Latest Polychlorinated biphenyl Stories

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The findings from a new study suggest that exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the womb, via the mother's blood, reduces fetal growth, whereas those from another suggest no effect. Both studies are reported in the journal Epidemiology. Previous reports have suggested that exposure to high levels of these common environmental contaminants adversely affects early growth and development. The effect of more moderate levels of PCB exposure, however,...

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Levels of lead have dropped dramatically, exposure to second-hand smoke is down and most women are not burdened by unsafe levels of mercury, according to the latest U.S. government survey on chemical exposures. The third National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, released on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has details on 148 different chemicals found in the blood and urine of...

By Michelle Rizzo NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Results of a study hint that exposure to PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) increases the risk of the development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), a blood cancer involving the lymph nodes. The incidence of NHL has risen over the past several decades but the reasons for this are unclear, study investigators explain in the July issue of the journal Epidemiology. In a population-based, case-control study, they examined the association between NHL risk...

Cutting calories and consuming olestra helps eliminate toxic chemicals, study saysHealthDayNews -- A cut in calorie intake combined with consuming the "fake fat" product olestra seems to help boost the body's ability to get rid of toxins such as PCBs and dioxin, according to researchers at the University of Cincinnati.In research with mice, they found that a combination of dietary olestra and caloric restriction caused a 30-fold increase in the rate of excretion of a test toxin.The...

WASHINGTON -- Concentrations of a flame retardant banned by many European countries have been found in Lake Michigan and are increasing, adding to concerns over previous findings that the chemicals were showing up in supermarket foods and women's breast milk. In the latest study, sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, University of Wisconsin scientists found PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, in sediment hundreds of feet down in Lake Michigan. Fish and other...