Exposure to certain PFAS, these so-called “eternal” chemical pollutants to which we are exposed every day, could increase the risk of developing thyroid cancer, according to researchers.
- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a family of more than 4,000 chemical compounds. Non-stick, waterproofing, resistant to high heat, PFAS have been used since the 1950s in various industrial fields and everyday consumer products.
- Degrading very slowly in the environment, PFAS can contaminate populations through food, water or air, and cause cancer, particularly of the thyroid.
- European Parliament, environmental agencies, many institutions have declared that exposure to PFAS constitutes a health crisis.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemical substances are so-called “perennial” pollutants found in many everyday products: food packaging, technical clothing, non-stick coatings, cosmetics, etc. Better known under the name PFAS, these pollutants “extremely persistent” can “contaminate populations through food, water or air”, And “cause cancer, have effects on fertility and fetal development”, explains ANSES.
According to a new study published in the journal eBioMedicinethere would be a link between exposure to certain PFAS and an increased risk of thyroid cancer, the number of cases of which has exploded around the world in recent decades.
A link between PFAS exposure and thyroid cancer
The researchers at Mount Sinai (United States) behind the discovery relied on data from BioMe, a biological bank associated with the medical research center. They thus studied the levels of several PFAS in the plasma of 88 patients suffering from thyroid cancer and 88 people not affected by the disease.
The need to eliminate PFAS from our daily lives
As a result, it appears that “exposure to perfluorooctanesulfonic acid [n-PFOS, qui fait partie de la famille des PFAS] resulted in a 56% increase in the risk of being diagnosed with thyroid cancer.can we read in a communicated. The researchers also discovered a “positive association” with other additional PFAS chemicals, such as perfluorononanoic acid, perfluorooctylphosphonic acid, or linear perfluorohexanesulfonic acid.
So many clues which, according to them, confirm “the need to reduce and hopefully one day prevent all exposure to PFAS.”
“Today, it is almost impossible to avoid PFAS in our daily activities. We hope these results raise awareness of the seriousness of these everlasting chemicals,” concludes Professor Lauren Petrick, co-author of the study, inviting individuals to “get tested” and industrialists “to change” For “totally eliminate PFAS” of our daily life.
