Even with (moderately) elevated levels of PFAS, the lifesaving value of your blood greatly exceeds the dangers of PFAS to the recipient. While I agree that there is a sort of “ick” factor in the idea of your PFAS being transferred to a sick or injured person, it’s not really necessary to dispose of your blood. If you’re donating whole blood, you’re only providing 1/10th of their blood volume. Unless your concentration of PFAS is more than 10 times the average, you’re not going to increase their concentration above the average. With plasma, they extract certain proteins and other components, and discard the rest, which includes (most of) the PFAS.

To more directly address your comment: If you’re donating whole blood, you will be asked, anonymously, if there is any reason why they shouldn’t use your blood. The last time I gave whole blood, they had two stickers with barcodes. They told me that one sticker meant that my blood should be used, and the other meant my blood shouldn’t be used. Both stickers were removed from the paperwork, and the applicable one attached to the bag. The on-site staff couldn’t know which one I attached to my donated blood.

So yes, there is a way to mark your whole blood for disposal if you don’t think it should be used. But, again: your blood can save lives, and does not pose a significant risk to the recipient.

Plasma is a little bit different: They won’t draw your plasma unless you indicate it is safe for them to use.

Rude!

Pretty much, yes. Sounds rather nefarious, doesn’t it? Taking the dangerous chemicals out of my blood and putting them into someone else?

The amount of PFAS the recipient will receive from whole blood donation is not enough to appreciably raise their own levels. Even if we replace their complete blood volume with my blood, the absolute highest their concentration of PFAS can get in their body is equal to mine; not higher.

If they don’t regularly donate blood/plasma as well, it is likely that I have lower levels of PFAS than they start with, and that my less-contaminated blood actually reduces their PFAS concentration.

For plasma, the news is actually better: (Most of) The PFAS in your donated plasma is discarded along with the rest of the unusable components. Extraction of the various proteins and other components rejects (most of) the PFAS.

Stop and think about it. I agree, it initially sounds really, really bad. I’m trying to reduce the level of toxins in my blood, so I’m giving them to someone else? I’m kicking the can down the road?

Don’t go with that knee-jerk reaction.

If I regularly donate, the PFAS levels in my blood are going to be lower than the average person. My blood has fewer toxins than the average person; fewer toxins than the average recipient.

With that in mind, why should my blood be discarded?

Hahahahaha thanks for the laugh