Bandages from renowned brands like Band-Aid and Curad are found to have alarming concentrations of persistent chemicals.
A reputable watchdog organization’s testing uncovered fluorine’s presence in over twenty-four types of bandages. Investigators suspect that PFAS chemicals, which are sometimes used in adhesive manufacturing, may be byproducts of routine production processes. Fluorine, a substance also utilized in rocket fuel production, can cause skin burns and eye damage, with inhalation presenting the most severe danger.
Additionally, PFAS chemicals have the ability to enter the bloodstream through consumption of contaminated water or food. Once present in the bloodstream, PFAS can accumulate in healthy tissues, potentially damaging the immune system, liver, kidneys, and other organs.
Environmental health watchdogs tested 40 bandages sourced from 18 different brands, revealing detectable levels of fluorine in 26 of them. Using an EPA-certified laboratory, consumer watchdog blog Mamavation and Environmental Health News examined absorbent pads and adhesive flaps of bandages available at major retailers such as CVS, Walmart, Rite Aid, Target, and Amazon.
Among the brands identified with high levels of fluorine exceeding 100 parts per million are Band-Aid, Care Science, Curad, CVS Health, Equate, First Honey, Rite Aid, Solimo (Amazon’s brand), and Up & Up (Target’s brand).
See the list below of contaminated bandages:
