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 It’s in your cookware, your clothing, furniture, carpets, popcorn bags and even in your food! It’s perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and it remains indefinitely in the environment and even gets stuck in your body. PFOA is a toxicant and known carcinogen that has been detected in the blood of more than 98% of the US population. Exposure to this chemical has been associated with increased cholesterol, uric acid levels, preeclampsia, heart disease, liver damage, thyroid trouble, neurological disorders, chronic kidney disease and kidney cancer.

High levels of exposure to the Teflon (a DuPont registered trademark) chemical PFOA causes the risk of testicular cancer to skyrocket by 170 percent.

DuPont’s plant on the Ohio River has used PFOA since the 1950s to make chemicals used in the production of nonstick products, oil-resistant paper packaging like hamburger wrappers, and stain-resistant textiles. PFOA is pretty much in anything wrinkle-free, heat-proof, stain-resistant, and more.

Children downstream from a DuPont chemical plant on the Ohio River carry PFOA in their blood prompting one of the first studies of its effects on kids. Out of more than 10,000 kids ages 1 to 17, those with the highest levels were more likely to have thyroid disease. Of course, these results only support previous findings from studies with adults.

Thyroid hormones play critical roles in metabolism, growth and brain development. These hormones are especially important during fetal development and early childhood with small changes in thyroid hormone levels during these developmental periods affecting IQ and motor skill development in children.