http://www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/local/2004/12/23teflonproductio.html
December 23, 2004
The
News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware)
Teflon production linked
to cholesterol
DuPont, 3M accused of failing to report potential effect of chemical exposure
By JEFF MONTGOMERY /
The News Journal
Long-term studies of blood samples from workers at an Italian chemical plant
show a potential link between blood concentrations of a chemical used in
Teflon production and a slight rise in cholesterol levels, documents filed
with the Environmental Protection Agency show.
An environmental group
based in Washington, D.C., accused DuPont and 3M Co. of failing for months
to report the potential effect from chemical exposure on cholesterol levels,
and claimed the delay was similar to those involved in an earlier complaints
by the EPA.
Environmental Working
Group, based in Washington, D.C., said DuPont was aware of the issue as
early as Feb. 15, and said the later report warranted a maximum fine of
as much as $6 million under EPA guidelines.
One DuPont Co. official
who was involved in the review said Wednesday that at its earliest opportunity
earlier this year, the company notified the EPA about the finding after
agreeing that formal results would be relayed through another American company
that dealt directly with the Italian chemical firm.
"You're talking
about a spreadsheet with thousands of data points on it and you've got to
do months of statistical analysis before you can figure out whether it means
anything," said Robert Rickard, director of environmental science at
DuPont's Haskell Laboratory.
Two EPA complaints have
been lodged against DuPont claiming that the company was long overdue in
notifying regulators about possible health issues involving perfluorooctanoic
acid, or PFOA, a compound used in making Teflon. Penalties in the cases
could run into the millions, EPA officials have said.
Rickard said the blood
sampling in Italy spanned 17 years and 35 employees, giving researchers
one of the most complete records yet of PFOA concentrations in worker blood
over time.
Even so, Rickard said,
researchers obtained only limited and qualified findings. He said the results
in Italy may be inconsistent with other research findings, and may not take
into account other factors.
"We don't know
whether they've been exposed to other chemicals in their normal work process.
About all we can say is: They're healthy. There are not health effects.
There appears to be a very weak association between PFOA levels in their
blood and cholesterol," Rickard said.
The environmental group's
claim targeted a type of compound used in some forms to make DuPont's flagship
nonstick product. The chemicals involved are the subject of a study by EPA
scientists, amid concerns about the unexpected, widespread presence of PFOAs
in the environment and potential health risks.
Some animal-based studies
have suggested that the materials can increase risks of birth defects, developmental
problems or other health problems such as cancer.
Comparing the
numbers
Rickard said that concentrations
of PFOA in the blood of the Italian factory group averaged 16 parts per
million and ranged as high as 90 parts per million, far above the 500 parts
per billion range seen in some American plants and 5 parts per billion in
the general population.
A university researcher
based in Verona, Italy, found that workers exposed to PFOA had about a 15
point higher total cholesterol level compared with those without workplace
exposure.
Cholesterol is a naturally
occurring substance in the body found among the fats in the bloodstream.
It is used to form cell membranes and some hormones, among other functions.
Normal levels are considered to be below 200, with elevated levels associated
with increased risks of heart disease and stroke.
Total cholesterol levels
in the exposed workers averaged 233, compared with 214 in the nonexposed
group.
"In other words,
it seems that PFOA [probably only at high blood concentrations] can interfere
with metabolism of cholesterol," researcher Giovanni Costa wrote. "Such
findings need precise interpretation."
Costa said no significant
effects were seen in other types of blood tests.
"I think what you
can take away from this is, at most, we're seeing a minor biological change,
at the most, and we're not even sure about that," Rickard said.
Federal officials are
working with a number of companies to develop tests to determine how PFOA
and related chemicals break down and reach the environment and living tissues.
DuPont is conducting
or participating in research on the issue around the globe, ranging from
blood levels in hundreds of workers - including some at the Chambers
Works in Deepwater, N.J., and attempts to determine if the chemicals
reach humans during the breakdown of stain-resistant carpets and other consumer
products.
Contact Jeff Montgomery
at 678-4277 or jmontgomery@delawareonline.com.
