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From: jay on 20 Jun 2007 19:28
Has anyone suspected a link between long-term waterbed use and
autoimmune diseases or food allergies? I have slept on a waterbed for
approx 15 years (not continously :) and have had food allergies for
the past 7.

Waterbed mattresses tend to contain high amounts of Phthalates (esp
DEHP). It is an additive that makes plastics (mostly PVC) softer and
more flexible. It is also found at home (vinyl flooring, wall
covering, shower curtains, plastic containers, paints, glues, carpet
backing, cabling), apparel (boots, gloves), cosmetics, musk scents,
car interiors, hospitals (tubing, blood bags), household/workplace
air/dust, etc.

DEHP falls under the category of Endocrine Disruptors or xeno-
estrogens. DEHP causes Lupus in genetically suseptible mice. Endocrine
Disruptors can cause autoimmunity. See related article below:


Spotlight on the role of hormonal factors in the emergence of
autoreactive B-lymphocytes.

Pathogenic autoimmunity requires a combination of inherited and
acquired factors. In as much as hormones influence the sexual
dimorphism of the immune system, it is possible that they can initiate
or accelerate an autoimmune process, and contribute to gender-biased
autoimmune disorders. Not only natural hormones, but also endocrine
disruptors, such as environmental estrogens, may act in conjunction
with other factors to override immune tolerance to self-antigens. In
lupus, murine and human studies demonstrate that female sex hormones
are implicated in disease pathogenesis. In the B cell compartment,
both prolactin and estrogen are immunomodulators that affect
maturation, selection and antibody secretion. Their impact may be
based on their capacity to allow autoreactive B cells to escape the
normal mechanisms of tolerance and to accumulate in sufficient numbers
to cause clinically apparent disease. Both hormones lead to the
survival and activation of autoreactive B cells, but they skew B cell
maturation towards different directions, with prolactin inducing T
cell-dependent autoreactive follicular B cells and estrogen eliciting
T cell-independent autoreactive marginal zone B cells. Differential
modulation of the cytokine milieu by hormones may also affect the
development and activation of specific mature B cell subsets. This
novel insight suggests that targeted manipulation of these pathways
may represent a promising avenue in the treatment of lupus and other
gender-biased autoimmune diseases.
PMID: 16061292


Autoreactive responses to environmental factors: 3. Mouse strain-
specific differences in induction and regulation of anti-DNA antibody
responses due to phthalate-isomers.Lim SY, Ghosh SK.
Department of Life sciences, Indiana State University, 403-25 N, 6th
St, Terre Haute, IN 47809, USA.

Little is known of the role of specific environmental factors in
promoting autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus
(SLE). This study addresses how exposure to phthalates, common
environmental factors in foods, and biomedical devices could affect
the immune functions of resistant and autoimmune-prone mice. We have
previously shown that immunization with ortho-phthalate evokes anti-
DNA antibody in BALB/c and NZB/W F1 mice, but only the latter suffer
from nephritis and high mortality. BALB/c mice, in contrast, develop
idiotype-specific CD8+ suppressor T cells downregulating autoreactive
B cells. Here we report that all phthalate-isomers (ortho-, meta- and
para-) are capable of inducing anti-DNA antibody responses and SLE-
like syndromes. Kidney pathology worsens in NZB/W F1 and to a degree,
in C57BL/6 mice after repeated exposure to phthalates. Only BALB/c and
DBA/2 overcome adverse autoreactivity by induction of Ts cells; but in
vivo depletion of these T cells renders these strains susceptible to
autoreactivity. Anti-DNA antibodies in affected NZB/W F1 are largely
IgG2a-type, while in BALB/c, DBA/2, and C57BL/6 mice IgG1-type. This
is further corroborated by cytokine analyses that imply corresponding
Th1/Th2 involvement. In summary, the commonly used phthalates appear
harmful to susceptible strains, while BALB/c and DBA/2 are spared due
to induction of Ts cells.
PMID: 15993037


Endocrine disruption in adolescence: immunologic, hematologic, and
bone effects in monkeys.

