PFAS
Key Clinical Messages What is the PFAS Test? Vibrant’s PFAS chemicals panel is a urine-based test that measures the levels of 21 different PFAS chemicals present in the urine. This test can be ordered as a stand-alone test or as part of the total toxin bundle to determine an individual’s exposure to PFAS chemicals.
What are PFAS? The PFAS term encompasses thousands of per-and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals which are industrially produced for surface tension lowering or “non-stick” properties. PFAS offer water, oil, and stain-repellent capabilities and other friction-reduction benefits. PFAS are broadly used in aviation, automotive, and electronics industries, as well as in consumer goods such as cosmetics, paints, fast food packaging, carpets, floor polishes, herbicides, cookware, outdoor gear, and firefighting agents. Due to widespread applications, humans are often chronically exposed to PFAS daily. PFAS chemicals have a unique physicochemical structure. All PFAS chemicals contain a chain of carbon atoms chemically bonded to fluorine atoms. The carbon-fluorine bond is one of the strongest chemical bonds known and is difficult to break. As a result of this chemical property, PFAS can remain in the environment, humans, and wildlife for a very long time and therefore have become known as the “forever chemicals." ¹ ²
Why Order the PFAS Test? PFAS are ubiquitous in the environment and can have significant health impacts on the body. They’re found in our environment due to contamination from PFAS manufacturing and from direct exposure to products containing PFAS. The most notorious source of PFAS is non-stick cookware. However, they're also found in many other sources, including anti-stain coatings on furniture, food package linings, seafood and animal products, water-repellant clothing, dental floss, ski waxes, and contaminated water. These are products that many people use often, and exposure can significantly impact an individual’s health. There is increasing evidence that PFAS exposure has the potential to harm multiple systems, including endocrine, neurological, respiratory, immune, urinary, gastrointestinal, reproductive, and cardiovascular systems.1Due to the chemical structure of PFAS, they are considered “forever chemicals,” which impacts the body’s ability to metabolize or detoxify them and contributes to their adverse physiological effects. Understanding an individual's PFAS levels is essential to tailoring lifestyle, dietary, supplement, and medication interventions to address any increased risk factors for disease from PFAS exposure.
Regulatory Statement: This test has been laboratory developed and their performance characteristics determined by Vibrant America LLC, a CLIA-certified laboratory performing the test CLIA#:05D2078809. The test has not been cleared or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Although FDA does not currently clear or approve laboratory-developed tests in the U.S., certification of the laboratory is required under CLIA to ensure the quality and validity of the tests.