Potentially Harmful Chemical Found in Mothers' Milk At Levels 10 Times Those Found In Europe

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Potentially Harmful Chemical Found in Mothers'

Milk At Levels 10 Times Those Found In Europe

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Potentially Harmful Chemical Found in Mothers'

Milk At Levels 10 Times Those Found In Europe

Study Published Today in Environmental Health

Perspectives Find PBDEs at High Levels for First Time

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NORTH CAROLINA, Aug. 13 -/E-Wire/Business Wire/-- Poly- brominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are present in "extremely elevated" concentrations in the breast milk of U.S. nursing mothers, according to a study published today in the online edition of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). PBDEs are added to plastics, electronics, textiles, and construction materials as components of a common fire retardant.

Structurally similar to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), PBDEs have been shown to cause permanent neural defects in fetal exposure of mice. This has raised the specter of similar damage occurring in humans. The Swedish government has moved to ban some forms of PBDEs based on the findings of an earlier study conducted in Europe that showed a ninefold increase of PBDEs in human blood samples between 1977 and 1999.

Participants in today's study, all residents of Texas, had PBDE levels 10 to 100 times higher than contemporaneous levels reported in Europe. This is the first study of PBDEs in individual mothers' milk, and the levels are similar to those found in earlier blood and tissue samples from California and Indiana study participants.

"The purpose of this study was to determine whether U.S. women have higher, equal, or lower milk PBDE concentrations than women in other countries. The answer is striking: the 47 individual U.S. women have markedly higher levels in their breast milk compared to Europeans," the study authors write. The authors go on to point out that earlier studies have established that these chemicals can be transferred to nursing infants.

Commenting on the studies, Dr. Jim Burkhart, science editor for EHP, says, "This study does raise some flags. We've stopped using PCBs because they are clearly harmful. PBDEs have a very similar chemical structure, and we're seeing elevated levels in the U.S. versus those in Europe. It's probably not a coincidence that we're seeing levels decrease in Europe after many countries stopped allowing their use. We clearly need further study to understand potential health risks."

The study authors are careful to point out that these chemicals are used as flame retardants in products in an effort to help the public.

"It should be noted that the current use of brominated flame retardants is the result of a need for safer consumer products, i.e., products that are less likely to burn in fires. It is estimated that many deaths are avoided in the U.S. each year by the use of brominated flame retardants and children are at special risk of death and injury in fires," the authors write.

It is also not clear how PBDEs enter humans. Most dioxins and dioxin-like chemicals enter the population through the food chain. It is also possible that they could enter humans by ingestion of dust or by other inhalation at home or at work in the electronics and computer industries. However, none of the study participants showed any evidence of occupational exposure.

The study was conducted by Arnold Schecter and Marian Pavuk of the University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Olaf Papke of ERGO Research (Hamburg, Germany), John Jake Ryan of Health Canada, Linda Birnbaum of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Robin Rosen of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. The study will appear in the November 2003 print issue of EHP.

EHP is the journal of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. More information is available online at http://www.ehponline.org/.

Editor's note: A full copy of the report is available by fax or e-mail (PDF format) to media at no charge. Go to www.ehponline.org/press, call [REDACTED-PHONE], or e-mail [REDACTED-EMAIL].

Environmental Health Perspectives

Environmental Health Perspectives, Brandon Adams,

http://www.ehponline.org/

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