Women with flame retardant in blood take longer to conceive
By IANSWednesday, January 27, 2010
WASHINGTON - Women with higher levels in the bloodstream of a type of flame retardant commonly found in household goods take longer to conceive, a new study has found.
The study by University of California-Berkeley (UC-B) researchers found that each 10-fold increase in the blood concentration of four PBDE (flame retardant) chemicals was linked to a 30 percent decrease in the odds of becoming pregnant each month.
PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, are a class of compounds that became commonplace after the 1970s. These compounds are used in foam furniture, electronics, fabrics, carpets, plastics and other common items in the home.
“There have been numerous animal studies that have found a range of health effects from exposure to PBDEs, but very little research has been done in humans,” said Kim Harley, UC-B adjunct assistant professor of maternal and child health, who led the study.
“This latest paper is the first to address the impact on human fertility, and the results are surprisingly strong,” added Harley, also director of the Centre for Children’s Environmental Health Research at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health.
Studies have found widespread contamination of house dust by PBDEs, which are known to leach out into the environment and accumulate in human fat cells.
Studies also suggest that 97 percent of US residents have detectable levels of PBDEs in their blood, and that the levels in Americans are 20 times higher than in their European counterparts.
According to the researchers, residents in California are among those experiencing the highest exposures, most likely due to the state’s relatively stringent flammability laws, said an UC-B release.
The researchers measured PBDE levels in blood samples from 223 pregnant women enrolled in a longitudinal study at the Centre for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas (CHAMACOS) that examines environmental exposures and reproductive health.
These findings were published in the Tuesday issue of Environmental Health Perspectives.
