2023-09-20 18:31:17
WEDNESDAY, September 20, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Harmful “forever chemicals” are widely distributed in the environment, and new research suggests they pose a particular risk to women’s health.
A new study reveals that women who are exposed to higher levels of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are more likely to be diagnosed with certain types of cancer. Exposure is also linked to liver damage, fertility problems, hypertension and other health conditions.
PFAS is a category of more than 15,000 compounds found in everyday household items, including shampoo, dental floss, cosmetics, nonstick cookware, food packaging, clothing and more. PFAS compounds can find their way into food and water sources. They are called “forever chemicals” because they do not degrade and can last for decades in the environment. PFAS also remain in people’s bodies for months or years.
“Prior diagnoses of melanoma (the most aggressive and life-threatening form of skin cancer) as well as ovarian and uterine cancers in women were associated with higher levels of exposure to certain PFAS chemicals,” said study author Max Aung. , assistant professor of environmental health at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.
PFAS chemicals can increase cancer risk in several ways, he said.
“Experimental animal and (test tube) models indicate that PFAS exposure can affect the immune system, (hormonal) liver function and other bodily processes,” Aung explained. They can alter hormonal function in women, increasing the chances of developing hormone-related cancers.
For the study, researchers reviewed data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Survey from 2005 to 2018. The sample included more than 48,000 people who They were asked regarding previous cancer diagnoses. Their responses were compared to PFAS exposures.
Women with the highest exposure to a PFAS known as PFDE were twice as likely to report a previous diagnosis of melanoma compared to those in the lowest quartile. Women with higher exposure to two other PFAS compounds, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUA), were almost twice as likely to have a prior melanoma diagnosis.
The researchers also found a relationship between PFNA and a previous diagnosis of uterine cancer.
Additionally, women who were exposed to higher levels of phenols such as Bisphenol A (BPA) used in plastics and 2,5-dichlorophenol, a chemical used in dyes, were more likely to report a previous diagnosis of ovarian cancer, it showed. the study. 2,5-Dichlorophenol is also a byproduct of wastewater treatment.
The researchers found no relationship between PFAS blood markers and previous cancer diagnoses in men.
However, they found some racial differences.
White women exposed to PFAS were more likely than black women to have a prior diagnosis of ovarian and uterine cancer.
White men with PFAS exposure were more likely than Black men to have a prior diagnosis of prostate cancer, according to the study.
Unless these chemicals are better regulated or banned at the federal level, Aung said it is important to take steps to reduce exposure.
“On an individual level, you can reduce exposures by avoiding certain products like nonstick cookware and food packaging,” he said. “There are also some water filters that can help reduce PFAS contamination in drinking water.”
The study was published September 18 in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology.
David Andrews, a senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group in Washington, D.C., reviewed the findings.
“This study adds even more evidence to a growing body of scientific research linking exposure to common man-made chemical pollutants with an increased risk of developing cancer,” he said. “Much more scrutiny is needed to make sure chemicals that impact the endocrine system and change hormone levels are not contaminating our bodies.”
More information
Learn more regarding how PFAS can affect health from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
SOURCES: Max Aung, PhD, MPH, assistant professor, Division of Environmental Health, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles; David Andrews, PhD., senior scientist, Environmental Working Group, Washington, DC; Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, September 18, 2023.
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