High Worker Exposure to Perfluorinated Chemical Linked to Autoimmune Disorders

Occupational exposure to a chemical once commonly used to make nonstick and water-repellant products such as Teflon® and Gore-Tex® is associated with two autoimmune disorders, according to a Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine article published online Jan. 19.

Study authors found a significant link between exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid, known as PFOA or C8, and the inflammatory bowel disease ulcerative colitis. They also discovered an elevated number of workers suffering from rheumatoid arthritis—the second autoimmune disorder associated with the chemical—as well as some evidence of positive trends for prostate cancer, male thyroid disease and non-hepatitis liver disease.

“I was ...