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This is nothing to smile about.
Oral-B Glide dental floss contributes to elevated levels of toxic PFAS chemicals in the body, according to a new study from the Silent Spring Institute in collaboration with the Public Health Institute in Berkeley, California.
Scientists are worried about widespread exposure to PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in the population because the water- and grease-proof substances have been linked with kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, low birth weight, decreased fertility and immune system damage.
The research, published this week in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, offers new insight into how these chemicals end up in human bodies — and how we can limit exposure by modifying our behaviors.
“This is the first study to show that using dental floss containing PFAS is associated with a higher body burden of these toxic chemicals,” says lead author Katie Boronow, a staff scientist at Silent Spring. “The good news is, based on our findings, consumers can choose flosses that don’t contain PFAS.”
Researchers measured 11 different PFAS chemicals in blood samples taken from 178 middle-aged women enrolled in the Public Health Institute’s Child Health and Development Studies, a multigenerational study of the impact of environmental chemicals on disease.
To understand how our behavior influences exposure to PFAS, researchers compared blood measurements with results from interviews in which they asked women about nine behaviors that could lead to higher exposures. Half of the study subjects were non-Hispanic white and half were African-American.
Women who flossed with Oral-B Glide tended to have elevated levels of PFHxS (perfluorohexanesulfonic acid) in their body. To further understand the results, researchers tested 18 dental flosses (including three Glide products) for the presence of fluorine — a marker of PFAS — using a technique called particle-induced gamma-ray emission (PIGE) spectroscopy.
All three Glide flosses tested positive for fluorine, as did two store brands touting “compare to Oral-B Glide” labels. One floss billing itself as a “single strand Teflon fiber” also tested positive.
A representative for Procter & Gamble, which manufactures Glide products, tells The Post, “The safety of the people who use our products is our No. 1 priority. Our dental floss undergoes thorough safety testing and we stand by the safety of all our products.”
Boronow’s team points out that the public also is exposed to PFAS in fast-food packaging, nonstick pans, waterproof clothing and stain-resistant carpets. African-American women who reported frequently eating prepared eats packaged in coated cardboard containers had elevated blood levels of four PFAS chemicals compared to women who rarely ate drive-thru fare. Researchers didn’t see the same relationship with prepared food among non-Hispanic whites.
“Overall, this study strengthens the evidence that consumer products are an important source of PFAS exposure,” says Boronow. “Restricting these chemicals from products should be a priority to reduce levels in people’s bodies.”
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