(ORDO NEWS) — The topic of blood (and plasma) donation has been updated in the pandemic year 2020. Some were embarrassed, others were attracted. And now scientists have found the benefit of the process for those who donate blood.
In 2022, researchers discovered a curious benefit to the donor from the process of donating blood: regular donation reduces the amount of certain “eternal chemicals” constantly present in the blood of any person.
Scientists are not yet sure how dangerous these widely used perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are. They are sometimes referred to as timeless chemicals because they do not decompose in nature.
How did the experiment
Scientists tested 285 firefighters working in the rescue service of the city of Victoria in Australia, who donated blood and plasma for 12 months.
Firefighters are commonly exposed to PFAS through fire-fighting foam and typically have higher blood levels of the chemicals than the general population.
“The results of the study showed that regular blood donation leads to a significant decrease in PFAS levels,” said hematologist Robin Gasiorowski from Macquarie University in Australia.
This is the first case of a safe and working way to reduce PFAS in the blood. Scientists were especially impressed that this “treatment” does not use drugs or any complex medical procedures. Moreover, this “treatment” leads to an act of charity that benefits other patients.
The study showed
Throughout the experiment, 95 firefighters donated blood every 12 weeks, another 95 firefighters donated plasma every 6 weeks, and 95 firefighters donated nothing.
The PFAS levels in the last group remained unchanged. “While this study did not examine the health effects of PFAS or the clinical benefits of reducing it in firefighters, these important questions deserve further study to better understand the health implications,” says environmental scientist Mark Taylor, co-author of the study at Macquarie University.
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