PBDEs, cats, and children - perchlorate too

[Guest guest]

Even the ACS is taking the newly announced PBDE finding seriously! A

second article herein describes a breast milk/perchlorate study being

launched. The induction of thyroid problems would be enhanced by

perchlorate plus PBDEs within the body of humans, including human embryos,

fetuses, and infants.

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foto: O.P., one of 11 cats with feline hyperthyroidism tested for PBDEs,

had such high levels of the contaminants that he was considered an outlier

in the study. by Janice Dye

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August 15, 2007

PBDEs, cats, and children

New research suggests that chronic exposure to PBDEs may be more

endocrine-disrupting than previously believed

Copyright © American Chemical Society

http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/aug/science/kb_cats.html

New ES & T research (DOI: 10.1021/es0708159) documents that house cats can

have extraordinarily high concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ether

(PBDE) flame retardants in their blood. Janice Dye, a veterinary internist

at the U.S. EPA's National Health and Environmental Effects Research

Laboratory (NHEERL), and her colleagues say their findings suggest that

" chronic [cumulative] low-dose PBDE exposure may be more

endocrine-disrupting than would be predicted by most short-term or even

chronic PBDE exposure studies in laboratory rodents. " They contend that

cats can serve as sentinels for chronic human exposure—of both children

and adults—to the persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic compounds. Many

ideas for tucking away carbon are waiting for economic incentives.

PBDEs are known to impair thyroid functioning. They have been used since

the late 1970s as flame retardants in household products, including

upholstered furniture, carpet padding, and electronics. During that same

time period, the incidence of a cat thyroid ailment, known as feline

hyperthyroidism, has risen dramatically. " Feline hyperthyroidism . . . was

never reported " 35 years ago, but " now it is very common, " explains

coauthor Birnbaum, director of NHEERL's experimental toxicology

division. The disease's cause has been a mystery, Dye says.

PBDE concentrations in blood serum of the 23 house cats participating in

the study were 20–100 times higher than the median levels of PBDEs in

people living in North America, who have been shown to have the world's

highest human PBDE levels. Eleven of the cats in the study suffered from

feline hyperthyroidism, and the study " points the finger at the

association " between the endocrine-disrupting compounds and the disease,

Dye says.

Dye and her colleagues observed that the median PBDE concentrations in

their study group's young cats were on a par with the levels reported in a

sampling of North American children. The paper shows that both cat food

and house dust are likely sources of the cats' PBDEs. Although scant

research has examined PBDE uptake in small children, studies from

Australia, Norway, and the U.S. document that children younger than 4

years can have far higher levels of the compounds than adults.

Scientists hypothesize that this is because PBDEs can be found in house

dust and young children are exposed to far more dust than older people.

Cats' meticulous and continuous grooming habits could conceivably result

in PBDE uptake similar to what toddlers are exposed to through their

increased contact with floors and " mouthing " behaviors, Birnbaum says.

Laboratory animals exposed to PBDEs before and after birth can have

problems with brain development, including learning, memory, and behavior.

The PBDE uptake pattern of the cats in the study mirrors that of North

American people, Dye points out. Both have unusually large " outlier

populations " of individuals with PBDE levels that are four to seven times

greater than the median concentrations.

The paper makes a convincing case that cats can be " a useful sentinel

species for both [human] exposure to PBDEs and examination of endocrine

disruption, " notes Tom Webster, an associate professor at the Boston

University School of Public Health's department of environmental health.

Åke Bergman, chair of Stockholm University's environmental chemistry

department, agrees, adding that the paper is noteworthy for showing that

many cats harbor high quantities of the only PBDE compounds still being

used in North America and Europe, which are associated with the Deca

formulation used to flame retard electronics products. As of 2004, the

lighter weight PBDEs associated with the Penta and Octa PBDE formulations

used in polyurethane foam and other plastics were banned in Europe and

discontinued in the U.S. However, these compounds are still found in

older furniture and household furnishings, including upholstered furniture

and carpeting.

For all of these reasons, the new research " supports the need for more

studies on [PBDE] exposure to children from house dust, " says

Stapleton, an assistant professor at Duke University's School of

the Environment.

—KELLYN BETTS

Copyright © American Chemical Society

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*Effects of water on breast milk studied*

By Casey Peacock: Freedom Newspapers

August 15 2007 11:05 PM

http://www.cnjonline.com/news/kirk_22666___article.html/perchlorate_breast.html

Representatives from the University of Texas at Arlington and Texas Tech

University are conducting research in the area to determine the effects of

perchlorate exposure to infants through ingestion of breast milk.

Research has shown that Roosevelt and Curry counties have tested positive

for high levels of perchlorate in water, according to Kirk, UTA

postdoctoral research fellow.

“Perchlorate is a highly water-soluble anion (particle with a negative

charge) that is formed naturally in the environment and also synthesized

for use in explosives, rocket fuel, fireworks and industrial

applications,” Kirk said

The studies will compare women who live in areas having high levels of

environmental perchlorate compared with those who live in areas with low

levels, Kirk said.

Too much perchlorate can lead to insufficient iodide in the system,

causing a person to develop hypothyroidism, Kirk said.

An adult who develops hypothyroidism can be treated, but the condition for

an infant is more serious, Kirk said. A baby who was severely iodide

deficient during fetal development could suffer from severe mental

retardation or learning disabilities, hearing impairment and attention

deficits, Kirk said.

“The degree of severity will depend on how long the baby was hypothyroid

and on how much or little thyroid hormone was available,” Kirk said.

The problem with too much perchlorate is the body thinks it is iodide,

which is an essential nutrient, Kirk said. The thyroid gland uses iodide

to make thyroid hormones but prefers to use the perchlorate.

Portales resident Woodruff recently completed participation in the

study with her 1-year-old son . Woodruff, who holds a degree in

chemistry and worked as a breast-feeding peer counselor for the WIC Office

in Belen, was intrigued by the study.

Woodruff said she is conscious about what goes into her system that can be

transferred through her breast milk.

“I’ll be interested to know how much perchlorate is in the water,”

Woodruff said.

Two studies are being conducted: One that lasts 24 hours and a three-month

study.

Kirk said she is looking for breast-feeding mothers to participate.

Participants in each study will be required to collect breast milk, urine

and water samples, Kirk said.

All supplies will be provided by Kirk for the participants in the studies.

Participants will receive $50 for the 24-hour study and $150 for the

longer one, Kirk said.

Kirk also stressed that residents should not panic about the findings but

only to be cautious.

*

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