“Bloodletting” removes 500ml of whole blood every 12 weeks.
“Plasma donation” removes 1000ml of blood volume, once every 2 weeks (in the UK) or twice a week (in the US). And in the US, you get about $80 for two donations.
They centrifuge your blood, keep the plasma, and return the red blood cells, yes. The centrifuge does not separate the PFAS, so it remains in the plasma when they take it.
The concentration of PFAS in the plasma remains similar to the concentration in your remaining blood; as your body replaces the plasma, the concentration falls.
I’ve heard (not confirmed) that as a firefighter I can turn up to a blood donation centre, tell them I’m a firefighter and want to dump PFAS and they’ll draw, and dispose, of my blood.
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.
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?
Even then, you’re only donating 500ml to the recipient; 1/10th their blood volume. Your rate would have to be about 10 times the average for the PFAS in your blood to pose even a moderate risk to them.
And with plasma, most of the volume of your donation is discarded. They extract the proteins and certain other useful components, and toss the rest, including (most of) the PFAS.
My point is that even with (moderately) elevated levels of PFAS, your blood/plasma does not pose a significant danger to recipients. Certainly not one that exceeds the lifesaving value of your blood or plasma.
“Bloodletting” removes 500ml of whole blood every 12 weeks.
“Plasma donation” removes 1000ml of blood volume, once every 2 weeks (in the UK) or twice a week (in the US). And in the US, you get about $80 for two donations.
Don’t they put the blood back in you after taking the plasma out of it?
They centrifuge your blood, keep the plasma, and return the red blood cells, yes. The centrifuge does not separate the PFAS, so it remains in the plasma when they take it.
The concentration of PFAS in the plasma remains similar to the concentration in your remaining blood; as your body replaces the plasma, the concentration falls.
I’ve heard (not confirmed) that as a firefighter I can turn up to a blood donation centre, tell them I’m a firefighter and want to dump PFAS and they’ll draw, and dispose, of my blood.
I should confirm it…
What you heard may originally stem from this study: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/article-abstract/2790905
I read it earlier this week. Weird coincidence.
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.
Wow this dude is trying to put his forever chemicals into sick people…
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.
Rude!
Does plasma contain PFAS?
Giving toxins to others? 10/10, they need the sample destroyed, not donated
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?
We’re talking about bloodletting to remove toxic chemicals from people who are already known to be at risk because levels are high
Bloodletting is not donating to the vulnerable
Even then, you’re only donating 500ml to the recipient; 1/10th their blood volume. Your rate would have to be about 10 times the average for the PFAS in your blood to pose even a moderate risk to them.
And with plasma, most of the volume of your donation is discarded. They extract the proteins and certain other useful components, and toss the rest, including (most of) the PFAS.
My point is that even with (moderately) elevated levels of PFAS, your blood/plasma does not pose a significant danger to recipients. Certainly not one that exceeds the lifesaving value of your blood or plasma.