Study says that people who use particular types of dental floss may absorb hazardous compounds linked to heart disease and cancer.
Consumer products containing PFAS chemicals include fast food packaging, nonstick kitchenware, waterproof apparel, and stain-resistant carpeting.
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People can be directly exposed to the toxins through the goods they use and the meals they consume. They can also be exposed through contaminated drinking water and indoor air and dust.
PFAS are water- and grease-resistant chemicals that have been linked to a variety of health issues, including kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, low birth weight, reduced fertility, and immune system effects.
Researchers from the Silent Spring Institute discovered that certain habits, such as flossing with Oral-B Glide dental floss, resulting in greater amounts of hazardous PFAS chemicals in the body, according to a study.
The studies demonstrate how these substances wind up in people’s bodies and how they might be limited by modifying their behavior.
This is the first study to establish a relationship between using PFAS-containing dental floss and a greater PFAS body burden.
The results of the study were published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology.
The researchers examined blood samples from 178 middle-aged women and found 11 distinct PFAS compounds.
They combined the blood readings with data from interviews in which the women were questioned about nine activities that potentially contribute to increased PFAS exposures to better understand how people’s behavior influences their exposure to PFAS.
The researchers discovered that women who flossed with Oral-B Glide had higher amounts of PFAS called PFHxS (perfluorohexanesulfonic acid) in their bodies than those who didn’t.
To learn more about the link, the researchers used particle-induced gamma-ray emission (PIGE) spectroscopy to examine 18 dental flosses (including three Glide brands) for the presence of fluorine, a PFAS marker.
Fluorine was found in all three Glide products, confirming prior assertions that Glide is made from Teflon-like chemicals.
In addition, two store brand flosses with “compare to Oral-B Glide” labeling and one floss describing itself as a “single strand Teflon fiber” tested positive for fluorine.
Apart to this, other products were CVS Health EaseBetween SuperSlip Dental Floss Waxed, Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Mint and Glide Pro-Health Original, Crest Glide Deep Clean Cool Mint Floss, Safeway Signature Care Mint Waxed Comfort Floss, and Colgate Total Dental Floss Mint.
“This finding suggests that it may be more important than expected,” said Courtney Carignan, an associate professor of food science and toxicology at Michigan State University who was not part of the study.
People should choose flosses that do not contain PFAS, according to the researchers.
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Having stain-resistant carpet or furniture, as well as residing in a city with a PFAS-contaminated drinking water supply, were also connected to increased PFAS levels.
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