Study to detect pollutants in pregnant women

Over the next five years, researchers will track chemical pollutants in nearly 2000 pregnant women and their babies in Toronto and other Canadian cities. The $3.9 million research study was announced last week by federal health minister Tony Clement. The study will test volunteer pregnant women for the presence of synthetic chemicals in the first trimester of their pregnancies and will follow them through to the birth of their children and the eight weeks following.

“The knowledge we gain from this study will help us understand the impacts of the environment on the health of Canada’s most vulnerable populations,” said one of the researchers involved in the study.

The survey is the first of its kind in Canada, although testing in other countries has revealed that most people have an array of chemical pollutants from industrial emissions and consumer products in their systems. These include residues from pesticides, flame retardants, water repellants and plastics, among other compounds, such as PCBs, that have been banned for decades. Tests will also detect residues from cigarette smoke and metals such as lead.

The research project will be a collaborative effort among Health Canada scientists, the Sainte-Justine Hospital in Montreal and clinical researchers from Toronto, Calgary, Winnipeg, Sudbury, Ottawa, Kingston, Hamilton, Vancouver and Halifax .

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