof, and stain-resistant properties. Common sources of PFAS include food packaging like microwave popcorn bags and pizza boxes, non-stick cookware such as Teflon, and firefighting foam.
Drinking water contaminated by industrial waste or firefighting foam can also harbour these chemicals.
In many of our urban areas, where industries are sometimes located within residential neighbourhoods, the potential for these chemicals to infiltrate drinking water sources is significant.
The situation is even worse when you consider that these drinking water sources are often located in wells and faulty pipes running alongside open drains, where they frequently mix with waste.
Clothing and upholstery made or finished with waterproof materials or stain-resistant treatments also contain these chemicals.
In a previous essay on this page titled, ‘The Way We Build’ in 2020, the case was made that the majority of our towns and cities have been built in a chaotic manner since the British colonialists left our shores.
This chaos often resembles a functioning anarchy, with little regulation and almost no planning for the siting of amenities.
The result is a situation where every citizen fends for themselves, acting in ways convenient to them depending on their financial muscle to bend the building code—where such a code even exists.
Exposure to PFAS, therefore, can occur through the consumption of contaminated food or water and by inhaling dust or fumes from products containing these substances.
Skin contact with products containing PFAS is yet another way these chemicals can enter the body.
To minimise exposure to these chemicals, it is imperative to use non-stick cookware safely and avoid heating or warming food in microwave-safe containers. It is far safer to choose alternative products and support policies that limit PFAS use where these exist.
In some ways, the urgency of this situation mirrors the impact of chlorofluorocarbons in the cooling and refrigeration industries on global warming, which led to a worldwide agreement banning the use of these CFCs in fridges, air-conditioners, and freezers a generation ago.
Today, the risks associated with consuming PFAS include the suppression of the human immune system, which can then promote or encourage the emergence of uncommon diseases among the populace.
Other conditions often seen in association with PFAS exposure include various types of cancer, all of which are uncommon but increasingly being diagnosed in hospitals.
Some of these cancers are testicular, kidney, and thyroid cancer. The thyroid gland, in addition, can also suffer from problems that often lead to hormone disruption, a situation that fosters the emergence of various illnesses.
Additionally, people exposed to these compounds often suffer from a variety of reproductive issues, including reduced fertility rates, increased risk of pregnancy complications, and a rise in the incidence of babies born with birth defects.
More interesting still, there appears to be an increase in the number of children born to such women who experience neurological problems such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, and decreased cognitive function. These are serious developmental challenges that usually leave parents confused and anxious. When confronted with such realities, parents often go into denial and blame their children’s challenges on something else.
Among adults, there are reports of increased cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease, which combine to increase the risk of cardiac ailments and overt heart disease.
Despite these known risks, various industries continue to use PFAS because they provide specific properties that are difficult to replicate with other products in the packaging industry and in making suitable kitchen appliances, such as durability, water resistance, and temperature resistance.
The non-stick properties unique to these compounds also help explain why they have been so resistant to change.
Lastly, PFAS have surfactant properties, which means they are able to stir up both physical and chemical reactions on the surfaces they come into contact with, aiding in cleaning.
The use of PFAS remains widespread, but some industries have started to look for alternatives or phase out their use of PFAS altogether. The dangers of PFAS became evident over several decades as scientific research and environmental monitoring progressed.
We will discuss a brief timeline of key developments shortly. Initial concerns about PFAS began to surface when studies in the 1960s and 1970s showed that these chemicals were persistent in the environment and could accumulate in living organisms.
By the 1990s, more detailed studies started to link PFAS exposure to adverse health effects. Research on workers in PFAS manufacturing plants revealed higher incidences of certain health issues, such as liver damage and elevated cholesterol levels.
And by the early 2000s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other regulatory bodies began to take action.
In 2006, the EPA launched the PFOA Stewardship Programme, aiming to reduce emissions and product content of certain PFAS chemicals by 95 per cent by 2010 and to work towards eliminating them altogether by 2015.
This mandate targeted the eight major American corporations in the PFAS industry with the task of making these commitments.
These moves became more urgent as, by the 2010s, growing evidence from epidemiological studies linked PFAS exposure to a broader range of health effects, including cancer, immune system suppression, and developmental issues in children, as previously mentioned.
This led to increased regulatory scrutiny and public awareness. Now, in the 2020s, ongoing research continues to uncover the extent of PFAS contamination and its health impacts. Many countries are now implementing stricter regulations and guidelines to limit PFAS exposure.
The recognition of PFAS dangers has been a gradual process, driven by accumulating scientific evidence and growing awareness of their widespread presence and persistence.
Among the Nigerian elite, there is a certain fondness for using these products. Many of them equate the convenience of their use with an unquestioned safety profile or a validation of their affluence and civilisation. Such people need to reconsider their stance, as PFAS use does not ensure safety or validate affluence.
