Nearly all pregnant women are exposed to cancer-causing chemicals, study finds

Nearly all pregnant women are exposed to chemicals in plastics, cleaning products, clothing and other household items that scientists say can put them at a greater risk of cancer and harm the development of their babies.

Researchers at the University of California at San Francisco tested urine samples from 171 women and found that nearly all of the byproducts of melamine and cyanuric acid were present, which can come from jars, plastics, countertops and pesticides.

The vast majority have also been exposed to aromatic amines, which are commonly leached from surrounding clothing dyes and pigments.

Dr. Tracey Woodruff, a gynecologist who led the study, told DailyMail.com that the presence of the chemicals was a “serious concern” and added that she feared it would have a greater impact when mixed together.

Chemicals are common, making them nearly impossible to avoid, but exposure can be reduced by buying fewer plastic-wrapped fruits and vegetables, Woodruff said.

There is no regular monitoring of these chemicals, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says exposure to less than 0.06 mg per mg of melamine per two pounds of body weight is safe. The World Health Organization states that up to 0.2 mg is safe.

In the study, published today in the peer-reviewed journal Chemosfera, scientists recruited 171 pregnant women from a national survey.

They were, on average, 29 years old, and the majority were Hispanic (40%) or white (34%) from the United States.

Approximately 68% were married or living with a partner, while 46% had at least a university degree.

Each provided at least 14 urine samples from the 2008 pregnancy date to the end of the study in 2020.

The results showed that while the women all had cyanuric acid, their samples contained 170 melamine.

Almost all women had all three of the 13 aromatic amines examined in their urine samples. These were aniline, methylenedianiline, and ortho/meta-toluidine.

However, they were present in very low concentrations. Cyanuric acid was present at an average level of 27 nanograms (ng) per ml, while melamine was present at 1.6 ng/ml.

This was well below the WHO level of concern, which is 0.2mg, or 125,000 times lower, for melamine.

But Tuffman told DailyMail.com that more research is needed on industrially produced chemicals.

“These chemicals are of serious concern because of their links to cancer and developmental toxicity, but they are not routinely monitored in the United States.

“One of the reasons for our concern is that multiple exposures to these chemicals and mixing them together may pose greater risks.

“The other is these poisoning events” [such as in 2008 when six children died].’

“What we found is that nearly all women have measurable levels of these chemicals. They may not represent a major risk, but they can be a significant risk… and they appear at a very critical point in development”.

He called for more funding to study the effects of chemicals on humans, saying very little work has been done so far.

There is particular concern about melamine after it was associated with the deaths of six children in 2008.

They are widely used in plastics which means they are already ubiquitous in the environment as they decompose into microplastics.

There are already concerns that the chemical is in high concentrations or is placed in a microwave oven where it reacts with waves. Health officials claim that only microwave pans are marked “microwave-safe.”

It was added to milk to increase its protein content, but eventually 300,000 fell ill and developed several serious kidney problems. It is particularly associated with the development of kidney stones.

There was even more concern a year ago when it was added to pet food, leading to more than 100 animal deaths and 500 cases of kidney failure.

More studies are needed to determine the hazards of cyanuric acid and aromatic amines found in some pesticides and swimming pools to extend the life of chlorine.

Tuffman explained that the scientists decided to conduct the study after discovering “virtually no information” about the chemicals in national libraries, despite their ubiquity.

They are currently monitoring 5,000 pregnant women to see if they have been exposed to the chemicals and in what amount. Results are expected early next year.

“Investing in this type of research is very important because we need to understand all these chemicals we use.

‘We know very little about the effects on health. He emphasizes how we should know this as a priority before people get sick.