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Health

‘Forever chemicals’ in your toilet paper might give you cancer: study

By
Brooke Kato
Published March 1, 2023
Updated March 7, 2023, 3:39 p.m. ET

Your toilet paper might give you cancer, according to scientists.

Experts from the University of Florida warn that your toilet paper could contain toxic “forever chemicals,” also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs), which have previously been linked to certain cancers and even low sperm count.

In the new study, published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters on Wednesday, researchers detected substances in toilet paper known as diPAPs, or perfluoroalkyl phosphate diester.

Those precursor compounds have the ability to become different kinds of PFAs, namely, a substance called PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid, which is potentially carcinogenic.

Toilet paper pattern on yellow background
Is it time to toss your TP? Researchers have discovered toxic “forever chemicals” in toilet paper. Getty Images

These “forever chemicals” have been discovered in a multitude of popular items – cosmetics, nonstick pans, clothes and even children’s products – and were most recently the center of a class-action lawsuit involving Thinx period panties.

The undergarments supposedly contained potentially cancer-causing chemicals, which the plaintiff claimed posed a health threat to wearers.

The inspiration for the toilet paper study was derived from past research conducted by the same team of scientists. They previously looked at the presence of PFAs in biosolids – in other words, the solid waste that comes from wastewater treatment plants. So they wanted to get to the bottom of the PFA pollution problem and see if toilet paper was a contributor.

Toilet paper rolling down blue background
To get to the bottom of the PFA pollution puzzle, researchers analyzed the role of toilet paper due to the use of PFAs in paper production. Getty Images

With the knowledge that the “forever chemicals” are used in paper production, they decided to investigate toilet paper.

“We asked ourselves where is the chemical used, and one product is paper,” Timothy Townsend, study co-author and professor of environmental engineering at the University of Florida, told the Hill.

With the help of volunteers, the researchers analyzed toilet paper sold in Africa, Western Europe, and North, South and Central America extracting PFAs from the samples as well as from US wastewater treatment sewage sludge. After discovering the presence of diPAPs, which was the main substance found, they compared their findings with data from prior sewage studies.

Toilet paper, they concluded, comprised 4% of the diPAP commonly found in US and Canadian sewage systems – but in Europe, that number skyrocketed. In Sweden, for example, diPAP comprised 35%, and in France, it was a staggering 89%.

But even recycled toilet tissue isn’t safe – it could be tainted with PFAs due to reusing materials that contained diPAPs.

“This reduction in PFAs is critical since wastewater effluent and sludge are commonly reused for irrigation and/or land application,” researchers implored, noting the risk the “forever chemicals” pose to human health.

While North America’s toilet paper usage is more than many other countries, according to the researchers, the measly 4% representation of diPAP pollution in the wastewater suggests that PFAs are actually entering the system via other means.

The research offers a further understanding of where PFA pollution comes from but could allow experts to be “better equipped to implement changes,” Townsend said.

However, the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) reached out to The Post to take issue with the new study.

“PFAS (including 6:2 diPAP) is not used in the manufacture of toilet paper, or in the production of other tissue products in the United States,” the statement reads. “The University of Florida study examines concentration information in toilet paper for PFAS including PFOA, the most studied PFAS. However, the study fails to acknowledge that PFOA is widespread in the environment. In the study, toilet paper samples tested were close to or below the limit of detection, consistent with PFOA levels found in the environment and not attributable to the manufacturing process.

“Our industry is committed to product and environmental safety, and we continue to lead on product stewardship and innovation in the manufacture of sustainable and essential paper and tissue products.”

Meanwhile, toilet paper isn’t the only potentially carcinogenic product in most homes.

One study last month suggested a link between household PFAs and the development of cancer and diabetes in children. Published in Environmental Health Perspectives, the study concluded that the chemicals could affect growth and metabolism.

The “exposure to a combination of PFAS not only disrupted lipid and amino acid metabolism but also altered thyroid hormone function,” noted study author Jesse Goodrich at the time.