Cover of the study, courtesy of WTC
A study recently released by the Washington Toxics Coalition (WTC), Commonweal, and the Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition, found that babies enter the world already having been exposed in the womb to chemicals from common everyday consumer products.
The first-of-its kind study tested blood and urine from pregnant women during their second trimester of pregnancy and found their bodies contaminated with chemicals found in a wide variety of consumer products.
“This study reveals that children spend their first nine months in an environment that exposes them to known toxic chemicals,” said Erika Schreder, staff scientist for the Washington Toxics Coalition, who authored the report. “Pregnant women can’t avoid every exposure to these chemicals because they are in so many products. They can’t shop their way out of this problem. We need policies that keep toxic chemicals away from pregnant women and the most vulnerable—the developing fetus.”
Chemicals detected include phthalates used in vinyl (PVC) plastic items like shower curtains, floors and toys; bisphenol A (BPA) found in polycarbonate water bottles and food and beverage cans; and “Teflon chemicals” used to make stain proofing treatments for clothing, carpeting and food packaging.
The study tested pregnant women from Washington, California, and Oregon. Specific findings include:
- Every woman tested was exposed to bisphenol A, the hormone disrupting chemical used to make polycarbonate plastic and the lining for food cans. Bisphenol A is linked to cancer, early puberty, diabetes, obesity, and reproductive problems.
- Each woman had at least two and as many as four “Teflon chemicals,” or perfluorinated compounds, in her blood. These are chemicals used to create stain-protection products and non-stick cookware and are linked to low birth weight, obesity, and cancer.
- Mercury, known to harm brain development, was in the blood of every woman in the study.
- Every woman was exposed to at least four phthalates, the plasticizers and fragrance carriers found in consumer products from shower curtains to shampoo. Phthalates are linked to reproductive problems and asthma.
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