Cancer-causing ‘forever chemicals’ that have been linked to chronic disease and infertility are now being associated with a debilitating neurological disease.

Having high blood concentrations of PFAS, called forever chemicals because they lodge in the body’s tissues and the environment and can take decades, sometimes centuries, to degrade, has been linked to up to four times the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) in genetically vulnerable individuals. 

MS is a chronic autoimmune disorder that affects nearly one million Americans. The immune system mistakenly targets the protective myelin sheath around nerves in the central nervous system, disrupting communication between the brain and body. 

This results in symptoms like severe fatigue, numbness, vision loss, and walking difficulties, often leading to progressive disability.

Not only were high blood concentrations of two specific forever chemicals, PFOS and PCBs, linked to a higher risk of MS, but researchers also found that PFOS exposure can completely overwhelm a gene that is known to be protective against MS. 

Even among people with this protective gene, those with high PFOS exposure saw their risk of MS increase more than fourfold.

Forever chemicals are synthetic ingredients engineered to be extremely stable and resistant to heat, water, oil and stains. They have been used for decades in nonstick cookware, forming the coating on pans to prevent food from sticking.

They are also used in some grease-resistant plastic food containers, as well as in waterproof, water-resistant, and stain-resistant fabrics.