Chemicals in Environment

CDC data show pervasiveness of chemicals in environment.
The Los Angeles Times (10/11, Adams) reports, "Our modern-day environment is loaded with man-made chemicals," but "what's the health fallout of this? In some cases, such as those for lead and mercury, the effects of environmental chemicals are clear. Not so much for others, such as bisphenol A and flame retardants." For over a decade, the CDC "has been doing biomonitoring studies -- sampling blood and urine from a broad swath of Americans to see what chemicals are regularly found in people." Dr. John Osterloh, the chief medical officer of the CDC's division of laboratory sciences, says, "For the public, I think the basic point is just the understanding that chemicals...in our environment do in fact actually get into your body." Notably, the latest CDC report "shows how pervasive many of these chemicals are in the environment."
BPA levels may vary widely in pregnant women. The Los Angeles Times (10/8, Roan) "Booster Shots" blog reported, "Research published Friday indicates that bisphenol A (BPA) levels in pregnant women vary widely." According to the study, published online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, "scientists examined BPA levels in urine samples from 386 pregnant women in Cincinnati. About 90% of the women had detectable levels of bisphenol A." Higher "concentrations were found in women with education levels below a high school graduation, but socioeconomic factors did not seem to affect exposures otherwise." In "recent years, studies have suggested that high levels of the chemical stored in the body can lead to adverse health effects," the blog noted.