Manufacturers of industrial and consumer products may be quite shocked by this news. According to a study from Exeter University and Peninsula Medical School, thyroid disease may be associated with human exposure to PFOA . PFOA is claimed to be a relentless organic chemical applied in industrial and consumer goods counting nonstick cookware and stain- and water-resistant coatings used for carpets and fabrics.
The study supposedly divulged that individuals with elevated concentrations of PFOA in their blood appeared to have elevated rates of thyroid disease. The study authors examined samples from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s nationwide envoy National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
Tamara Galloway, a professor Ecotoxicology at the University of Exeter and the study’s senior author, commented, “Our results highlight a real need for further research into the human health effects of low-level exposures to environmental chemicals like PFOA that are ubiquitous in the environment and in people’s homes. We need to know what they are doing.â€
Study author, David Melzer, a professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at the Peninsula Medical School, mentioned, “There have long been suspicions that PFOA concentrations might be linked to changes in thyroid hormone levels. Our analysis shows that in the ‘ordinary’ adult population there is a solid statistical link between higher concentrations of PFOA in blood and thyroid disease.â€
PFOA is claimed to be an extremely steady man-made chemical that seems to work very well in fending off heat, water, grease, and stains. It is supposedly applied during the procedure of making ordinary household and industrial objects counting nonstick pots and pans, flame-resistant and waterproof clothing, wire coatings, and chemical-resistant tubing. Apparently, PFOA can also be created by the collapse of specific other exceedingly fluorinated chemicals used in oil and grease-resistant coatings on fast-food containers and coverings and in stain-resistant carpets, fabrics, and paints.
The study involved about 3966 adults aged 20 and more whose blood serum was supposedly sampled between 1999 and 2006 for PFOA and other perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) compounds, counting perfluoroctane sulphonate (PFOS). It was discovered that people with the maximum i.e. 25% of PFOA concentrations, above 5.7ng/ml appeared to have doubled the chances to account for present thyroid disease as compared to people with the lowest 50% of PFOA concentrations i.e. below 4.0ng/ml. Majority of the particular examination supposedly encompassed around 163 women and 46 men who accounted with current thyroid disease and who were consuming thyroid medication at the time the blood samples were extracted.
Preceding animal studies conducted by other scientists have exhibited that the compounds may impact the role of the mammalian thyroid hormone system. This may be important for sustaining heart rate, adjusting body temperature and supporting several other body functions, counting metabolism, reproduction, digestion and mental health. These results appear to be significant as apparently PFAAs are seen in water, air and soil all over the world, even in inaccessible polar areas. The major basis of human exposure to PFOA and PFOS is vague but is thought to be via diet. Nevertheless, people may also come in contact with PFAAs applied in consumer goods like textiles, footwear, furniture, and carpets, which could infect indoor air and dust.
Even though more study is required to comprehend the method by which PFOA and PFOS may impact human thyroid functioning, it is probable that the compounds may disturb fastening of thyroid hormones in the blood or change their metabolism in the liver. The experts appeared to have discovered an association between thyroid disease and elevated concentrations of PFOS in men, but not in women.
The study was published in the journal Environmental Health Perspective.