Environmental contaminants with estrogenic properties have the
potential to alter pubertal development. In addition to the
reproductive system, other systems that mature under the influence of
estrogen could be affected. This study examined the effect on immune,
hematologic, and bone mass parameters of treatment with estrogenic
agents (methoxychlor, MXC, 25 and 50 mg/kg/day; diethylstilbestrol,
DES, 0.5 mg/kg/day) given in the peripubertal period to female rhesus
monkeys. DES had striking effects on several parameters assessed
measures CBC and clinical chemistry including hematocrit, hemoglobin,
serum albumin, liver transaminases, and lipids. Circulating
lymphocytes, particularly B cells, were depressed by DES, and a
maturational shift in a memory T-cell population was altered. Bone
mass and length, as measured after a 9-month recovery period, were
significantly lower in the DES group and bone mass tended to be
reduced in the femur of the MXC50 group relative to controls. In
conclusion, the data indicate that DES had a clear effect on
immunohematology and bone growth, while MXC influenced fewer
parameters. Disruption in these systems during puberty could alter
adolescent risk for anemia and infectious disease and subsequent adult
risk for diseases such as osteoporosis, heart disease, and autoimmune
disease.
PMID: 15456917

Article about Phthalates:
http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/NEWSCIENCE/oncompounds/phthalates/phthalates.htm

From: jay on 21 Jun 2007 20:18
> ... Endocrine Disruptors can cause autoimmunity...

Other common Endocrine Disruptors inlcude PFE, PFOAs (teflon coating
on cookware, coats/clothing, furniture, carpets, floor polishes, etc).
Following is a snipet from http://www.ewg.org/node/21726

"So far, five different pathways have been identified that might
explain how PFOA causes cancer and other types of toxicity. These
include mitochondrial toxicity; cell membrane disruption that results
in decreased cell communication; peroxisome proliferation; increased
levels of estrogen and decreased levels of testosterone; and decreased
thyroid hormone levels."



From: jay on 22 Jun 2007 11:12
> Other common Endocrine Disruptors inlcude PFE, PFOAs (teflon coating
> on cookware, coats/clothing, furniture, carpets, floor polishes, etc).

Snipet from http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/summary_0199-5220746_ITM

Over past decades, a whole range of fluorinated chemicals have been
synthesized and used as wetting agents, lubricants, corrosion
inhibitors, insecticides, cosmetics, fire retardants, paper coatings,
and surfactants. The high stability of the carbon-fluorine bond and
the inert characteristics of most of these compounds are regarded as
attractive properties during the manufacture of plastics, electronics,
textiles, or construction materials. For a long time, these
fluorinated chemicals were considered metabolically inert and
nontoxic. However, environmental monitoring has shown that degradation
to persistent molecules does happen on a large scale, as deduced from
the worldwide distribution of compounds such as perfluorooctane
sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA),
perfluorohexanesulfonate, and perfluorooctanesulfonamide, for
instance, describe fluorotelomer alcohols as potential sources of
perfluorinated acids in regions as remote as the Arctic. Although the
fluorotelomer alcohols are known as volatile chemicals that are
capable of long-range atmospheric transport, biologic transformation
seems to be the major degradation pathway causing deposition of
mentioned perfluorinated acids. In addition, during past years many of
the perfluorinated compounds have been found to possess undesirable
toxic characteristics. As reviewed by Lau et al. (2004),
perfluoroalkyl acids and their derivatives can cause developmental
toxicity. Exposures of rats to PFOA may cause significant lags of
weight gain of the offspring and a statistically significant increase
in mortality in both male and female pups. PFOS exposure may provoke
weight loss, hepatotoxicity, and reduction of serum cholesterol and
thyroid hormones.

PFOS apparently is also able to affect the neuroendocrine system
(Austin et al. 2003). Female rats injected with PFOS have a disturbed
estrous cyclicity and increased serum corticosterone levels with
decreasing serum leptin levels. Increased norepinephrine
concentrations were found in the paraventricular nucleus of the
hypothalamus. The fact that perfluorinated chemicals may disturb the
endocrine system is worrying and deserves further investigation. It is
generally known that a well-functioning endocrine system depends on a
delicate balance of hormones and hormone receptors that interact to
provoke complex cellular signaling. Different environmental pollutants
act as hormone mimics, binding to specific hormone receptors or
indirectly interfering with hormone signaling. The consequence may be
irreversible damage to the reproductive system, especially when living
organisms are exposed during the embryonic stages of life (Degen and
Bolt 2000; Rosselli et al. 2000). Behavioral changes are another well-
known adverse effect of disturbance caused by endocrine-disruptive
chemicals (Schantz and Widholm 2001). Although disturbance of the
thyroid system seems to be provoked by specific perfluorinated
chemicals such as PFOS, their potential for estrogen-like properties
has not been reported until now. In the present study, we evaluated
the capacity of perfluorinated compounds to reinduce cell
proliferation of growth-arrested MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Using a
combination of the E-screen assay, cell cycle analysis, and gene
expression analysis of estrogen-responsive biomarker genes, we
demonstrate the estrogenlike properties of the fluorotelomer alcohols
1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctan-1-ol (6:2 FTOH) and 1H,1H,2H,2H-
perfluorodecan1-ol (8:2 FTOH) in vitro.

