Guest guest Posted August 19, 2005 Report Share Posted August 19, 2005 [sprayno] FW: The Pollution in Newborns - ewg report > > > This post may be forwarded hither and yon. > > * * * * > > http://www.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden2/newsrelease.php > > A new study confirms that chemical exposure begins in the womb, as > hundreds of industrial chemicals, pollutants and pesticides are pumped > back and forth from mother to baby through umbilical cord blood. > > Laboratory tests of 10 American Red Cross cord blood samples found an > average of 200 contaminants. The pollutants included mercury, fire > retardants, pesticides and the Teflon chemical PFOA. In total, the > babies' > blood had 287 chemicals, including 209 never before detected in cord > blood. > > The Pollution in Newborns. > > Published by Environmental Working Group. > > * * * * > > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 14, 2005 > > CONTACT: EWG Public Affairs, 202-667-6982 > > Study Finds Industrial Pollution > Begins in the Womb > Hundreds of Toxic Chemicals Measured > in Newborn Babies > > WASHINGTON - Not long ago, scientists believed that babies in the womb > were largely protected from most toxic chemicals. A new study helps > confirm an opposite view: that chemical exposure begins in the > womb, as > hundreds of industrial chemicals, pollutants and pesticides are pumped > back and forth from mother to baby through umbilical cord blood. > > Environmental Working Group (EWG) commissioned laboratory tests of 10 > American Red Cross cord blood samples for the most extensive array of > industrial chemicals, pesticides and other pollutants ever studied. > The > group found that the babies averaged 200 contaminants in their > blood. The > pollutants included mercury, fire retardants, pesticides and the > Teflon > chemical PFOA. In total, the babies' blood had 287 chemicals, > including > 209 never before detected in cord blood. > > The blood samples came from babies born in U.S. hospitals in August > and > September of 2004. The study, called Body Burden: The Pollution in > Newborns, tested each sample of umbilical cord blood for an > unprecedented > 413 industrial and consumer product chemicals. The study > (www.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden2/) is part of an important new science > that measures toxins in people - the human body burden. > > " 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, " said EWG Vice President for Research Jane Houlihan. > " 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. " > > U.S. industries manufacture and import approximately 75,000 chemicals, > 3,000 of them at over a million pounds per year. Yet health > officials do > not know how many of these chemicals pollute fetal blood and what the > health consequences of in utero exposures might be. Many of these > chemicals require specialized techniques to detect. Chemical > manufacturers > are not required to make available to the public or government health > officials methods to detect their chemicals in humans, and most do not > volunteer them. > > EWG's Houlihan said that had her group been able to test for more > chemicals, it would almost certainly have detected them. > > * * * * > > > FULL REPORT and following topics are linked on url: > http://www.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden2/newsrelease.php > > 1: Executive summary > 2: Babies are vulnerable to chemical harm > 3: Human health problems on the rise > 4: Recommendations > > Detailed findings > Methodology > Questions and Answers > References > News Release > News Advisory > About This Report > Related News Coverage > > * * * * > > The Environmental Working Group and Environmental Working Group Action > Fund are nonprofits that use the power of information to protect > public > health and the environment. > > Commonweal is a nonprofit health and environmental research > institute in > Bolinas, California, whose programs contribute to human and ecosystem > health - to a safer world for people and for all life. > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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