Women and Chemicals

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Where are women exposed to chemicals? The Endocrine Disruption Exchange (TEDX) gives a very good overview on studies showing the negative effects of certain chemicals during critical windows of development during pregnancy. 70 In 2010 a study by the University of California at San Francisco confirmed that pregnant women carry multiple chemicals in their bodies that can be passed onto their foetus. Data collected by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2003-2004 showed that 43 banned as well as currently used chemicals in the US, including PCB, which is banned in the US for over 30 years, organochlorine pesticides, PFCs, phenols, PBDE flame retardants, phthalates, BPA, were detected in 99-100 per cent of over 250 pregnant women. 71 Many of the 163 chemicals studied are known to be transferred to the foetus and have been linked to poor health outcomes. It places the foetus at risk for birth defects or chronic illnesses later in life. Furthermore, because the women in the study were tested for exposure to only a fraction of chemicals on the market, it also suggests that pregnant women are likely carrying and passing onto their foetus many more chemicals than have been reported in the study. 72 Even though there is enough convincing evidence that many chemicals can harm the foetus, not many governments and companies take precautionary measures or even inform pregnant women about simple measures to avoid hazardous chemicals in their lives. The following measure are to be taken to protect pregnant women and the developing child: awareness raising campaigns, information materials for pregnant women, and labeling of products. Breast milk contamination Harmful chemicals can be transmitted to the baby not only during pregnancy, but also via breastfeeding after birth. Contamination can occur due to exposure to e.g. pesticides or toxic chemicals in food and indoor air as many human biomonitoring programmes and projects have found out by testing breast milk on various substances. As POPs are the most hazardous ingredients of polluted breast milk, breast milk has been tested by WHO for POPs within the process of the Stockholm Convention for several years. The last testing round spanned the period from 2010 to 2012. 73 The results from the third, fourth and fifth rounds of the survey spanning the period from 2000 to 2012, are presented in a report based on the findings by Malisch et al. 74 Following the results the survey shows a mixed picture: POPs like PCDD and PCFD have fallen steadily from their earlier high level indicating the effectiveness of intervention measures. PCB decreased over time, but is still considered a human health concern. Chemicals newly listed in the Stockholm Convention in 2009 and 2011 like PFOS could be detected at values above LOQ for a majority of samples in more or less all participating countries. This shows that contamination and human exposure to PFOS in these regions is very concerning. 75 Unfortunately many countries do not take part in the monitoring on a regular base of the WHO/UNEP human milk survey, even if they have the means like e. g. Germany. Also other harmful chemicals can be found in breast milk. Knowing to have toxins in your breast milk is usually very scary for mothers. Therefore public communication about this topic should be done in a very sensitive way. However, breastfeeding should be maintained because it brings many health benefits for the children and the mothers. IPEN and the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) state together that “The contamination of breast milk is one symptom of the environmental contamination in our communities. Responsibility for this problem belongs to the industrial sources of contamination, not to breastfeeding women.” 77 40
Where are women exposed to chemicals? Organochlorine Pesticides in Breast Milk ppb (ng/g lw) DDT and Metabolites in Breast Milk ppb (ng/g lw) Sum PBDE Concentrations Results of the MOMs and POPs project 76 41
Page 1 and 2: Women and Chemicals The impact of h
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Page 5 and 6: 1 Summary 6 5 Women as agents of ch
Page 7 and 8: Summary mented by governments. UNEP
Page 9 and 10: WOMEN CAN BE KEY AGENTS OF CHANGE W
Page 11 and 12: Why women? Gender and other social
Page 13 and 14: Why women? laws, practices, attitud
Page 15 and 16: Why women? Endnotes chapter 2 1 Rio
Page 17 and 18: Women’s health under threat Typic
Page 19 and 20: Women’s health under threat Some
Page 21 and 22: Women’s health under threat Chemi
Page 23 and 24: Women’s health under threat Endno
Page 25 and 26: Where are women exposed to chemical
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Page 47 and 48: Woman a agents of change less, if I
Page 49 and 50: What are the main harmful substance
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Page 57 and 58: Existing initiatives Important prop
Page 59 and 60: Existing initiatives SAICM Ind. No.
Page 61 and 62: Conclusions and recommendations Dur
Page 63 and 64: Bibliography Bibliography Apelberg,
Page 65 and 66: Abbreviations ASGM Artisanal and sm

Women and Chemicals

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