Great, Now Band-Aids Pose Cancer Risk Thanks To ‘Forever Chemicals’

Major medical bandages, including from brands Band-Aid and Curad, were found to contain dangerous levels of ‘forever chemicals’ linked to cancer, according to a new report.

The chemical, fluorine, was found in over two-dozen different bandages, the Daily Mail reports.

PFAS chemicals are sometimes used to make adhesives, and investigators believe they are products of the normal manufacturing process. Fluorine, which is also used to make rocket fuel, can lead to skin burns and eye damage, but it is most dangerous when inhaled.

Dr Linda Birnbaum, a toxicologist and former head of the National Toxicology Program who co-led the lab testing, said the fact that risky chemicals come in direct contact with open wounds was ‘troubling’.

Once in the bloodstream, PFAS can embed themselves in healthy tissues, where they can begin to damage the immune system, liver, kidneys and other organs.

Out of 40 bandages from 18 brands tested by an EPA-certified lab, researchers found detectable levels of fluorine in 26 of them. The testing, funded by consumer watchdog blog Mamavation and Environmental Health News, looked for PFAS chemicals in the absorbent pads and adhesive flaps of bandages sold at major retailers, including Rite Aid, Walmart, CVS and other places.