New research on the harmful effects of flame retardants

Flame retardants used in thousands of consumer products in the US for decades may increase the risk of death from cancer.

Flame Retardants. (Photo: Reuters).

This is the result of the National Health and Nutrition Survey published in the journal JAMA Network Open on April 1, which analyzed the concentration of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) chemical compounds in the blood of 1,100 people from five years ago. 2003 to 2004.

Researchers compared PBDE levels with death certificates over a period of 15 to 17 years and concluded that people with the highest blood PBDE levels had an approximately 300% increased risk of dying from cancer. compared to those with the lowest concentrations.

Although the study found a significant association between PBDEs and death from all types of cancer, the researchers were unable to identify specific cancer types from the available data.

Previous studies have found an association between flame retardants of different types and risk, said Dr. Leonardo Trasande, professor of pediatrics and public health at NYU Langone Health in New York City. have cancer , but finding a link to cancer mortality is a step forward for science.

Through this study, scientists call for more research on the effects of PBDEs on human health and the need to apply stricter regulations on the use of these chemicals in consumer products when PBDEs penetrate and exist for a long time in the human body, causing many unpredictable harmful effects.