From: jay on 22 Jun 2007 11:26
> Other common Endocrine Disruptors inlcude [PFCs]

>From http://www.seventhgen.com/making_difference/newsletter_article.php?article=133&issue=5

Just How Much is the Stuff of Teflon? Sticking It to Us? Are
Fluorinated Compounds the New Chlorinated Compounds?

They are among the world's most recognizable brands and shining
symbols of life made simpler by modern miracles of technology. Teflon.
Stainmaster?. Scotchgard?. SilverStone?. When these brands are around,
things don't stick, stains don't stain, and we don't have to scrub
stuff nearly as much as we used to. Recent evidence, however, suggests
that non-stick coatings may be freeing more than food and spilled
grape juice. They may be letting loose the molecules they're made from
and sticking with us for a very long while.

>From Teflon pans to Stainmaster carpets, non-stick materials have
become such an integral part of American homes, that they're now part
of our vernacular. Ronald Reagan was christened the Teflon president
because controversy seemed to bounce right off his administration
while reputed gangster John Gotti was called the Teflon Don because
prosecutors could never get their charges to stick.

>From Scotchgard to Silverstone, today's non-stick materials are based
on a class of compounds called perfluorochemicals, or PFCs. PFCs share
some unique properties that make them extremely useful. Resistant to
chemicals and heat, virtually nothing sticks to or can be absorbed by
PFCs or products made from them. These attributes make them ideal
coatings for cookware, upholstery, food packaging, appliances,
clothing, and many other kinds of products. PFCs are also used in
things like floor wax and shampoos because they have an innate ability
to repel grease and oils.

The PFC family of chemicals consists of a variety of different
substances. Chief among these is a compound called perfluorooctanoic
acid, or PFOA. PFOA is a key building block of many non-stick
products. It also is created when other types of PFCs break down
during use.

Over the years, researchers have discovered a number of unsettling
things about PFOA. They've found that it does not biodegrade or break
down in the environment. In this respect, PFOA is much like other
notorious persistent chemicals, especially chlorinated chemicals like
dioxins, PCBs, and DDT. However, there is one critical difference:
Though dioxins and other chlorinated compounds are resistant to
decomposition by the forces of biodegradation, they don't last
forever. Depending on the particular compound in question, they may
have half-lives of hundreds if not thousands of years, but nature will
eventually break them down into more harmless component parts.

This is not the case with PFOA. Studies have shown that there is no
known form of biodegradation to which PFOA is susceptible. It is
simply not affected by the actions of microorganisms, sunlight, or
water. In fact, scientists think that it may be the most persistent
manmade chemical every created. In the most basic terms, they believe
that PFOA lasts forever.

This means that PFOA is accumulating in the environment in ever-
greater quantities as increasing amounts are added to our air, water,
and soil both during the manufacture of PFC-based materials and then
again when these materials break down during use. And that brings us
to the second thing scientists have discovered about PFOA: Like many
chlorinated compounds, it is also accumulating in our bodies.

Fifteen PFC-related chemicals have been detected in human blood and
tissues. That's every single PFC compound for which researches have so
far tested people. This contamination is so widespread that it appears
to be nearly universal. A study conducted by Scotchguard maker 3M, for
example, checked the blood of 598 children from 23 states and the
District of Columbia. PFOA was found in 96% of the tested samples. The
levels in adult bloodstreams throughout the country are similar.
Scientists estimate that 90% of the American population has some level
of PFC contamination.

Current evidence suggests that PFOA has a half-life of 4.4 years in
the human body. That is, after 4.4 years, the amount of PFOA in blood
and bodily tissues (assuming no further exposure occurs) should be
reduced by 50%. After another 4.4 years, the remaining 50% should be
reduced by half again for a total reduction of 75% and so on.

The ubiquitous presence of PFOA and other PFCs in our products,
environment, and bodies is troubling for many reasons. PFOA is a
suspected carcinogen that's been linked to testicular, pancreatic,
breast, and liver cancer. It is also an endocrine (or hormonal)
disruptor known to cause increased levels of estrogen and abnormal
testosterone regulation in the body. In addition, PFOA can damage the
thyroid gland and cause hyperthyroidism, a condition that can affect
hearing and brain development. PFOA also disrupts the immune system by
damaging a variety of different kinds of immune cells responsible for
protecting us from illness. Scientists, in fact, have yet to find a
PFOA exposure level low enough to not cause immune system dysfunction.
And, if that's not enough, PFOA is also able to cause reproductive and
developmental problems like low birth weight, decreased growth, and
birth defects.

