Into The Fire

Introduction

A chemical used in manufacturing nonstick kitchenware is increasing risk of thyroid disease in people, reports a study. The blood of 3,966 adults aged 20 years and above was sampled. Those with a perfluorooctanoic acid concentration of above 5.7 nanogrammes per millilitre of their blood were more than twice at risk of thyroid disease than those with lower amounts in blood. About 163 women and 46 men in the group reported having the disease even as their blood samples were taken. The chemical is highly stable which reduces chances of it being broken down by body tissues.

Source

Down To Earth, February 2010