Quest Diagnostics announced the availability of the first consumer-initiated, physician-ordered blood-draw test for PFAS chemicals with the option to confer over the phone with a physician about the results. Available at questhealth.com, the new test, PFAS (Forever Chemicals) Test Panel, is performed by Quest Diagnostics to identify the level of potentially harmful chemicals called per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) ? also known as "forever chemicals" because they can accumulate and linger in the environment and body.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health effects potentially associated with PFAS exposure include increases in cholesterol levels, decreases in birth weight, lower antibody response to vaccines, kidney and testicular cancer, pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, and changes in liver enzymes. The new test from Quest features several unique innovations. It is the first PFAS blood test available as a consumer-initiated test with physician consult to report a sum of PFAS chemicals based on level of health risks identified by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM).

The physician consultation, available to any individual who purchases the test, involves a telephone discussion between the individual and a third-party licensed physician about the results. In addition to providing personalized results, each easy-to-read test report includes information on ways to reduce exposure risk and can be shared with a personal physician.