Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) detected 109 chemicals in pregnant women and their newborn children, including 55 that have never before been found inside human bodies and 42 whose sources and uses remain unclear. Of the 55 chemicals, 37 are ones that researchers have little to no information on.
Published recently in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, the findings are further evidence that humans are exposed to a wide range of chemicals.
However, the methods available for measuring the levels of chemicals in human bodies are limited, said study co-author Tracey Woodruff, a professor of reproductive sciences at the university.
Woodruff, a former senior scientist at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), noted that the agency needs to do more to require chemical companies to disclose the chemicals they make and how those are used. Moreover, the agency should remove chemicals from the market that are known to pose a risk, said Woodruff. Read more…
