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I have high levels of forever chemicals in my blood - what can I do about it?

Catrin Nye BBC Panorama "That is so much higher than I expected" - watch the moment Catrin Nye is told about her foreve…

I didn't really contemplate what the test would reveal.

I am not great with needles - but as part of a BBC Panorama investigation into so-called forever chemicals, I was being…

As a mum with two small children, I also wanted to know whether they may be having an impact on my family.

Forever chemicals, or PFAS (per-and poly fluoroalkyl substances), are a group of about 10,000 chemicals.

They have been used for decades, in anything from waterproof clothes, to cookware, electronics and medical equipment.

They are persistent pollutants, meaning they don't degrade easily and instead build up in the environment.

They exist in our homes, our water and in our food.

Scientists have linked a small number of them to serious harms, such as infertility and cancer.

Any level of PFAS above 2ng (nanograms) per millilitre of blood is considered to bring health risks, according to Dr Sa…

She has never met anyone without at least some PFAS in their bloodstream.

Dr Donnai delivered the news very gently - but it still hit me hard.

The forever chemicals in my blood would "most likely" have an impact on my health, she told me.

I also learned that, sadly, my body would have rid itself of some of these chemicals during pregnancy, by passing it on…

That was the moment this investigation stopped being just work and felt very personal.

"They [PFAS levels] would have been even higher before your pregnancies," Dr Donnai told me.

"You will have passed on to your children for sure.

" I was worried, but I also felt angry about how this could have happened without me having any knowledge, and very lit…