Exposure to metal found in many electronics may double stroke risk


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The popularity of tungsten has grown over the past decade, as the metal is increasingly being used in widespread consumer technologies, such as laptops and cellphones.

Initially, many experts considered tungsten to be a benign substance, posing no threat to the environment or human health.  But now, new research has revealed that the opposite may be true.

In a new study published in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers from the University of Exeter in England have found that higher levels of tungsten in the body may double a person?s risk for stroke.  According to lead author Dr. Jessica Tyrrell, these findings signal a significant need for more research into this mostly unstudied metal.

?In regards to the effects of our exposure to tungsten, we don?t know much about it, because there are limited studies,? Tyrrell, of the University of Exeter Medical School?s European Centre for Environment and Human Health, told FoxNews.com.  ?...We know that there are exposure pathways from the air, and it can be in the water supply and in food, because there?s tungsten in soil.?

Overall, the population?s current exposure to tungsten is thought to be very low, but Tyrrell said that is set to change, as demand and supply for the material are both increasing over time.  Along with its inclusion in popular consumer technologies, tungsten is also used in various industrial and military products ? such as alloys and projectiles.

While the element is found naturally on Earth in chemical compounds, small amounts of tungsten are continually being added to the environment.  When products using tungsten are disposed of in landfills, the material eventually makes its way into water supplies and into agricultural lands, which ultimately affect the world?s food supply.

However, Tyrrell said it is still unclear if using products with tungsten directly increases an individual?s exposure.

 

Research showed that higher tungsten levels were strongly associated with an increase in the prevalence of stroke ? independent of typical risk factors.  The relationship was found to be stronger as tungsten exposure increased: For every one unit increase in micrograms per milliliter of tungsten, a person?s risk for stroke doubled.  Additionally, the findings revealed that higher tungsten exposure could be a significant risk factor for stroke in people below the age of 50.

 

The tungsten-stroke relationship highlights another example of the harmful impact new materials can have on human health.   The utilization of complex chemicals for commercial exploitation, including the introduction of nanotechnology, has increased over the years, but Tyrrell noted that very little research has examined how these materials interact with our biology.

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Talk about your sensationalist headlines.
 

[...] researchers from the University of Exeter in England have found that higher levels of tungsten in the body may double a person?s risk for stroke.


So the solution is clear. STOP EATING YOUR SMARTPHONES KIDS!

Fearmongering at it's finest. :crazy:

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uh... ballpoint pens have used tungsten carbide balls for, like, ever.

 

hehe, you said balls.

 

Seriously, rings and other personal items are made from this material as well, and people come into contact with this material more than they think during their day-to-day lives.

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When I built my PC , I added a nice little flower on my desk , relatively close to the case. It almost died in a few days , had to move my little flower on the other side of my desk , where she still lives now (and she is better). It was IRADIATED ! My little flower ... :(

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Just another substance added to the list of things that can kill you, give you a stroke or give you cancer.. before long the list will include everything ever.

 

I personally believe a lot of these problems are genetic, and if you are destined to have a stroke or get cancer or something else then you will.

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When I built my PC , I added a nice little flower on my desk , relatively close to the case. It almost died in a few days , had to move my little flower on the other side of my desk , where she still lives now (and she is better). It was IRADIATED ! My little flower ... :(

Or blocked from the sun, heh.

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Since one UK paper once claimed that AIR can give you cancer, I'd not worry too much about this.

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