Pollution in People: Cord Blood Contaminants in Minority Newborns
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- Umbilical cord blood was collected from 10 minority infants born in various U.S. cities from 2007 – 2008
- Five laboratories in the U.S., Canada, and Europe were commissioned by
Environmental Working Group (EWG) and Rachel’s Network - Up to 232 compounds were detected in these children
- BPA was detected in the umbilical cord blood of U.S. newborns (9 out of 10 of those tested) for the first time
- Some of the other 20 chemicals detected for the first time in the cord blood of U.S. newborns include:
- Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) – fire retardant for circuit boards
- Galaxolide and Tonalide - polycyclic musks that are synthetic fragrances in cosmetics
- Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA or C4) – member of the perfluorocarbon (PFC) chemical family
- 8 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) – industrial lubricants, coolants, and insulating materials
- All together, EWG has identified up to 486 chemicals, pollutants and pesticides in 186 people via their testing
- What can you do? Visit our Toxic Nation Go Toxic Free and check out our “Top 10 Ways to Detoxify” and our “Toxic Nation Guides” for information on how you can detoxify your life.
The following list summarizes what was found in the EWG and Rachel’s Network study:
| Chemical/Chemical Family | Geometric Mean | Number of Umbilical Cord Detections | Health Effects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | 0.348 ug/dL | 10 of 10 | Harms brain development and function, among many other things |
| Mercury | 0.64 ug/dL | 10 of 10 | Harms brain development and function, among many other things |
| Methyl Mercury | 0.513 ug/dL | 10 of 10 | Accumulates in the food chain, harms brain development and function, among other things |
| Brominated dioxin - tested for 6, found 1 | 34.57 pg/g | 2 of 10 | Accumulates in the food chain, toxic to developing hormone system |
| Brominated furan - tested for 6, found 5 | 292 pg/g | 4 of 10 | Accumulates in the food chain, toxic to developing hormone system |
| Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) - tested for 13, found 6 | 2.38 ng/g | 10 of 10 | Accumulates in the environment and food chain, linked to cancer, birth defects and more |
| Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) - tested for 46, found 26-29* | 7.28 ng/g | 10 of 10 | Accumulates in the food chain and human tissues, adversely affects brain development and the thyroid |
| Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) - tested for 70, found 17-24* | 0.64 ng/g | 10 of 10 | Contaminates the food chain, causes liver and kidney damage |
| Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) - tested for 209, found 98-144* | 22.1 ng/g | 10 of 10 | Persists for decades in the environment, accumulates up the food chain to humans, causes cancer and nervous system problems |
| Chlorinated dioxin - tested for 7, found 6 | 52.6 pg/g | 10 of 10 | Causes cancer in humans, persists for decades in the environment, very toxic to developing hormone system |
| Chlorinated furan - tested for 10, found 9 | 16.3 pg/g | 6 of 10 | Causes cancer in humans, persists for decades in the environment, very toxic to developing hormone system |
| Bisphenol A | 2.8 ng/g | 9 of 10 | Linked to hormone disruption, birth defects, and cancer |
| Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) | 2986 ng/g | 3 of 10 | Can disrupt thyroid hormone balance, may disrupt the immune system |
| Perchlorate | 0.231 ug/g | 9 of 10 | Can block the formation of thyroid hormones critical to brain development and grown in fetuses, infants, and children |
| Polycyclic musks - tested for 6, found 2 | 0.835 ng/g | 7 of 10 | Limited studies of the two found suggest they disrupt hormones and immune function |