babble » blogs » Strollerderby
Strollerderby
They Say – Flame Retardants Linked to Fertility Problems
Common household chemicals known as PBDEs have been linked to reduced fertility in a new study.
PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, are flame retardants, and they’re commonly found in household items like TVs, carpets, and couches. In a previous small study done by the Environmental Working Group, abnormally high levels of PBDEs were also found in household dust.
To study the effects of PBDEs on fertility, researchers from Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas took blood samples from 233 pregnant women, then asked them how long it had taken them to get pregnant.
What they found was women with higher levels of PBDE in the blood took longer to get pregnant, from 30 to 50 percent longer, depending on their blood levels. “It’s a pretty strong effect,” lead researcher Kim Harley to the Los Angeles Times. They can all become pregnant, but they all had very different amounts of time it took them to become pregnant.”
According to HealthDay, 97 percent of Americans have PBDEs in their blood. The chemical is now being phased out, but because it’s found in so many household items and in the enivronment, people will be exposed for years.
To reduce your exposure to PBDEs, HealthDay recommends using a wet mop on your floors, using a vacuum with a quality filter, and keeping your hands clean. According to Harley, researches suspect that household dust may be one of the major sources of exposure.
Joslyn Gray 
Amber Doty 
Julianna Miner 
Monica Bielanko 
Sierra Black 
Meredith Carroll 
Carolyn Castiglia 
Sunny Chanel 
Madeline Holler 
Wendy Michaels 
Rebecca Odes 
Danielle Smith 
Danielle Sullivan 
Katherine Stone 
The Walt Disney Company supports Babble as a platform dedicated to honest, engaged, informed, intelligent and open conversation about parenting. However, the opinions expressed on this site are those of individual parents/writers and do not reflect the views of Disney. In addition, content provided on this site is for entertainment or informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or safety advice.
0