Household Items May Impact Hormones
September 1, 2010 by Andrea Toochin
Filed under Featured, Nutri-Life
New research from the Dr. Marianne Kraugerud of the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science suggests that perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), chemicals found in water resistant clothes and non-stick pans, might impact steroid hormones such as oestrogen, testosterone and cortisol, reports The Ecologist. The study conducted on sheep and cells grown in a lab echoes similar results of prior studies on polychlorinated biphenyls, which have been banned for about three decades.
Dr. Kraugerud said limiting use of products with PFCs is advisable and possibly switching back to cast iron pans. Still, she added that the risks are small, so people shouldn’t toss these types of pans, but rather use them less often and ultimately save up for alternatives.
Courtesy of DuPont
The news comes after the Environmental Working Group has voiced concerns about the chemicals. “Scientists have known for a while that these pollutants can act as endocrine disruptors, so our position does not change with this research as we continue to call for the phasing out of PFCs from various consumer products,’ said EWG Senior Scientist Olga Naidenko.
Meanwhile, Teflon maker The DuPont Corporation said that while “some associations have been reported, no human effects are known to be cause by PFOA [the PFC chemical in Teflon products].” Meanwhile the company noted that it plans to pull PFOA chemicals from its products by 2015 because it has created “a new processing aid with” a better “toxicological profile.”
Click here for the complete article from The Ecologist
