Scorecard Update: Pacific Northwesterners contaminated with flame retardants
Last week, Sightline released results from our project to monitor pollution in the bodies of northwesterners. We tested 40 Northwest mothers for flame retardants called PBDEs, and found the toxic chemical in the breastmilk of every woman in the study. Breastmilk was used as a convenient medium to measure pollutants in the general population, and the results suggest that all northwesterners are contaminated with PBDEs.

Levels of PBDEs-a flame retardant widely used in consumer products such as furniture and computers-have been rapidly building up in people and the environment, but have been shown to drop after the chemical is banned. Find out about the PBDE levels of people in your region and read the report here.

Breastfeeding is still healthiest for baby and mom, according to research. In fact, breastmilk is so beneficial to infant development that it may help counteract the effects of prenatal exposure to chemicals.

Scorecard in Action: What your region is doing about toxic chemicals
British Columbia: Environment Canada has assessed the risk of PBDEs, and the Canadian Environmental Law Association recommends a ban on the chemicals.
Montana: Women's Voices for the Earth is working to prompt the legislature to encourage alternatives to toxic flame retardants.
Oregon: Oregon Environmental Council is collecting household dust for PBDE testing and wants your support to work with the legislature to phase out the chemical.
Washington: This month, the Department of Ecology is holding public hearings on its action plan to phase out PBDEs.

Personal Scorecard: Taking a stand against pollution
The fact that PBDEs were found in all 40 women tested suggests that there is no way to completely avoid contamination. Northwesterners may be exposed to the compounds by inhaling dust, by handling consumer products, or through food. The most effective way to reduce contamination may be to stop pollution at the source and use alternatives. Read about what you can do and what you can encourage your government to do about PBDEs.

Sightline Profiles: When study participant Laura Gerber found out she had flame retardants in her body, she didn't get angry, she got active. Meet moms from the study.

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