Dangerous Chemical in Women's Breasts

San Francisco Bay Area women have three to ten times greater amounts of a chemical flame retardant in their breasts than either European or Japanese women says a study by California scientists in the journal of Environmental Health Perspectives, published by the Department of Health and Human Services.

PBDE, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, are persistent organic pollutants that have been increasing worldwide in humans and wildlife over the last 10 years. They are a family of flame retardants used in polyurethane foam, textiles and plastic electronic casings. Laboratory studies have shown that the flame-retardants mimic hormones and disrupt the endocrine system. They interfere with the thyroid gland and delay neurological development in lab animals. Breast tissue and blood from 82 women examined at Bay Area hospitals in two studies in the late 1990s showed that they had levels higher than those found in Europe or Japan. There were no PBDEs in 420 archived samples collected in the 1960s.

The form of PBDE used in foam seems to be the one appearing in the breast tissue. Scientists cannot say how people are exposed, but speculate those with PBDEs, one of the main pathways is from inhalation in dust from consumer products that have been treated with PBDE. The new studies raise questions about whether the chemicals are contributing to higher than expected breast cancer rates in Marin County, but all conclusions are speculative at this point. The U.S. government is expected to release results of animal studies within the coming year on cancer effects from PBDEs.

Karen Taberski, a senior environmental scientist at the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, said that her agency was very concerned about the pollutants. “This is a big deal because these compounds are similar in structure and, we believe, toxicity to PCBs and dioxins. They’re increasing at a very quick rate in the environment. We’ve also found some of the highest levels in the world in marine mammals in the San Francisco Bay.”

Source material from www.nbcf.healthology.com