세대간 생체전이성 화학물질의 현황 및 관리방향

Abstract

Management of man-made chemicals in cord blood Chemicals end up in people: from pollution in air; water and food; from pesticides and additives in food; through thousands of consumer products from stain repellents to paints and plastics, and; from a wide array of new building materials. For infants and children, exposures can also come from their parents' workplaces or from contamination in mother's milk. In a recent study, the presence of a number of well known man-made chemicals in maternal and umbilical cord blood was determined. Some of the toxic environmental pollutants found in the cord blood samples include: ？ Bisphenol A (BPA): a widely used component of plastics that is linked to a host of health problems including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, endocrine disruption, infertility, impaired brain function and abnormal behavior. ？ Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs): These chemicals have been banned in Koreasincethelate1980s,buttheypersistintheenvironmentandmoveupthefoodchainbytheprocessofbioaccumulation.PCBsarecarcinogensandcausedecreasedthyroidhormonelevels. ？ Perfluorochemicals (PFCs): Used in non-stick and stain-resistant products such as Teflon and Scotchgard, these chemicals are linked to low birth weight, high cholesterol, reproductive problems and immune suppression. ？ Perchlorate: A component of rocket fuel, perchlorate contaminates the groundwater and has been detected in many common foods. It affects thyroid hormone levels that are vital for normal fetal development. ？ Dioxins and furans: Found in fire retardants, they also enter the air, soil and water when plastics are incinerated, and accumulate in dairy products, meat and fish. They are known carcinogens and are also linked to lowered levels of hormones necessary for reproductive development. ？ Lead: Found in lead paint and water pipes, lead is a neurotoxin that damages the brain and nervous system and causes problems with behavior, learning, hearing and reproduction. ？ Mercury: A pollutant of coal-fired power plants, mercury is also found in contaminated fish and seafood. It causes abnormal brain and nervous system development and increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The developing fetus is particularly vulnerable to health risks caused by toxic chemicals for several reasons, including: ？ small size of the fetus in relation to the concentration of the toxic chemicals in the mother's body ？ rapid cell growth and differentiation ？ undeveloped blood-brain barrier