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When the snow falls heavy and wet, the sharp Nordic ski racer -- knowing that a carefully cooked combination of waxes tailor-made for the conditions can be the difference between winning and losing -- coats her skis with a "fluorinated" wax.
The fluorine-containing chemicals in some ski waxes -- called perfluorochemicals or PFCs -- are in the same family as the magical ingredient that puts the "non-stick" in Teflon cookware.
Both make sliding luxuriously easy, whether it's an egg off a skillet or skis over the snow, and both concern toxicologists who have learned that some form of PFCs can now be found in the blood of almost all Americans, even newborns.
The Environmental Protection Agency says a derivative of some PFCs called perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, is a possible carcinogen.
How the contaminants get into our blood -- and how big a contribution ski wax may make -- is difficult to pin down. Fluorinated chemicals are found in all kinds of household products, from stain-resistant carpets and children's clothes to Gore-Tex, Teflon and even microwave popcorn bags.
Even if the total contribution of toxins from the ski industry is relatively small, fluorinated ski wax may be of special concern because any wax rubbed off on the snow surface will eventually melt directly into the water supply.
Full Story: http://dailycamera.com/news/2008/jan/13/
whats-in-your-ski-wax-slippery-coating-may-be/
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What's In Your Ski Wax? Slippery Coating May Be Toxic
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By Laura Snider
Daily Camera, Boulder, CO, January 13, 2008
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