Nonstick chemicals linked to infertility
Certain chemicals used to make non-stick and stain-resistant consumer products may be associated with infertility in women, according to a study carried out at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Health. The results were reported online in the European journal Human Reproduction in January 2009.
PFCs LINKED TO INFERTILITY
Researchers measured levels of two types of perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs)—perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)—in blood samples from the Danish National Birth Cohort of 1,240 women between 4 and 14 weeks of pregnancy.
PFCs are considered possible hormone disruptors, and animal studies have shown they may be linked to a variety of toxic effects on the liver and immune system.
The study found that women with higher levels of both chemicals in their blood plasma had reportedly taken a longer time to become pregnant than women with lower levels. Researchers estimated the likelihood of infertility increased anywhere from 60 to 154 percent. Infertility was defined as a time to pregnancy longer than 12 months or that infertility treatments were used to become pregnant.
PFOA and PFOS exposure levels detected in the samples are commonly found in people living in developed countries, according to the study.
WHAT GOVERNMENT & INDUSTRY ARE DOING
PFCs are commonly used in household items including personal care products, food packaging, pesticides, and textiles, such as clothing, upholstery, and carpeting. Both chemicals are persistent in the environment and have also been found in wildlife around the world. Further studies are needed to determine whether people are exposed to PFCs from products that contain them.
While regulators have not set federal limits for human exposure to PFCs, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has facilitated voluntary agreements by industry to phase them out. In 2002, 3M, the only U.S manufacturer of PFOS, voluntarily agreed to phase out the chemical. In 2006, eight companies voluntarily agreed to reduce emissions and use of PFOA and related chemicals globally by 95 percent no later than 2010 and to work toward eliminating it by 2015.
3M also provided funding to the International Epidemiology Institute, which supported the UCLA study. The study’s authors claim 3M had “no control over the design, data analysis and interpretation or writing of this study."
RELATED LINKS:
Nonstick pans OK in new tests 6/07
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