Women exposed to high levels of certain household-product chemicals may go through menopause at a younger age than other women, a new study finds.
The chemicals in question are called perfluorocarbons, or PFCs, and they have historically been widely used in products ranging from furniture and carpeting to non-stick pans, plastic food containers, and clothing. Their use in the U.S. is set to be phased out by 2015.
But PFCs persist in the environment, and the chemicals are found in water, soil, plants, animals, and people. A 2004 U.S. government study detected PFCs in 98 percent of blood samples taken from a large pool of Americans.
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