US enviro group says tests find toxic chems in newborns

14 July 2005 15:50  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (CNI)--The Environmental Working Group (EWG) said Thursday that babies may be subjected to toxic chemicals before birth.

 

The Washington, DC, group released a study that tested ten samples of umbilical cord blood for traces of industrial chemicals, pesticides and other pollutants.

 

EWG said the blood samples averaged 200 contaminants, including mercury, fire retardants, pesticides and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). In total, the tests found 287 chemicals, including 209 never before detected in cord blood.

 

Jane Houlihan, EWG vice president for research, said: "For years scientists have studied pollution in the air, water, land and in our food. Recently they've investigated its health impacts on adults. Now we find this pollution is reaching babies during vital stages of development."

 

She said: "These findings raise questions about the gaps in our federal safety net. Instead of rubber-stamping almost every new chemical that industry invents, we've got to strengthen and modernize the laws that are supposed to protect Americans from pollutants."

 

EWG said US industries make or import 75,000 chemicals, 3,000 of them at over 1m pounds/year. It said health officials do not know how many of these chemicals pollute fetal blood and what the health consequences of in utero exposures might be.

 

The group said many of the chemicals can only be detected by specialized techniques. It said chemical manufacturers are not required to make methods available to the public or government health officials to detect their chemicals in humans, and most do not volunteer them.

By: Patrick Crow
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