According to a study done by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on data compiled from 2001 and 2002 for the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers are reporting that blood levels of cancer-causing perfluorochemicals, PFCs, vary by race and ethnicity. When the researchers analyzed blood samples, they found that Caucasians had a three-time higher blood serum levels of PFCs than Hispanics, and two-times higher levels than African-Americans. Men in all three racial groups had slighter higher PFC levels than women. The differences may be due to the amount of pollutants each group is exposed to, or to diet, lifestyle and genetic factors. That does not explain the blood serum level differences between men and women of the same ethnicity and race, though, unless the increased exposures are linked to certain occupations traditionally done by men and not by women.

PFCs, and the related perfluorochemical PFOA, are global contaminants that do not break down, are cumulative, and can be found in the environment, wildlife, and bloodstream of humans. Introduced in the 1950's for its non-stick and stain-resistant properties, PFCs can be found almost everywhere. In the past, PFCs, including PFOA, were not regulated. It will be interesting if they follow up on why there are differences in the serum blood levels between ethnic and racial groups. It would be easy to conclude that lifestyle and diet may be a factor, if it were not for the differences between men and women of the same ethnicity and race.