Friday 7 October 2016

Former pesticide ingredient found in dolphins, birds, fish

Date:September 21, 2016
Source:American Chemical Society (ACS)

A family of common industrial compounds called perfluoroalkyl substances, which are best known for making carpets stain resistant and cookware non-stick, has been under scrutiny for potentially causing health problems. Focusing on one of the family's sub-groups, scientists report for the first time that some dolphins, fish and birds have perfluoroalkyl phosphinic acids (PFPIAs) in their blood. The work appears in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Studies on PFPIAs have been limited, but some have detected the compounds in human blood samples. The substances also stick around in the environment for a long time, which makes them likely to be inhaled or ingested by people and animals. This particular subgroup of perfluoralkyl substances was once used in pesticides and continues to be used in other industrial applications such as carpet cleaning.

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