Federal researchers have asked a respected scientific journal to pull from its Web site a government-sponsored study that warned Americans could be exposed to C8 and similar chemicals when they eat chicken eggs. By Staff writer Federal researchers have asked a respected scientific journal to pull from its Web site a government-sponsored study that warned Americans could be exposed to C8 and similar chemicals when they eat chicken eggs.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study, published in Environmental Science & Technology, was the first to find perfluorinated compounds, or PFCs, in U.S. chicken eggs.
Originally, EPA scientists cautioned that the study involved a small sample of eggs, but said the results indicated the need for a broader examination of the issue.
"A more comprehensive study should be carried out to have a better understanding of the distribution of the PFCs in chicken eggs and the potential for exposure to various PFCs through the diet," said the study, published online July 23.
Then last week, the EPA scientist who led the study abruptly revealed that his team believes they made a major error. Eggs they tested probably didn't really contain the chemical perfluorooctane sulfonate, or PFOS, the scientist said.
"It's just a very, very big embarrassment for us," said Andrew Lindstrom, the study's lead EPA researcher. "As it turns out, we're pretty sure that PFOS is not going to be an issue for the samples we had."
Still, a similar study earlier this year found PFOS in chicken eggs in China, and other scientists have consistently found such chemicals in the eggs of wild birds.
EPA officials scrambled last week to explain problems with the study, and to insist there had been no political or industry involvement in the decision to withdraw the study.
"These things happen," said Suzanne Ackerman, a spokeswoman with EPA's Office of Public Affairs in Washington. "I don't see anything nefarious about it. They made an error. They're going to correct it. The end."
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