Scientists worry: Toxic chemicals found in American breast milk

Reporter : Li Zhaoxi / Editor : Li Jia / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/05/14/a103119330.html / Direct translation

Image : On January 31, 2013, a doctor in Lima, Peru, was testing the quality of milk donated to a human milk bank. (Ernesto Benavides / AFP via Getty Images)

Breast milk also has safety issues? In a recent study, scientists have discovered that the breast milk of some American mothers contains toxic chemicals, the high concentration of which may be worrying.

According to The Guardian report on 13 May 2021, the American Chemical Society (American Chemical Society) scientific journal "Environmental Science and Technology" (Environmental Science and Technology) published a study The study tested the milk of 50 American mothers and found that each sample was contaminated with Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). More importantly, the content of these chemicals is nearly 2,000 times the safe level of drinking water recommended by experts.

"The research report shows that PFAS pollution in breast milk may be widespread in the United States, and these harmful chemicals are contaminating what should be the perfect food for nature." The co-author of the research report, Erika Schreder, told the "Wei Newspaper.

PFAS stands for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. It is a large class of man-made chemical substances that are widely used for antifouling, waterproofing and anti-sticking of food packaging, clothing, carpets and water. Because they do not decompose naturally and have been found to accumulate in humans, they are called "forever chemicals".

PFAS is related to a series of serious health problems, such as cancer, birth defects, liver disease, thyroid disease, and sudden decrease in sperm count.

This study is the first detection of breast milk in the United States since 2005. The results found that the concentration of PFAS in breast milk samples ranged from 50 ppt to 1850 ppt.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not set safety standards for PFAS in breast milk, but according to the recommendations of experts from the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit environmental protection agency in the United States, the PFAS content in drinking water is 1 ppt . The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommends that the PFAS content in children's drinking water is less than 14 ppt.

Although researchers are concerned about these findings, because it is difficult to conduct research on newborns, there is no detailed and in-depth analysis of how PFAS affects babies. Sheela Sathyanarayana, a pediatrician at the University of Washington and co-author of the study, said that PFAS can damage the immune system, which can be a particularly big problem for infants because of the nutrient-rich Breast milk will strengthen their immune system.

The authors of the study recommend that pregnant women and mothers take self-protection measures, including avoiding the use of oil-proof food packaging, antifouling agents (such as ScotchGard), using PFAS waterproof clothing, and Teflon or similar non-sticky clothing Cooking equipment.

In addition, the study also found that PFAS pollution is increasing all over the world. International breast milk data from 1996 to 2019 show that although the concentration of older chemicals is declining, the concentration of newer chemicals doubles every 4.1 years.