Traces of PFAS Chemicals Found in Different Brands of Toilet Paper

Saturday, May 6th, 2023 -- 8:00 AM

(By Jonah Beleckis, Wisconsin Public Radio) When you flush your toilet, sending waste to a nearby sewage treatment system, you might also be contributing toxic chemicals to the local watershed.

According to Jonah Beleckis with Wisconsin Public Radio, University of Florida scientists recently studied 21 toilet paper brands from around the world and found traces of PFAS in each case.

The study does not name the brands. "I feel like we hear about new places that have PFAS every day," said Christy Remucal, a University of Wisconsin-Madison associate professor of engineering who studies the chemicals and did not participate in the study.

PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," are gaining more attention in Wisconsin and nationwide. The chemicals have been linked to increased risks of cancer, thyroid disease and other adverse health effects. As some residents are being forced to drink bottled water due to contaminated wells, state and federal agencies are weighing new regulations.

"Anything we can do to prevent these chemicals from getting in the environment in the first place is important because they're so persistent and mobile. They last such a long time," Remucal said. "Prevention is the key approach here."

Remucal leads UW-Madison’s Water Science and Engineering Laboratory and is co-director of the Core Facility for Advanced Water Analysis. She recently joined Wisconsin Public Radio’s "Central Time" to discuss the new University of Florida study on toilet paper.

In Wisconsin, authorities have pointed to firefighting foam as one of the main sources of PFAS. But University of Florida researchers pointed to toilet paper as another source.

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