Was looking into PFAS and microplastics again after a friend mentioned the exposures that firefighters see.
Context is everything.
Executive summery based off the data that is available today:
The panic narrative on PFAS/microplastic in humans is probably bullshit. The motto is eat shit and prosper.
For PFAS healthcare workers and firefighters have 1 – 1.3 to 2 – 10 times elevated PFAS than the general population. Healthcare workers live longer than the average population. The data is a little more complex for firefighters because it is confounded by other hazards. This excludes flat out getting burnt to death; think things like smoke inhalation. Yet, even with those factors, they don’t live statistically significant shorter lifespans than the general population. Some data sets show they live slightly longer, just like healthcare workers.
The data on microplastics is less mature than PFAS but it’s the same deal – elevated levels in healthcare workers and extreme levels of exposure to firefighters and yet lifespan is either the same or slightly more.
Nevertheless, healthcare workers and firefighters are also generally healthier populations to start with much like military personnel “healthy worker effect” – so would healthcare workers and firefighters with baseline better health live even longer than the general population if they weren’t exposed – that’s up for debate – I think probably not.
Decompiling obsessions. 