Here in our ski community, we were alarmed when we learned that toxic chemicals called PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) were detected in our drinking water. Researchers have found them nearly everywhere. When it was verified that PFAS are ingredients in some alpine and Nordic ski waxes, Park City took action. Recycle Utah alerted ski shops and consumers to bring any fluoro-waxes they were using to the center for safe disposal and to choose safer alternatives. PFAS waxes were banned at all FIS ski and snowboard events starting in the 23-24 season.

PFAS break down in the environment over hundreds of years or not at all; thus, their description as “forever chemicals.” Because they accumulate in the environment over time and have been found to be toxic in notably low concentrations, scientists are increasingly interested in finding out how different PFAS affect animal and human health. And now, they have been able to link PFAS to altered immune and thyroid function, liver disease, lipid and insulin dysregulation, kidney disease, and adverse reproductive and developmental outcomes such as low infant birth weight and cancer. It turns out that PFAS are used in the manufacture of a wide range of industrial and consumer products, including some dental flosses, especially those marketed as “Teflon” strands, and those with non-stick coatings that “glide” easily between teeth.

Since 2023, 12 states have implemented laws that restrict or ban all PFAS. In 2019 an important study at Harvard was published to get a clearer idea of how people absorb PFAS. Researchers in the study found that a large group of female subjects who daily used Oral B Glide Dental Floss, known to contain a specific PFAS, had higher levels of it in their blood than those who did not. In discussing findings, a Harvard reviewer noted, “Although conventional non-stick pans have a larger surface, “we don’t chew on them like dental floss.” (P. Grandjean, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Buzzfeed, Jan. 2019).

There are alternatives to dental floss coated with “forever chemicals”. Some options include unwaxed floss; silk, bamboo, and plant-waxed floss; Tom’s of Maine floss; and Listerine Ultraclean Waxed Mint Dental Floss. Researchers advise not buying floss marketed by Colgate, Crest, CVS, Oral-B, and Signature.

By Bev Harrison