All this information leaves us with one very important question: What
can consumers do to protect themselves from PFOA exposures? The key is
to keep further exposures to an absolute minimum by keeping PFC-based
products out of the home. That means taking steps like these:

· Avoid non-stick pans and cookware. In addition to releasing PFOA
over time, tests show that these items release hazardous fumes when
heated during even normal use. Instead, invest in cast iron cookware
and take the time to properly season it. (Seasoning is a process by
which a cast iron surface is coated with shortening and then baked in
order to create a smooth, slick surface.) A well-seasoned pan will
function just like one coated in Teflon--foods slide right out and
clean up is a breeze.

· If you choose to use a non-stick pan or other similarly coated
cookware, never apply heat to it while it's empty. Empty cookware gets
very hot very quickly. Water, cooking oils, and other liquids absorb
heat and prevent the cookware holding them from overheating, a process
which causes the non-stick coating to breakdown more rapidly and
release large amounts of PFOA in a single burst.

· When you purchase carpet or upholstered furniture, shop for products
that are not pre-treated for stain resistance and refuse any such
additional treatments stores or manufacturers may offer. Note that
while 3M reformulated its famous Scotchguard treatment in 2001 in
response to concerns about PFOA, the reformulation relies on a
compound called PFBS, which is chemically related to PFOS and may
present similar problems. (PFBS remains largely unstudied.)

· Don't buy or wear clothing that says its been treated to repel
water, dirt, or stains.

· Cut out as much processed food as you can from your diet. Avoid fast
foods, especially greasy types, as well. Many of the containers used
to package these kinds of foods are coated with PFCs in order to
prevent grease and oils from soaking through. This especially true
where paper- and cardboard-based packaging is concerned. If you choose
to buy these kinds of foods, remove them from their original packaging
as soon as possible and store and heat them in glass or ceramic
containers instead.

· Do not use microwave popcorn, which is typically sold and prepared
in PFC-coated bags. Instead, combine a quarter cup of high quality
popping corn in a regular unbleached brown paper lunch bag, mix with
the recommended amount of oil and any desired seasoning, fold over the
opening, and staple the bag with a single staple. (Don't worry--that's
not enough metal to cause sparking!) Heat for two to three minutes or
simply use the popcorn setting on your microwave.

· Be careful what kind of paper plates you use at picnics and other
events. If the plate looks glossy, don't use it.

· Scrutinize personal care and cosmetic product labels carefully.
Avoid those with any ingredient that contains "fluoro" or "perfluoro"
as part of its name. This indicates the presence of a PFC.

· Be wary of dental floss. Many brands are coated with a type of
Teflon called PTFE. Stick to plain, unwaxed varieties.

If you'd like more information about the issue of perfluorochemicals,
the Environmental Working Group maintains a highly informative website
on the subject at http://www.ewg.org/reports/pfcworld/.

From: jay on 22 Jun 2007 11:48
> Waterbed mattresses tend to contain high amounts of Phthalates (esp
> DEHP). It is an additive that makes plastics (mostly PVC) softer and
> more flexible.

>From http://www.ewg.org/node/17286

Study says household dust holds dangerous chemicals
Homes in 7 states tested for residues of consumer goods

Common household dust contains a variety of hazardous chemicals
originating from everyday consumer products, including Teflon and
other nonstick cookware and fabrics coated with water-resistant Gore-
Tex, according to a study released Tuesday.

The study, one of the first of its kind, showed that hidden away in
dust balls in vacuum cleaner bags were 35 toxic industrial chemicals
that are legal in products but have been shown to cause reproductive,
respiratory and other health problems in humans or test animals.

The study by a consumer research group was the first to look for --
and find -- the so-called perfluorinated compounds used in hundreds of
ordinary products. The dust came from 70 houses in seven states,
including some in the Bay Area.

"This is a snapshot of hazardous chemicals in households. If we chose
to look for more chemicals, I'm sure we'd have found them," said
Beverley Thorpe, the group's director.

Far and away in the greatest amount were the little-known phthalates,
ubiquitous plasticizers used to soften everything vinyl, including
flooring, raincoats, shoes and purses, tablecloths, shower curtains,
upholstery, carpet backing, garden hoses and PVC water pipes.

