ABOUT

Smart discussion of the latest science and news on toxins in your food, water, and air, and what government agencies should be doing to protect public health. Enviroblog is a project of EWG Action Fund. (More. . .)

FEED

 Subscribe in a Reader

Subscribe by Email

An EWG podcast for environmental health news on the go.

TWITTER UPDATES

TIPS

Did we miss something? Email Amanda.

BLOGROLL

STAY CONNECTED

Get our monthly eNewsletter, action alerts, & environmental tips. [Privacy policy, About EWG]

Confirmed: New shower curtain smell is gross

House bill would ban BPA in food, beverage packaging

Chemical injections in Colorado

FEATURED

BPA in your body: How to minimize your exposure

Caution: These 7 household items may feminize baby boys

BPA in infant formula: This is not a call to panic

Cheatsheet: Bisphenol A

7 ways to reduce your exposure to PBDEs

Your BPA questions, answered

Ask EWG

What is "fragrance"?

Which infant formula is best?

Is there eco-friendly jewelry?

Are stainless steel water bottles safe?

Is mineral-based makeup safer?

SEARCH

ARCHIVE

select month June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004

« Out of the frying pan: Sludge fertilizer as the antidote to lead poisoning | Main | EWG pet health study spurs launch of new organization »

April 16, 2008

Synthetic chemicals: The unfortunate predicament

Ed. note: This is a post by Howie, EWG's social media intern. Howie's a student at American University here in DC.
We’ve discussed the fact that breast cancer rates around the world have dramatically increased over the last few decades. And we’ve reported on various factors some scientists believe might be responsible for the increases. Women who were exposed to the pesticide DDT before they reached puberty were found to have up to a fivefold increase in their risk of contracting breast cancer. The presence of hormone disrupting chemicals in cosmetics and fish in polluted rivers might also been linked to the increased incidences.

It might not come as much of a surprise that all of these factors are linked to certain synthetic chemicals that could and should be avoided.

Breast Cancer Fund’s 2008 State of the Evidence report identifies new developments in distinguishing the linkages between synthetic chemical exposure and increases in risk of breast cancer.

New studies seem to confirm older findings that American and European women born in recent decades, in which there were increases in the amount of synthetic chemicals produced in those areas, have higher risk for breast cancer than women born in earlier decades.

Exposure to the pesticides atrazine, chlordane, malathion, heptachlor and 2,4-D are associated with increases in breast cancer risk.

Overexposure to bisphenol A (BPA) during development stages in the prenatal period or around the time of birth can alter mammary tissue structure and make women more vulnerable to mammary tumors later in life.

The report includes other new developments regarding the links between synthetic chemicals and increased breast cancer rates as well as a summary of previous related research.

Photo: spakattacks.

« Out of the frying pan: Sludge fertilizer as the antidote to lead poisoning |