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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Dental floss used to clean teeth of food scraps may contain toxic chemicals that can contribute to serious health problems, according to a recent US study.
Researchers at the Silent Spring Institute, in collaboration with the California Institute of Public Health, published the results in the latest issue of the journal Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology.
The researchers said that certain types of consumer products, including flossing, were contributing to the increase in concentrations of toxic chemicals called PFAS in the body, badociated with many health problems.
PFAS is a water and grease resistant chemical used in a range of consumer products, including fast food packaging, waterproof clothing and stain resistant carpets.
People are exposed to substances directly by the products they use and the foods they consume, or may be exposed to, contaminated dust and drinking water.
Scientists worry about the widespread spread of PFAS because these chemicals are linked to serious diseases such as kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid, high cholesterol, low birth weight and low fertility, as well as its effects on the immune system.
The researchers measured 11 different PFAS chemicals in blood samples from 178 middle-aged women exposed to these substances through products, including flossing.
The researchers badyzed 18 dental lines using a technique called particle spectroscopy of gamma ray emissions, of which 3 included toxic PFAS chemicals.
The researchers found that women who used PFAS products, including flossing, increased the proportion of PFAS toxic chemicals in their bodies, exposing them to health risks.
"This is the first study showing that the use of dental floss containing PFAS toxic chemicals is badociated with an increase in these substances in the body," said lead author Katie Borono.
"The good news is that based on our results, users can choose a line that does not contain PFAS and avoid packed fast foods," she said.
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