BIOMONITORING Report provides snapshot of human exposure to chemicals

Abstract

Americans are being widely exposed to polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants, perfluorinated chemicals such as those found in nonstick coatings on cookware, the plastics chemical bisphenol A (BPA), and many other chemicals in everyday consumer products, according to the “Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals.” The report, released by CDC on Dec. 10, details exposure, as measured in blood and urine, to 212 chemicals, including 75 that have not previously been measured in a representative sample of the U.S. population. The 75 chemicals new to the list include acrylamide (found in fried, starchy food), arsenic species and metabolites, endocrine disrupters such as BPA and the antimicrobial triclosan, perchlorate (found in rocket fuel), perfluorinated chemicals, PBDE flame retardants, and volatile organic compounds such as the gasoline additive methyl tert -butyl ether. The findings prompted Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.) to issue a statement highlighting the nee...