LEED Report - Environment & Human Health, Inc.

The Green Building DebateAs regulators continue to review the chemical, scientists continue topublish reports of disturbing health risks: PFOA has been associatedwith testicular, pancreatic, mammary and liver tumors in male andfemale mice, as well as developmental toxicity in rodent models. Studiesin workers have shown changes in sex hormones and cholesterolassociated with the levels of PFOA in blood, as well as increases inprostate and bladder cancer.The discovery that arctic animals double the amount of PFOA in theirblood every four years demonstrates the persistence of this ubiquitouschemical. The discovery of PFOA in dogs—animals tested had PFOAlevels 2.4 times higher than those found in humans—demonstrates thepossibility that frequent contact with household wall-to-wall carpeting,furniture and other PFOA-treated items may also have implications forhuman exposures. 40Newborn babies exposed to low levels of PFOA in utero had lower birthweights. Pregnant women with high levels of PFOA report a higherincidence of preeclampsia and birth defects, while women with highPFOA levels may be twice as likely to be diagnosed with infertility. Morethan 10 percent of all women are estimated to exceed a 1 in 1000 excesslifetime cancer risk from their exposures to PFOA, and nearly 7 percentof all women exceed a safe dose for ovarian effects.Perfluorooctanoic acid(PFOA) never breaksdown in humans or in theenvironment.... Newbornbabies exposed to lowlevels of PFOA in uterohad lower birth weights.In a preliminary risk assessment of the developmental toxicity associatedwith exposure to PFOA, EPA estimated that health risks to young girls andwomen of childbearing age are higher than levels considered acceptable.No studies are available on health effects in babies exposed toPFOA-contaminated breast milk. 41Potential health effects associated with PFOAs have been researched fordecades. DuPont scientists issued internal warnings in 1961 about thehealth risks of PFOA, which led to further studies demonstrating thatPFOA accumulates in human blood, does not break down in theenvironment and may cause liver damage. Elevated levels of thechemical in DuPont workers were documented by 1980. DuPont’s35