According to one study, synthetic chemicals, also known as ‘forever chemicals’, which are commonly found in food packaging and some kitchen utensils, can more than quadruple a person’s risk of developing cancer. Perfluooctane sulphate (PFAS) chemicals are found in a variety of consumer and industrial products, including nonstick cookware, tap water, seafood, waterproof clothing, cleaning products, and even shampoo.
They are referred to as ‘forever chemicals’ because they degrade slowly and accumulate in the environment and human tissue, including the liver. Researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles discovered that these ‘forever chemicals’ can increase a person’s risk of developing non-viral hepatocellular carcinoma, a type of liver cancer. They discovered that people who had the most documented exposure to these toxins had a 4.5-fold increased risk of being diagnosed with the disease compared to those who had the least.
Though previous animal studies suggested that PFAS exposure increases the risk of liver cancer, Monday’s study published in JHEP Reports is the first to confirm the presence in human samples. ‘This builds on previous research, but goes one step further,’ said Jesse Goodrich, PhD, lead author of the study and postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine, in a statement.
‘One of the most serious endpoints in liver disease is liver cancer, and this is the first human study to show that PFAS are associated with this disease,’ he added. The USC researchers based their findings on data from the Multiethnic Cohort Study, a project similar to the UK biobank that collects massive amounts of medical data from people in Hawaii and the Los Angeles area. The researchers analysed blood samples from cancer patients prior to diagnosis and compared them to a control group of people who never developed the disease.
They discovered that these man-made harmful chemicals enter the liver after being ingested in some way, just like many other harmful substances the body eventually consumes. They then become embedded in the liver and significantly alter its processes as a result. The USC team discovered that PFOS altered glucose metabolism, bile acid metabolism, and amino acid metabolism in the liver. As a result, more fat formed around the liver, increasing the risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, according to the Daily Mail.
Post Your Comments