A new study shows that PBDEs, fire retarding chemicals used on furniture and carpeting, can cross the placenta to baby, accumulating in the teeny tiny liver. Levels found in the fetuses varied enormously, from 10-100 times more than the average.
Previously, we brought you news that an Environmental Working Group study showed that PBDEs were found in higher concentrations in preschoolers than in their parents, presumably because tots put their hands in their mouths often and the fire retardents are found all around the house.
We also know that infants are exposed to PBDEs in breastmilk, though breastmilk is still considered way better than the alternative, dioxins aside.
This is a huge problem here in the U.S., as American women have the highest concentrations of PBDEs in the world.
What are PBDEs? The chemical name is polybrominated diphenyl ethers. There you go! You can stop reading now!Kidding. These chemicals can be more easily identified by their relation to an evil chemical that we're all aware of: PCBs. As you may or may not remember, these chemicals were banned in 1970 as fears arose of their carcinogenic effects, among other health problems.
But just because they're related doesn't mean PBDEs have the cancer risk that PCBs do. Not that we're fully aware of just yet.
What studies have shown, however, is that PBDEs can affect the thyroid, which controls metabolism and growth. They pose a cognitive threat in the form of memory and learning. They may affect behavior. And don't forget the lovely hormonal effects: delayed puberty onset, decreased sperm count, and fetal malformations. As if there aren't enough chemicals introduced to babies that cause hormonal damage. BPA, phthalates anyone?
Steps you can take to reduce your exposure:
- Less fish during pregnancy, despite the rubbish the FDA tells you. PBDEs "bioaccumulate", so they're found at higher concentrations the higher up you go in the food chain. Which means they're also in meat and dairy, though not as much as in fish. The reason our finned friends have more is because they actually live and breathe in water, and chemical runoff builds up more for them.
- Cover all foam furniture well. But don't buy and reupholster secondhand furniture if you can avoid it. If you must (and yes, reusin' or Freecyclin' is oh-so-green), reupholster with a mask. Cover the furniture tightly, and do it outside.
- Don't carpet your house. And if you're tearing it up, get those kids out of your way beforehand. Again, mask your face.
- Buy greener furniture, starting with the nursery. Go for an organic crib mattress, because PBDEs are just one hazard in the bedding. Wool is a fire retardent (and a "water" absorber, which helps on those rare occasions when baby overflows the CD), so look for that as an alternative to PBDEs. In the very least, you'll want a mattress cover and a wool puddle pad.
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