| Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorines (OCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were first implicated in causing reproductive and developmental issues in wildlife in the early 1990's. Since then, several studies have suggested that these compounds may also affect reproductive health in humans. These compounds have strong estrogenic effects that have been related to numerous health problems in women. During this study, the levels of PCBs, OCs and PAHs were measured in pregnant women and their fetuses using venous blood collected before birth and cord blood at birth in the Brownsville, Texas area. |
