© ShutterstockChemical Triggers? Ubiquitous in commercial products, perfluorochemicals may set the stage for attention issues in children.
Industrial Pollutants: Scientists find that high blood levels correlate with a core feature of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.Children's exposure to a growing list of industrial chemicals, including certain pesticides and phthalates, has been linked to development of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Now evidence suggests that perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) boost ADHD risks by making children prone to impulsive behavior (
Environ. Sci. Technol.,
DOI: 10.1021/es103712g).
Used since the 1950s to make Teflon and many other stain- and water-repellent products, PFCs are now global contaminants. Scientists had already associated elevated PFCs with neurological problems, such as delayed gross motor development. A study published in December found tantalizing links between blood PFC levels and diagnoses of ADHD (
Environ. Health Perspect., DOI:
10.1289/ehp.1001898).
Brooks Gump, a psychologist at
Syracuse University, wanted to go one step further: He and his colleagues were interested in how the chemicals might affect impulsivity, a core ADHD feature. Impulsivity has cascading effects on so-called "executive functions," such as planning, verbal regulation, and motor control. ADHD is a complex and multi-faceted diagnosis, Gump notes, that results from deficits in executive functioning. By identifying any influence that PFCs have on impulsivity, Gump hoped to connect the dots between chemical exposure, nervous system effects, and processes leading to ADHD.
Comment: It's good to see awareness of inflammation hitting the mainstream, but this article is way off for recommending vegetables which are known inflammatory factors and a reduction in saturated fat from already dangerously low levels.