Breastfeeding May Expose Infants.

• Position: TOXIC CHEMICALS - Brief article

A widely used class of industrial chemicals linked with cancer and interference with immune function--perfluorinated alkylate substances, or PFASs--appears to build up in infants by 20%-30% for each month they are breastfed, according to a study coauthored by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Mass.

"We knew that small amounts of PFAS can occur in breast milk, but our serial blood analyses now show a buildup in the infants the longer they are breastfed," says Philippe Grandjean, adjunct professor of environmental health.

PFASs are used to make products resistant to water, grease, and stains. They have been in use for more than 60 years in products such as stain-proof textiles, waterproof clothing, some food packaging, paints, and lubricants--and are known to contaminate drinking water in the U.S. near various production facilities.

These compounds--which tend to bioaccumulate in food chains and can persist for a long time in the body--are found regularly in the blood of...