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Wednesday, January 27, 2010 (12:22:03) |
| Tags : Women, Bloodstream, Flame Retardant |
Women with flame retardant in blood take longer to conceive |
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| 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 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 researchers.
"This latest paper is the first to address the impact on human fertility, and the results are surprisingly strong," added the reseacrhers.
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.
The researchers measured PBDE levels in blood samples from 223 pregnant women enrolled in a longitudinal study. (IANS) |
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