New Study Confirms Itrauterine Transfer Of PDBE, PCPs From Mother Belugas To Offspring

[hatrack]

A study of Arctic beluga whales confirms that mothers can pass more than a tenth of their chemical burden of PBDE flame retardants and PCBs to their unborn calves. Mammals transfer contaminants during pregnancy to the developing fetus and during lactation when the baby is nursing. Lactation transfer has been well studied in marine mammals, but very little is known about the transfer of pollutants during pregnancy.

The study is unique because it examines blubber from healthy pregnant whales. Previously most research has investigated beached or ill whales. This study is only the second to report mother to fetus transfer of PBDE flame retardants in whales.

The study is also important because it focuses specifically on the amount of chemicals transferred to the fetus during pregnancy. Overall, they found about 11 percent of the total of each chemical group – PCBs and PBDEs – measured was handed down from mother to fetus.

Chemical exposure during critical times of gestation is known to cause abnormal growth and development. In some instances, prenatal exposures can impact health in adults many years later. Both classes of chemicals measured in the study are long-lived and can accumulate in animals at the top of the food chain.

EDIT

http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/2012/05/2012-0726-mom-beluga-whales-pcbs-pbdes-to-fetus/

[kestrel91316]

1. If they show that this also happens in humans,

and if the RW gets their way in declaring fetuses to be full persons.........

then all pregnant women will be automatically guilty of poisoning their babies. Of course, it won't be first degree because it's not deliberate, but we cannot allow them to do this anyway. Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

[hatrack]

2. Quite so! If it were a legitimate pregnancy, no POPs would be moving through the placenta . . .