polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Scientists have long known about some factors linked to a higher risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS).These include low levels of sunlight exposure, low vitamin D blood levels, smoking, and being infected with the Epstein Barr virus in adolescence and adulthood (infectious mononucleosis). Recent research has identified another risk factor - exposure to mixtures of PFAS and PCBs.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks myelin in the central nervous system, including the brain.

Researchers in Sweden found that people exposed to both PFAS and PCBs, resulting in higher levels of these chemicals in the blood, are at higher risk for MS. And the higher the levels of both in the blood, the higher the risk. The research was important in that it showed the need to look at mixtures of chemicals people are exposed to (real life!), not just chemicals in isolation.

PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated substances) are commonly known as "forever chemicals" due to their buildup and persistence in people and the environment. They are of great concern because they are endocrine disruptors, have harmful health effects (e.g., cancer, kidney disease, fertility problems), and unfortunately are found in many products that people use daily (e.g., nonstick pots, nonstick finishes). In the study, PCB exposure was primarily from foods, especially Baltic Sea fish, and water.

Bottom line: We can't avoid all exposures to environmental toxins, but we can lower our exposures, for example, by avoiding nonstick cookware. [More tips on avoiding harmful chemicals.]

From Medical Xpress: Exposure to PFAS and PCBs linked to higher odds of multiple sclerosis

People who have been exposed to both PFAS and PCBs are more likely to be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). These new research findings are based on analyses of blood samples from more than 1,800 individuals in Sweden, one of the most comprehensive studies to date on the influence of chemical environmental exposure on the development of MS. ...continue reading "Link Between Forever Chemicals and Multiple Sclerosis"

Uh-oh, it looks like some (many?) new or fairly new kitchen cabinets are outgassing several types of PCBs from the wood sealants used on the cabinets. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) were banned in the 1970s due to health risks - for example, they are known carcinogens, and some are neurotoxic (also here).

Researchers from the University of Iowa monitored air inside and outside 16 Iowa homes and found 3 types of PCBs (PCB-47, PCB-51, and PCB-68) wafting off the finished kitchen cabinets. They suggest that the PCBs becoming airborne are "unintentional impurities", that is, inadvertent byproducts of polymer sealants (from the common ingredient 2,4-dichlorobenzoyl peroxide) used in modern kitchen cabinetry. They found that unfinished cabinets had no PCB emissions. The concentrations seemed to be dependent on the year the house was built - with higher levels in houses built in the past 5 years (one house had just been completed), and also in a recently remodeled kitchen (new cabinets!). The cabinets were made by different manufacturers.

So now we have a new source of indoor air pollution to think about. The big questions are: 1) What, if anything, does this mean for human health? 2) How long does this outgassing from sealants go on for? 3) Are there alternative sealers that don't have this problem? By the way, the researchers discuss that household paints emit PCBs (such as PCB 11) as byproducts of paint pigment manufacturing, and yes, they were found both inside and outside houses. We love our plastics, use them in so many products, but there are consequences. From Env. Health News:

Finished kitchen cabinets are emitting toxic PCBs

Researchers tested indoor air at 16 homes and found three types of PCBs are widespread, and finished cabinets are the source of the toxics, according to a study released today. They suspect the PCBs [polychlorinated biphenyls] are byproducts of sealants used on the cabinets. The study, from the University of Iowa, is the first to suggest wood finishing products are a significant source of PCBs to indoor air and finds that, despite federal bans on PCBs, the chemicals are still being released into the environment, including our homes. ...continue reading "Kitchen Cabinet Sealants Can Be A Source of Indoor Air Pollution"