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Dental Floss Might be Associated with Toxic Materials

Flossing your teeth with certain types of floss could expose you to higher levels of toxic chemicals according to new research.
Flossing your teeth with certain types of floss could expose you to higher levels of toxic chemicals according to new research.
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Dental Floss Might be Associated with Toxic Materials

Flossing your teeth with certain types of floss could expose you to higher levels of toxic chemicals according to new research.
Flossing your teeth with certain types of floss could expose you to higher levels of toxic chemicals according to new research.

A new US study has warned from toxic substances that can be transmitted into your body through dental floss, which contains a PFAS chemical substance.

PFAS are resistant to water and grease, and usually interfere with fast-food packaging, waterproof clothing and stain-resistant carpet. Consumers can be exposed to PFAS through the products they use and the food they eat, and even through the air and dust inside their homes.

Previous studies also warned from the risk of using these materials, which contribute to high levels of toxic chemicals. But the new study, published Wednesday in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology (JESEE), said it found PFAS in a type of dental floss.

During the study, led by the Silent Spring Institute in collaboration with the Public Health Institute in Berkeley, California, researchers measured 11 different PFAS chemicals in blood samples taken from 178 middle-aged women and then compared blood measurements with the results of interviews in which they asked women about nine behaviors that can lead to increased exposure.

The study’s lead author, Katie Boronow, said in a report published on the Institute's website in conjunction with the study: "We found that Women who flossed with Oral-B Glide tended to have higher levels of a type of PFAS called PFHxS (perfluorohexanesulfonic acid) in their body compared with those who didn't. By using a technique called PIGE spectroscopy, Oral-B Glide products were tested, and we found the acid in the blood of the women."

"We found other PFAS materials in the blood of some women who consume fast food wrapped in paper, or have stain-resistant carpets or waterproof clothing, but the surprise was in the dental floss," she said.

Scientists are concerned about the widespread use of PFAS, especially after studies have shown their health risks.

According to Boronow, "these substances are linked to health effects leading to kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, low birth weight, low fertility, and immune system problems.”

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A Zoo Elephant Dies in Indonesia after Being Swept Away in a River

The carcass of an elephant is covered with a blue tarp after it was found dead on a riverbank after being swept away by the river's current the previous evening, in Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia, 17 December 2024. (EPA)
The carcass of an elephant is covered with a blue tarp after it was found dead on a riverbank after being swept away by the river's current the previous evening, in Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia, 17 December 2024. (EPA)
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A Zoo Elephant Dies in Indonesia after Being Swept Away in a River

The carcass of an elephant is covered with a blue tarp after it was found dead on a riverbank after being swept away by the river's current the previous evening, in Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia, 17 December 2024. (EPA)
The carcass of an elephant is covered with a blue tarp after it was found dead on a riverbank after being swept away by the river's current the previous evening, in Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia, 17 December 2024. (EPA)

An elephant that lived at the zoo on Indonesia’s tourist island of Bali was found dead on Tuesday after being swept away by a strong river current.

Molly, a 45-year-old female Sumatran elephant was one of two being guided by a mahout to a holding area outside of the zoo grounds through a river on Monday afternoon. The activity was part of their daily routine of mental and physical stimulation.

The first elephant had made it across and Molly was in the river when the current suddenly increased due to heavy rain upstream, the zoo said in a statement.

"In this situation, Molly lost her balance and was swept away by the current," it said. The mahout was uninjured.

A team from Bali Zoo and Bali Natural Resources Conservation Agency conducted an intensive search. The dead elephant was found Tuesday morning in Cengceng river in Sukawati subdistrict in Gianyar district, Bali.

"The entire team at Bali Zoo is deeply saddened by the loss of Molly, a female elephant who has been an important part of our extended family. Molly was known to be a kind and friendly elephant," the zoo said.

"This was an unavoidable event, but we are committed to conducting a thorough evaluation of our operational procedures and risk mitigation measures, especially during the rainy season, to ensure the safety of all our animals in the future," said Emma Chandra, the zoo's head of public relations.

Seasonal rains from around October through to March frequently cause flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands.

Sumatran elephants are a critically endangered species and fewer than 700 remain on Sumatra island. This subspecies of the Asian elephant, one of two species of the largest mammal in the world, is protected under an Indonesian law on the conservation of biological natural resources and their ecosystems.