Questions and answers
Good morning, sir. For the past week, I have been noticing some boils/rashes on my buttocks and cracks. Please, what should I do, sir? 09136448XXX
Good morning. While it is clear what buttocks are, the term “cracks” (assumed to mean “buttock cracks”) is less clear. Nonetheless, you will need to visit a hospital or clinic to confirm that you do not have diabetes. Once that is confirmed or disproved, you should use a good antibiotic under the direction of your doctor.
Good afternoon, our ever-ready-to-help doctor. I am a 75-year-old lady with arthritis. At night, I urinate about six times, and because of the arthritis, there are embarrassing leakages. What can I do about this? I do not have diabetes. I am fine when sitting down. The trouble starts as soon as I lie down. Thanks for always being there. 08082435XXX
Good morning, madam. Some of these events are certain to happen with increasing age. However, you can start by stopping all fluid intake by 6 pm. This will help reduce the frequency of bathroom visits during the night, which are limited by the pain from arthritis. If no changes are observed, you will need to have your urine cultured to determine if you have a urine infection.
Good evening, doctor. Please, I have noticed that the pain in my knees is getting worse. I have been nursing the pain for about eight years and have used various pain relief medications with good results. But in the last few months, the drugs I can remember were bought for me by my husband, but they no longer work. I don’t know what else I should do. Please, I need your advice. 07036509XXX
You need to undergo a more current clinical examination of your knees to determine the nature of the damage. This will involve having X-rays done, at a minimum, and other scans may be required. All of this will help to show what needs to be done to relieve the pain you are suffering from. Most of the time, treatment is a combination of things, including medications, physiotherapy, and perhaps the application of knee support devices or braces. Additionally, there is the issue of fake and expired drugs, which remains a menace in our country. If you have been using such substandard products, you are unlikely to benefit from taking them.
Good morning, doctor. I am a 28-year-old single woman, and the problem I have is that my menstruation is always heavy, lasting about seven days most of the time. The flow is really bad, and sometimes I change my sanitary pad three times a day. I usually apply double at a time, and they still soak through. I have done many tests in different hospitals, but nothing was found.
However, I can even cope with that, but the new problem I have experienced over the last four months is that when the flow stops, I start passing frequent and watery stools. The last time it happened, I even took Imodium capsules, but there was no improvement until it decided to stop. What kind of problem is that, and what should I do? 08106045XXX
You need to see a gynaecologist for a thorough evaluation of your body to determine why your menstrual flow is so heavy. As for the diarrhoea that follows, this is a common symptom experienced by some women after their menstrual period.
It is characterised by loose, watery stools and can be accompanied by other symptoms such as bloating, cramps, and abdominal pain.
Fluid retention during menstruation and the hormonal changes occurring during the period are often responsible for loose stools. Over-the-counter anti-diarrhoeal medications, adequate hydration, and the application of warm compresses or hot water bottles are effective for managing the cramps.
Good day, doctor. I am a 27-year-old man. When I urinate, it is yellowish in colour, and sometimes a white substance comes out of my penis. Please, sir, what can I do? It would be relieving to hear from you. 08142849XXX
There is no need to worry. Everyone passes yellow urine at some point several times during the course of a day, and this is considered normal. Any whitish substance that comes out of your penis is semen until proven otherwise. To resolve any doubts, you can visit a medical laboratory and have your urine thoroughly examined so that both urinalysis and culture can be conducted. Such an exercise will help determine if anything else accompanies your urine as it comes out of your penis.
Good day, sir. I have a 13-month-old son who started developing boils about three weeks ago. Initially, I tried to ignore them because my other two children had similar boils on their heads at a similar age. However, when they did not go away, I went to the hospital, and we were given Ampiclox syrup to use every six hours. The boils have now gone, although I could only manage to give it to him twice a day because it is a practical battle to get him to swallow medicine. Does that mean he has not been adequately treated? Is this a problem then? Kindly let me know what you think. Thank you. 08035812XXX
Thank you very much for your question. Some doctors would probably prescribe such an antibiotic to be taken three or four times a day. Twice a day would be regarded as inadequate, but since the boils have now resolved, there is no reason to worry about whether the treatment was sufficient. You can consider the matter closed, especially if the boils were not associated with fever, loss of appetite, or excessive crying.
Doctor, good evening. I am sorry to bother you, but I want to confirm something about the 9-month immunisation for my baby. If, for some reason, we are unable to give it to him when he is exactly nine months old, when will it be regarded as too late for him to have it? Thank you. 08069802XXX
It is very important to understand that the recommended timelines for the administration of the various vaccines in childhood are a guide. Several factors may delay the reception of these vaccines, such as an illness in the baby that may require hospitalisation, family travel, another family member falling ill, or other circumstances that take the baby away from where they were scheduled to be immunised. Sometimes, delays may be up to six months. As long as the vaccine is eventually administered, there is no problem as long as it is ultimately received.
