In a study of pregnant women, exposure to phthalates, a group of chemicals found in plastics and other household products, was associated with elevated blood pressure during late pregnancy, as well as long-term changes to blood pressure. The study by scientists at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health is part of their broader findings on the impact of phthalates
My journalist-as-guinea-pig experiment is taking a disturbing turn.
A Swedish chemist is on the phone, talking about flame retardants, chemicals added for safety to just about any product that can burn. Found in mattresses, carpets, the plastic casing of televisions, electronic circuit boards, and automobiles, flame retardants save hundreds of lives a year in the United States alone. These, however, are where they should not be: inside my body.
Åke Bergman of Stockholm University tells me he has received the results of a chemical analysis of my blood, which measured levels of flame-retarding compounds called polybrominated diphenyl ethers. In mice and rats, high doses of PBDEs interfere with thyroid function, cause reproductive and neurological problems, and hamper neurological development. Little is known about their impact on human health.