Do You Know that Pets Provide a Clue to Human Health Risks?

New study findings suggest that pets are coming into contact with aromatic amines that leach from products in their household environment.

The pets’ stool could be a sign of health issues for humans living with them as they are exposed to a potentially toxic group of chemicals at home, shows a new study published in the journal Environment International.

“Since pets are smaller and more sensitive to toxins, they serve as excellent ‘canaries in the coal mine’ for assessing chemical risks to human health,” says study senior author Kurunthachalam Kannan, PhD, a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at NYU Langone.

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‘The common harmful chemicals were found in almost 70 percent of those found in dogs and nearly 80 percent of those found in cats.’

If they are getting exposed to toxins in our homes, then we had better take a closer look at our exposure.

The chemicals called aromatic amines found in tobacco smoke and dyes used in cosmetics, textiles, and plastics are known to cause cancer tied to the bladder, colorectal.

To explore their source, researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine identified eight types of aromatic amines in stool samples collected from dozens of dogs and cats. It also found traces of the chemicals in more than 38% of urine samples taken from a separate group of pets.

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The results also suggest that such exposures are indirect in pets.

For the investigation, the research team collected urine samples from 42 dogs and 21 cats living in private households, veterinary hospitals, and animal shelters in Albany, NY. They also collected fecal samples from another 77 pets living in the same region.

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They recorded all of the animals’ ages, breeds, and sexes. Then, the research team analyzed the samples for evidence of 30 different kinds of aromatic amines and nicotine.

Among the findings were that cats had at least triple the concentrations of aromatic amines in their urine as dogs, although the study authors say both greater exposure and differences in metabolism between the two species likely play a role in the concentrations of the chemicals found. Notably, cats do not break down many compounds as efficiently as dogs.

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The investigation also showed little difference in aromatic amine exposure between animals that lived at home compared with those that lived in a shelter or those that we’re staying at a veterinary hospital.

Researchers also caution that it remains unclear what aromatic amine levels can be safely tolerated by pets, and so far, no limit has been set by regulatory organizations for their protection.

They plan to explore in the future the link between aromatic amine exposure and bladder, thyroid, and testicular cancer in pets.

Source-Medindia