News Coverage
U. Texas Study Finds Toxins in Breast Milk
Published September 23, 2003
Studies by the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the Environmental Working Group show very high levels of man-made toxic chemicals in the breast milk of American mothers.
Dr. Arnold Schecter, a UT Health Science Center environmental sciences professor, conducted the first study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives. Schecter tested breast milk samples from 47 Dallas and Austin women. A second study by the Environmental Working Group tested 20 nursing mothers around the nation.
American women had "the highest levels in the world," said Schecter at a press conference on Tuesday.
The chemicals, known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDE, are typically used as a flame retardant material in electronics such as televisions and computers. Every sample in both studies tested positive for PBDEs in amounts ranging from six to 1,000 parts per billion.
While there have been no studies about the effect of PBDEs on humans, it has been found to cause cancer, nervous system damage and endocrine and thyroid hormone disruption in animals, Schecter said.
"We know that PBDEs have been reported in fish," Schecter said. "We expect to find that food is a major source and that air and dust will be a more minor source of synthetics into our bodies."
Robin Schneider, spokeswoman for Public Research Works, an environmental organization, called for increased regulation.
"We are very afraid that the millions of TVs and computers and the miles of carpets in our homes are a silent ticking time bomb, and we want to act on the side of prevention of public health damage," Schneider said.
Leila Feldman, an Austin-area mother who participated in the second study, was shocked to find significant levels of PBDEs in her breast milk.
"When I participated in the study, I realized that I might get some bad news about these dangerous chemicals in my breast milk," Feldman said. "It was really alarming for me to realize that my son had been exposed to these chemicals when he was developing in the womb."
James Bower Jr., president of Flame Stop Inc., criticized companies that use PBDEs and other toxic chemicals in flame-retardant materials. Flame Stop is a Fort Worth-based manufacturer of flame-retardant materials.
"There's no reason to have toxic chemicals in fire-retardant material now," Bower said. "The technology has moved beyond it."
A number of private foundations funded the study, Schneider said.
"The only holdup now is that we've run out of money to pay for the analysis," Schecter said. "As soon as we get the money, the data will start to be ground out again."