SACRAMENTO, CA— A study released today in the online issue of Environmental Science & Technology, a semi-monthly journal from the American Chemical Society, has found that a mysterious epidemic of thyroid disease among pet cats in the United States may be linked to exposure to dust shed from flame retardants in household carpeting, furniture and fabrics.
“We know that with few exceptions, when toxic chemicals harm animals, they almost always cause similar harm in humans,” said Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco). “Cats and humans are the only mammals with high incidences of hyperthyroidism and this study shows yet another link from certain fire retardants to a serious disease. We must stop playing Russian roulette with our children’s health and institute a fire safety standard that not only protects us from fire, but also protects our children and our pets from exposure to dangerous toxins.”
The study, conducted by Janice A. Dye, DVM, Ph.D., at the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency as well as colleagues and researchers from Indiana University and the University of Georgia, was based on analysis of blood samples from 23 pet cats, 11 of which had the disease, termed feline hyperthyroidism (FH). The report found evidence linking the disease to exposure to environmental contaminants called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which the researchers found to be elevated in blood samples of hyperthyroid cats. PBDE levels in the hyperthyroid cats were three times as high as those in younger, non-hyperthyroid cats.
Leno is currently carrying Assembly Bill 706 that would phase-out the use of brominated and chlorinated fire retardants in upholstered furniture and bedding products such as pillows, comforters, and mattresses. PBDEs are a brominated fire retardant. The legislation, which is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Earth and Making Our Milk Safe (MOMS), would extend the Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation’s authority to take chemical exposure risks into consideration when setting furniture flammability standards.
Symptoms of FH include weight loss, an increase in appetite, hair loss and irritability. Although FH is a recent phenomenon, it is now one of the most common and deadly diseases in older cats and indoor cats are thought to be most at-risk. With their meticulous grooming behavior, cats ingest large amounts of PBDE-laden house dust that collects on their fur that researchers believe comes from consumer household products. The danger of contracting feline hyperthyroidism might be greater in America, where people have the highest reported PBDE levels worldwide, the study said.
“While the link between hyperthyroidism in cats and their elevated PBDE levels requires additional confirmation, it is clear that house cats may be able to serve as sentinels for indoor exposure to PBDEs for humans who share their houses,” said Linda S. Birnbaum, Ph.D., a co-author of the study. No link between human hyperthyroidism and PBDE exposure has been established, Birnbaum noted, adding that some ongoing studies do suggest such a connection.
* Please see the attached study titled “Elevated PBDE Levels in Pet Cats: Sentinels for Humans?”
For those joining in gay marriages today, the road from outlaw status to respectability was paved in the Legislature over three decades.
From decriminalizing sex between same-sex couples, to outlawing job discrimination against homosexuals, to adding gay members to the legislative roster, the government has been taking steps, measure-by-measure, that have led to gay couples joining hands in marriage ceremonies across the state.
