Exposure to manmade “forever” chemicals could alter the biological development of children and cause diseases, a new study has found.
Polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are used in a wide range of household products and are referred to as “forever” chemicals because they break down very slowly and build up in the environment and in the human body.
Studies in the past have discovered that these chemicals have been proven to increase the risk of certain diseases. However, a recent study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives found exposure to them can also impact children’s biological development — particularly thyroid function — which is particularly concerning for kids.
“Our findings were surprising and have broad implications for policymakers trying to mitigate risk,” Jesse A. Goodrich, assistant professor of population and public health sciences and lead author of the study said. “We found that exposure to a combination of PFAS not only disrupted lipid and amino acid metabolism but also altered thyroid hormone function.”
Researchers took blood samples from two groups: adolescents in the Study of Latino Adolescents and children in Southern California Children’s Health Study. They found all the participants had a combination of PFAS in their blood, detecting PFOS, PFHxS, PFHpS, PFOA and PFNA.
They also looked at how these PFAS affected naturally occurring chemicals in both groups, first measuring the chemicals in the blood and then assessing the levels after being exposed to the multitude of PFAS.
According to Goodrich, the exposure to PFAS and how it affected thyroid hormone function was surprising and has a critical role in growth and metabolism.
Thyroid hormones are vital in children’s development during puberty and are vital for the growth and maturation of many target tissues, including the brain and skeleton. Damage to the thyroid’s function could potentially increase the potential of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer in children.
Researchers also noted that both groups were affected after being exposed to a mixture of PFAS, not just one chemical.
“We are really only beginning to understand the range of effects that these chemicals have on human health,” Dr. Leda Chatzi, professor of population and public health sciences and a co-author on the study said. “While current interventions have focused on phasing out the use of individual PFAS, such as PFOS and PFOA, this research shows why the focus should be on reducing exposure to all PFAS chemicals.”
Previous studies have linked the forever chemicals — first introduced in the 1930s and often found in household products, packaging and non-stick cookware — to liver cancer. Studies show the chemicals inhibit the body’s ability to metabolize glucose, bile acid, and branched-chain amino acids resulting in unhealthy levels of fat accumulation.