Chemcials found in carpet treatments have been linked to ADHD.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—First it was pesticides. Now, more chemicals your kids come into contact with on a daily basis are suspected of being contributors to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A new study published online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives suggests that the disorder may be influenced by a class of nonstick chemicals called polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs), designed to make materials grease-, water-, and stain-repellent.

THE DETAILS: Using data collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the authors collected data from 586 participants between the ages of 12 and 15. Of those, 51 had been diagnosed with ADHD by a physician. After analyzing blood samples taken during the survey for the presence of PFCs, the researchers found that high blood levels of one particular PFC, PFOS, was associated with a 1.03-fold increase in the odds that a child would have ADHD. Two other PFCs, PFOA and PFHxS, were also associated with small but still significant increases in ADHD risk.

WHAT IT MEANS: These chemicals, like others intended to make our lives easier, may not be as beneficial as we had hoped. PFOS was a primary component of 3M's Scotchgard until the company voluntarily removed it in 2000 (PFHxS, also made exclusively by 3M, was phased out of production as well that year). PFOA is used to make nonstick cookware and other things designed to repel grease and water (such as fast-food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, and pizza boxes). Both chemicals are persistent and remain in the body for five to eight years after exposure, and they've been found in animals as far away as the Arctic Circle—who probably aren't cooking eggs in nonstick skillets or walking around wearing Gore-Tex parkas. Animal studies have linked these chemicals to cancer, physical development delays, and endocrine disruption; human studies have found that pregnant mothers with high levels of PFOA and PFOS have babies with low birth weights and smaller head circumferences.