NIH-funded NYU study finds toxic chemicals in pet stools
A new study by researchers at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine, part of NYU Langone Health, found that chemicals thought to be toxic were in animals’ stool specimens. The research pointed to levels of aromatic amines in more than one third of the samples. Research funding was provided by a grant from the NIH (U2C ES026542).
Aromatic amines are present in cosmetics dyes, plastics, and fabrics, and in tobacco smoke, though the smoke is not likely a significant contributor. The chemicals are known carcinogens, according to NYU. In their study, researchers found that more than 38% of cats and dogs tested had trace amounts of the chemicals in their urine and that eight different types of aromatic amines were discovered in pets’ stool samples.
“Our findings suggest that pets are coming into contact with aromatic amines that leach from products in their household environment,” said Sridhar Chinthakindi, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at NYU Langone Health and lead author of the study. “As these substances have been tied to bladder, colorectal, and other forms of cancer, our results may help explain why so many dogs and cats develop such diseases.”
Researchers found that cats had three times the amount of aromatic amines in their urine though metabolic differences as well as exposure could explain the variation, according to authors. The study included 42 dogs and 21 cats who lived in homes, animal shelters, or veterinary facilities in the Albany, New York area. Stool samples were obtained from 77 pets from the same geographic area. Samples were tested for the presence of 30 types of aromatic amines and nicotine. No significant difference was found between animals in a home and in a shelter or veterinary hospital.
“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,” said Kurunthachalam Kannan, PhD, a professor in the department of pediatrics at NYU Langone and senior author of the study. “If they are getting exposed to toxins in our homes, then we had better take a closer look at our own exposure.”
Comments
Tag
Related Articles
Copyright © 2025 - All Rights Reserved
ISSN 2768-198X
List
Add
Please enter a comment