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Home » Why We Do It » Chemicals found in breast milk
| Bisphenol-A
Recent studies have linked BPA to many adverse health effects in mice and rats at doses that overlap typical human exposures. These effects include early puberty, breast cancer, diabetes, and low sperm count.
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| Cadmium
Cadmium is a metal that is used in electroplating, solder for aluminum, process engraving, and in cadmium-nickel batteries. It is also sometimes used as a pigment in cosmetics. It may occur naturally or as a contaminant in sewage sludge, fertilizers, and polluted groundwater.
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| Lead
Lead has been called the leading environmental health threat to children and the greatest lead exposures from food are to infants under the age of two.
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| Mercury
According to a 2004 U.S. EPA analysis, 630,000 children born annually are at risk of impaired motor function, learning capacity, memory, and vision due to high levels of mercury in their bloodstreams.
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| PBDEs
PBDEs are the second largest class of additives used by the plastics industry and they are present in many commercial product materials such as mattresses, foam in upholstered furniture, textiles, and hard plastics such as computer monitors and hair dryers.
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| Perchlorate
Perchlorate exposure is particularly dangerous to infants and children. If a mother's thyroid function is diminished during pregnancy, it could have negative impacts for the developing fetus.
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| PFCs
PFCs are used in coatings on furniture, cookware, carpet, clothing and food packaging. Teflon, Scotchgard, and Gore-Tex are some of the brand names for chemical products that contain PFCs.
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| Phthalates
Phthalates have been shown to interfere with the natural functioning of the hormone system. Exposure to phthalates is also linked to premature birth, reproductive defects, early onset of puberty, and asthma.
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| PVC
The PVC lifecycle releases toxins like mercury, lead, dioxins, cadmium, and phthalates into the environment, which are linked to cancer, reproductive and immune system damage, and asthma.
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