Forever chemical exposure may increase the risk of developing several malignancies.
Recent studies have shown that women with uterine, skin, breast, and ovarian malignancies had much greater levels of these forever chemicals in their systems. The phrase “forever chemicals” describes synthetic chemicals that are utilised in a range of sectors and do not decompose naturally in the environment or in living things.
Globally, 8.8 million women will have cancer in 2020. Researchers are still looking into other cancer risk factors for women, such as being exposed to “forever chemicals.”
The Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology recently published this study.
In Depth
In this study, the concentrations of phenols such bisphenol A (BPA) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in women with certain malignancies were the main research topics.
Polycarbonate plastics, which are used in water bottles, shatterproof windows, eyewear, and coatings, are typically made with the chemical BPA. According to earlier studies, BPA may cause human cancer and have other harmful effects on health.
Data from blood and urine samples taken from men and women as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were examined by Dr. Aung and his team. Two datasets were employed.
Result
The team first looked at PFAS levels in over 16,000 people, and the second looked at phenol/paraben levels in over 10,000 people. They also used self-reported diagnoses of melanoma, thyroid, breast, ovarian, uterine, and prostate cancers as well as extracted concentrations of 12 different phenols/parabens and seven different PFAS.
After study, researchers discovered that women with significant exposure to PFDE, a kind of PFAS, had a twofold increased risk of being diagnosed with melanoma. Additionally, women who were exposed more frequently to the PFNA and PFUA PFAS chemicals had almost twice as likely of receiving a melanoma diagnosis.
Furthermore, researchers found a connection between PFNA and a prior uterine cancer diagnosis. Also, women who were exposed to phenols like BPA frequently had an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer.
