Can living in the surroundings of a petrochemical complex be a risk factor for autoimmune thyroid disease?

BACKGROUND: Based on a suspicion raised by a health professional and due to a subsequent legal request, a cross-sectional study was made with a comparison group to investigate a possible excess of Hashimoto's thyroiditis-HT and antibodies-ATA in the surroundings of a Petrochemical Complex. METHODS: People of both sexes aged over 20 years were investigated in a random sample of residents in the area surrounding the Petrochemical Complex. Controls were investigated in an area with steel industries. In the areas searched, participants were chosen randomly and stratified a priori by sex and age group. As a result, 90.5% of the expected sample was obtained, totaling 1533 individuals. HT and ATA prevalences were compared by the chi-square test. Logistic regression was used to control the possible confounding factors for HT and ATA. RESULTS: Both TH (9.3%) and ATA (17.6%) prevalences were higher in the Petrochemical Complex area than in the control area (3.9% and 10.3%, respectively). After controlling the possible confounding factors, the POR for living in the surroundings of the Complex and presenting HT was 2.39 (CI95%: 1.42-4.03). According to the ATA criterion, the POR for living in the surroundings of the Complex was 1.78 (CI95%: 1.23-2.60). CONCLUSIONS: The authors have found higher prevalence and risk of developing thyroiditis and anti-thyroid antibodies among residents of areas surrounding the Petrochemical Complex and think these findings need to be further studied in similar areas.

Azeite de oliva: incidência de adulteraçöes entre os anos de 1993 a 2000 / Olive oil: adulteration form 1993 to 2000

No período de janeiro de 1993 a setembro de 2000 foram analisadas no Instituto Adolfo Lutz 236 amostras de azeites de oliva sendo que em todas as amostras foi verificada a pureza através da análise do perfil de ácidos graxos. Em 136 amostras foi também verificado se a qualidade do produto era condizente com a classificaçäo da rotulagem. As medidas de absorçäo no espectro ultravioleta, em 232 e 270 nm foram os parâmetros empregados nesta avaliaçäo. Foram observadas adulteraçöes em 43 amostras (18,2 por cento) sendo que o principal tipo de fraude foi adiçäo de óleos vegetais de menor valor comercial, principalmente soja. Quanto a classificaçäo da rotulagem, 7 amostras, das 136 analisadas (5,1 por cento), apresentaram classificaçäo näo condizente com a qualidade declarada. Verificou-se que do total de amostras 77 foram colhidas pela Vigilância Sanitária, sendo que destas 67 foram colhidas entre os anos de 1997 a 2000, em decorrência dos programas conjuntos estabelecidos entre o Instituto Adolfo Lutz e o Centro de Vigilância Sanitária

In the period of January 1993 to September 2000 were analyzed at Adolfo Lutz Institute236 samples of olive oils and in all of the samples the purity was verified through the analysis of the fattyacids profile, using gas chromatographic techniques. In 136 samples it was also verified if the classificationon the label was in accordance with the quality. The absorption measures in the ultraviolet spectra, at 232and 270 nm were the parameters evaluated. It was observed that 43 samples (18,2%) were adulterated andthe main fraud type was the addition of vegetable oils of lower commercial value, mainly soybean oil.Considering the label evaluation, 7 samples (5,1%), of the 136 analyzed, presented incorrect qualityclassification. It was verified that from the total samples, 77 were picked by the Sanitary Survey Watchand, of these, 67 were picked from 1997 to 2000, due the cooperation programs established from 1997between the Adolfo Lutz Institute and the Center of Sanitary Survey Watch of the State of São Paulo