Chemicals are found almost everywhere around us.
They can be present in plastics, cosmetics, food packaging, cleaning products, and air pollution, among other things. As a result, they are difficult to avoid completely.
This also applies to pregnant women, who are exposed every day to a range of different substances through common products and the environment.
Urine samples examined
According to HealthDay, researchers analyzed urine samples from more than 5,000 women who gave birth between 2000 and 2021.
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The samples were tested for 113 different chemicals.
On average, researchers found 45 chemicals in each sample, while some women had traces of as many as 64 different substances.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, included phthalates, which are used to make plastic soft and flexible, as well as newer chemicals developed to replace older substances.
Findings raise concern
Researchers also found traces of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are produced through the burning of coal, oil, gas, and wood, among other sources. These substances are commonly found in the environment.
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The study suggests that some of the newer replacement chemicals may be linked to the same problems as the substances they were designed to replace.
Several of the chemicals detected in the pregnant women were associated with earlier births and lower birth weights.
As a result, researchers are urging regulators and companies to ensure that new chemicals are thoroughly tested before being used in everyday consumer products.
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