The study was conducted by Clean Production Action, a Montreal-based
international nonprofit project of the Tides Center in San Francisco.
The dust samples were analyzed by a Texas laboratory that for the past
15 years has been the prime investigator of chemicals in dust,
including for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and private
research groups.

The study measured the quantities in the dust and didn't attempt to
determine exposure levels or possible health effects on people living
in the houses. New evidence of chemicals in breast milk, human blood
and wildlife spurred the group to conduct the survey, Thorpe said.

"The real question we should be asking our government is, why should
we take chances on chemicals we know are inherently hazardous when
safe chemicals exist, and progressive companies are putting in place
safe chemical policies?" she said.

The group is calling for the federal Toxics Substances Control Act to
be revamped to require safety testing of the thousands of chemicals in
commerce in order to remain on the market. The group considers
European initiatives as models for regulating the chemicals.

Representatives of the vinyl industry, which uses phthalates and
organotins, said the study contained nothing new that hadn't already
been reported in the last five years.

"These levels do not suggest a health threat. The fact that you
measure something in dust doesn't mean it's going to cause a health
threat," said Allen Blakey, spokesman for the Vinyl Institute, a trade
group in Arlington, Va.

"Vinyl building products have been used safely and effectively for 50
years, and consumers can continue to rely on these products."

Robert Buck, a chemist at Dupont, which uses PFOA, or
perfluorooctanoic acid, to make Teflon cookware, said the company has
conducted a rigorous scientific study. "We know that our cookware will
not result in an exposure to PFOA for consumers," Buck said. Other
Dupont Teflon products such as carpeting don't use PFOA, he said.

The study looked for 44 different chemicals in six classes of
chemicals that are common in consumer products, yet have been
associated with reproductive and immune system problems, asthma and
other ill health effects in animal or human studies.

They are phthalates, alkylphenols, pesticides, brominated flame
retardants, organotins and perfluorinated surfactants.

The 70 participants nationwide, including in San Francisco, San
Anselmo, Berkeley, Oakland, El Cerrito and San Jose, generally worked
in environmental fields.

In Berkeley, Helen Kang, an associate professor at Golden Gate
University School of Law, vacuumed over a week, sent off her sample to
the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio and was surprised at
the results.

"I'm sure each of us had the sense that our numbers would have been
lower," said Kang, a mother of two. "We're sensitive to environmental
risks because of the work that we do." She said she and her husband
try to minimize toxic products around their house.

Jeanette Swafford, a San Anselmo mother of a 21-month-old, said she
and her husband were taken aback by the results.

"We try to be really conscious in what we do, especially as new
parents trying to protect our little girl," said Swafford, who works
at Commonweal, a health and environmental research institute in
Bolinas.

"We feel as though an individual consumer doesn't have a chance," she
said.

California has already phased out two forms of the brominated flame
retardants. A bill in the Legislature would ban in cosmetics two forms
of phthalates; another would ban phthalates and bisphenol A in baby
bottles and children's toys; and a third would require cosmetics
companies to report the use of certain dangerous chemicals to the
state Department of Health Services.

Dangers in dust

A new report, "Sick of Dust," found six classes of chemicals in
household dust:

-- Phthalates topped the list with three different forms -- DEHP, BBP
and DPB -- all used in vinyl and other products. The chemical has been
shown in lab studies to disrupt reproductive systems, particularly in
male offspring. It also can contribute to respiratory problems in
children.

-- Alkylphenols are used in the manufacture of all-purpose cleaners,
textiles and paints. Alkylphenols mimic natural estrogen hormones,
leading to altered sexual development in some organisms.

-- Pesticides were found in the samples, with the insecticide
permethrin leading the list followed by pentachlorophenol. The
chemicals can have adverse effects on the hormone system and cause
cancer.

-- Brominated flame retardants, which are found in polyurethane foams,
polystyrene, electronics and textiles. They accumulate in the body and
mimic thyroid hormones.

-- Organotins are additives in vinyl and used in fungicides and anti-
fouling agents for wood surfaces and in cooling towers. They are
poisonous in small amounts and can disrupt hormone and reproductive
systems.

-- Perfluorinated surfactants -- two of them PFOS and PFOA -- are in
floor polishes, film and denture cleaners. PFOA is used to make Teflon
cookware. The surfactants are also in Gore-Tex. They are potentially
carcinogenic and damage organ function and sexual development in lab
animals.

Source: "Sick of Dust: Chemicals in Common Products -- A Needless
Threat in Our Homes," at www.safer-products.org

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