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Non-Stick Chemical Linked to Thyroid Issues

PFOA is used in pots and pans, furniture and even clothes

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 21, 2010 11:53 AM CST

(Newser) – A common household chemical used to make non-stick pans, stain-resistant furniture, and even apparel has been linked to an increased risk of thyroid issues. The chemical, PFOA, is inert and can stay in human tissue for long periods. Researchers looked at medical records of almost 4,000 Americans and found those with the highest levels of PFOA were twice as likely to have thyroid problems.

“It's been thought that because they're inert they don't cause any health problems,” one researcher tells the Guardian, “but we're starting to see some evidence that is suggesting that's not true.” PFOA, manmade and prized for its resistance to water, grease, and heat, is present in humans and animals across the globe. The researchers admit the correlation between the chemical and thyroid issues is unclear, and thyroid disease could well result in an accumulation of PFOA, and not vice versa.

Pans for sale.
Pans for sale.   (AP Photo)
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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.
- David Melzer, Peninsula Medical School

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 20 comments
laughindragon
Jan 27, 2010 10:34 AM CST
It ain't inert if it interacts. "Previously thought to be inert" is the correct phrase.
riffran
Jan 22, 2010 8:28 AM CST
try doing a little camp fire cooking with the ole cast iron...lol...it helps season the HELL out of it...I have a dutch oven thats over 25 years old, and with a little oil to coat it with is pretty damn near non stick :)
riffran
Jan 22, 2010 8:25 AM CST
soy?...really?...didn't know about the thyroid connection...DAMN..and I like edamame, (with a little butter and salt)..:(

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