Common Chemical Linked to Thyroid Disease

Exposure to the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) may be associated with thyroid disease in women, according to a new study. PFOA is a persistent organic chemical used in nonstick cookware and stain- and water-resistant coatings for carpets and fabrics.

The thyroid gland is a horseshoe-shaped endocrine gland in the neck. It is important for maintaining heart rate, regulating body temperature and supporting many other body functions, including metabolism, reproduction, digestion and mental health.

The study included 3,974 adults whose blood was sampled between 1999 and 2006 as part of the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

The researchers found that women with the highest 25 percent of PFOA concentrations (above 5.7 nanograms per milliliter of blood) were more than twice as likely to report current thyroid disease than those with the lowest 50 percent of PFOA concentrations (below 4.0 nanograms per milliliter). In men, there was a similar trend that did not reach statistical significance.

However, additional research is needed to confirm these results and to determine a potential mechanism of action.

For more information about persistent organic pollutants, please visit Natural Standard's Environment & Global Health database.

Comments

[DF]

The Environmental Working Group says that when Teflon-coated cookware is heated to broiling temperatures, it may release PFOA into the air. The organization suggests using other types of cookware such as cast iron or stainless steel.

[Glenn]

I agree that additional research is needed in this area. This study is not very conclusive since it's just showing a possible link between the chemical and thyroid cancer. There could be many other factors at play.

[GS]

Has this chemical been linked to any other safety concerns? If it's used in nonstick cooking sprays, I would think the FDA would have already tested its safety.

[rgorensh]

It’s so scary how seemingly everything in the world around us can lead to illness. We live with all these chemicals, and years later, it turns out something like to PFOA (which I’ve never even heard of before) can lead to thyroid disease. Since the thyroid supports such systemic bodily functions as body temperature, metabolism, reproduction, digestion and mental health (!), I would imagine that thyroid disease is something that affects one’s whole well-being. I wonder, however, how much exposure to household items is needed in order to reach the 25% PFOA concentration.

[James Miller]

Hey GS. I don’t think PFOA is in cooking sprays. It’s on non-stick cookware (pans where you don’t need to use butter/oil). Well, actually I don’t think it is, exactly. I’m pretty sure they coat the pans in Teflon. But, I think PFOA is what Teflon breaks down into when it gets too hot and oxidizes. I wonder who has to approve cookware? Is it the FDA?

[jjohnson]

I don’t think it’s the FDA that approves cookware, James. In fact, I’m not sure what kind of approval process they are subjected to. It does seem like on an almost daily basis, another chemical found in things we use every day is thought to be linked to some disease. I think this shows the benefits of a more natural lifestyle; one using less chemicals.

In this case, going back to the cast iron pan, one which was around long before these fancy chemicals, sounds like a good idea. I had heard about the possible dangers associated with non-stick pans before and have actually noticed bits of them flaking off into the food I’ve cooked! Scary!

[spice fairy]

From what I can gather, nonstick finished (or any finishes applied to cookware) fall into two categories for regulation: 1) those intended for commercial use and 2) those intended for non-commercial (home) use.

For commercial-use products, the FDA approves the chemical used for finishing and tests it to assure no harmful chemicals can be extracted with heat. Only chemicals approved by the FDA can be used as nonstick finishes.

For home-use cookware, the regulations do not apply. The “housewares exemption” of the food additive clause of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, excludes cookware that is used in the home from the strict regulation of commercial cookware. The exception to this clause is that the FDA will take immediate action to protect the public health if a nonstick cooking device is found to contaminate foods with an unsafe substance.

[Tootsie Roll]

It bothers me to see that so many chemicals are being used to make the things that we use every day. While a healthy lifestyle, diet, regular exercise and all of these other things are important, how can we know if our pots and pans and plastic products are slowly killing us? Is it even possible to live without chemicals nowadays? The truth is, these chemicals are probably linked to many different cancer types, not just thyroid cancer. It's just that when somebody gets cancer s/he would not even think that these everyday items could have caused it.

[A celebrity chef]

Teflon, and even its made-up, pseudo hi-tech, synthetic-is-better name, is truly a relic from the same era that brought us Formica, Wonder Bread and Dream Whip. I can't believe non-stick cookware (coated in miracle chemicals!) has survived into the organic, locavore, heirloom tomato and quinoa era of modern culture. Big surprise that the products of yesterday's World of Tomorrow! turn out to poison us. Teflon should go the way of saccharine, FD&C Red No. 2 and asbestos.

[as_pharm_student]

It's very concerning that PFOA and its cousin PFOS appear to be associated with thyroid disease. However, this study does not examine how a person might end up in the highest 25 percent for serum concentrations of PFOA or PFOS. Is it due to higher exposure? If so, what kind of exposure? Normal, everyday use of non-stick cookware? Or living near a factory that applies PFOA/PFOS to products 40+ hours per week? Or does a preexisting thyroid condition slow a person’s clearance of PFOA/PFOS from the body? These are all questions that need further investigation.

[Maria S]

This study linking chemicals from nonstick cookware to thyroid disease is scary! I have heard rumors for years that nonstick pans should be thrown out as soon as they get even one little nick in the coating. I always figured these were just urban myths and have continued to use several scratched nonstick pots and pans.

I also have some Pyrex pots, which are definitely not nonstick. Does anyone know if using those would be associated with health risks?

[Jenny L]

I wonder what the PFOA does to the thyroid. It seems to me that PFOA can alter the thyroid function in either over- or under-production of the thyroid hormone. It will be interesting to see if there are still statistically significant in the sub categories.

[kris]

While I do not think that the results from one study are very conclusive, I do think that this article serves as a good reminder that everyone needs to be a little bit more mindful of not only what they eat, but also what they use in their day-to-day lives. I feel like most people just go through the motions of the day without putting much thought into what they are exposed to, such as cooking tools, cleaning products, etc. Hopefully, this discovery will bring about more stringent product testing and a move toward natural vs. synthetic products being used around the home.