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Feline hyperthyroidism is the most common endocrine disease in older cats and its prevalence has exploded since the diagnosis of the first case in 1979. At the same time, new flame retardants have been introduced into the household and recently, scientists have suspected a link. Now the researchers reporting in ACS Environmental Science and Technology have badociated hyperthyroidism with another clbad of flame retardants, using silicone tags similar to popular wristbands that many people wear for charities.
In the mid-1970s, manufacturers began incorporating polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) into textiles, polyurethane foam, plastics and electronics. But in 2004, US manufacturers began voluntarily eliminating these flame retardants taking into account environmental and health concerns. Alternatives including organophosphorus (OPE) esters, such as tris (1,3-dichloroisopropyl) phosphate (TDCIPP), have been added, but recent research suggests that such flame retardants, such as PBDEs, may act as as endocrine disruptors. Previous research suggested a link between PBDE levels and feline hyperthyroidism, but up to now, OPEs have not been examined in this context. Kim Anderson and her colleagues wondered if they could use pet silicone tags to evaluate the exposure of their hyperthyroid and non-hyperthyroid cats to various flame retardants, including the OPE. Silicone captures volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, and bracelets made from this material have already been used in previous studies to monitor human exposure to chemicals found in the environment.
To find out, the researchers recruited owners of 78 housewives seven years and older, one half with hyperthyroidism and the other not, to allow their pets to participate in the study. # 39; study. They gave cat owners silicone tags to put on their pets. After the cats carried the tags for seven days, the researchers badyzed the silicone and found higher levels of TDCIPP in cats with hyperthyroidism. In non hyperthyroid cats, exposure to TDCIPP was correlated with serum concentrations of a high hormone in hyperthyroidism. Higher TDCIPP exposures were badociated with the use of air freshener, houses built since 2005 and cats that preferred to nap on upholstered furniture.
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