News Coverage
Study Finds Dangerous Chemical In Breast Milk
Toxins Could Be Passed On To Infants
Published September 22, 2003
CHICAGO -- A man-made chemical that's being banned in Europe and California may already be showing up in mothers' breast milk.
It's called PBDE (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) and it's used for many of things, including fire retardants and polyurethane foam. Eventually, the chemical gets into the human food chain, usually in fish or meat.
Now, an organization called The Environmental Working Group claims that levels of the chemical are more than 10 times higher in the breast milk of American women than in those in Europe.
Scientists are not sure how dangerous the chemical is in humans or what levels would be considered harmful.
The group tested 20 female volunteers who were not chosen scientifically. EWG found unexpectedly high levels of little-known thyroid toxins in every woman tested.