this post was submitted on 14 Jul 2025
503 points (99.4% liked)

science

21855 readers
335 users here now

A community to post scientific articles, news, and civil discussion.

rule #1: be kind

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Inucune@lemmy.world 22 points 2 months ago (3 children)

I'm waiting for people to start using leeches again to treat pfas in the blood.

[–] SheeEttin@lemmy.zip 19 points 2 months ago (1 children)

That's actually a valid treatment! Although really they'd probably just take a pint here and there. When you do, the body produces new, pure blood.

[–] MalReynolds@slrpnk.net 12 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

Yup, most efficient is to donate plasma, can reduce levels by a third in 6 months.

[–] match@pawb.social 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

cries in gay and microplastic

[–] ChexMax@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Hmm I wonder if women have less pfas in the blood because of periods?

[–] MalReynolds@slrpnk.net 1 points 2 months ago
[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 10 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Regular plasma donation is the most effective treatment. Blood donation works, too, but you can only donate blood every two months, versus plasma donations up to twice a week.

[–] DaPorkchop_@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Isn't that just passing the PFAS on to whoever ends up getting injected with your donation?

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 4 points 2 months ago

Yes and no.

If you regularly donate, your PFAS levels will be well below average, so your blood/plasma will actually lower the recipient's concentrations. Not quite as low as it brings down your concentrations, but still lower than average.

Further, with plasma, they extract the proteins to produce various medications. That process leaves the PFAS with the remaining, depleted plasma, which is then discarded.

But, even if your concentrations are significantly above average, and the recipient receives whole blood/plasma from you, they are only receiving 1 unit from you, adding to 8 or 9 units of their own. Their net blood concentration rises only 1/8th above average as your own concentration.

The lifesaving value of your PFAS-contaminated blood is infinitely higher than the risks posed by your PFAS.

Tl;dr: Don't discard your blood.

[–] bilb@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Yeah, better to just do old fashioned bloodletting.

[–] y0kai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 months ago

Too bad I pass out every time :(

[–] BudgetBandit@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 months ago

Bloodletting all the way.

But donate it.