about this participant:

Tiffany Kimball, an occupational therapist from La Habra Heights, CA, participated in the 2003 biomonitoring investigation entitled "EWG Study #2, flame retardants in breast milk." She gave breast milk for the study on May 30, 2003 at age 30, when her baby, Samantha, was 29 days old.

Related links:

• Report executive summary

Location:

La Habra Heights, CA

Participant's groups:

Women of Childbearing Age, Female, Adult

Study:

EWG Study #2, flame retardants in breast milk

Sample Date:

May 30, 2003

health & safety concerns:	chemicals found in this person
Reproduction and fertility	25
Brain and nervous system	25

Participant: Tiffany Kimball
Found 20.5-25 of 44 tested chemicals

Tiffany Kimball's breast milk contained 20.5-25 of 44 industrial compounds, pollutants and other chemicals tested, including chemicals linked to reproductive toxicity and fertility problems, brain and nervous system toxicity,

• This participant's samples show above average levels of PBDE-15, PBDE-153, PBDE-119 and PBDE-126 compared to all others in EWG studies

Summary of chemicals found in Tiffany Kimball

chemical family	level found	health effects	exposure routes
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)	moderate	Reproduction and fertility, Brain and nervous system	Foam furniture, carpet padding, computers, televisions, contaminated house dust, food

Detailed report by chemical (return to summary)

polybrominated diphenyl ethers (pbdes)

20.5-25 of 44 found

Fire retardants in furniture foam, computers, and televisions. Accumulate in human tissues. May harm brain development.

• cumulative level found: 78.8 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• Moderate vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (60th %ile)

9.51	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	1080

Dibrominated diphenyl ethers

Brominated fire retardants used in polyurethan foam and plastics. These PBDEs are neurotoxic and persist in people and the environment. They were withdrawn from the market in the U.S. in 2005.

PBDE-11 & PBDE-8 [2]

• level found: 0.01 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• High vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (90th %ile)

	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	0.06

PBDE-15

• level found: 1.86 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• High vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (95th %ile)

0.19	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	17.7

Heptabrominated diphenyl ethers

Brominated flame retardants used in plastics. Break down into more toxic and persistent forms in the environment. Withdrawn from the market in the U.S. in 2005.

PBDE-183

• level found: 0.08 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• Moderate vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (35th %ile)

0.05	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	0.46

Hexabrominated diphenyl ethers

Brominated fire retardants used in foam and plastics. Break down into more toxic and persistent forms in the environment. Withdrawn from the market in the U.S. in 2005.

PBDE-138 & PBDE-166 [2]

• level found: 0.06 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• Moderate vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (55th %ile)

	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	1.76

PBDE-140

• level found: 0.12 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• Moderate vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (75th %ile)

0.01	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	1.93

PBDE-153

• level found: 40.5 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• High vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (90th %ile)

1.07	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	122

PBDE-154

• level found: 0.3 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• Moderate vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (45th %ile)

0.04	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	11.7

PBDE-155

• level found: 0.07 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• Moderate vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (50th %ile)

	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	2.5

Pentabrominated diphenyl ethers

Brominated fire retardants used in polyurethan foam and plastics. These PBDEs are neurotoxic and persist in people and the environment. They were withdrawn from the market in the U.S. in 2005.

PBDE-100

• level found: 4.86 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• Moderate vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (50th %ile)

0.57	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	171

PBDE-119

• level found: 0.02 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• High vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (85th %ile)

	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	0.22

PBDE-126

• level found: 0.01 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• Moderate vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (75th %ile)

	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	0.22

PBDE-85

• level found: 0.47 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• Moderate vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (60th %ile)

0.05	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	17.1

PBDE-99

In PBDE chemical family - fire retardant in furniture foam, computers, televisions; may harm brain development and hormone systems.

• level found: 4.55 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• Moderate vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (55th %ile)

0.76	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	200

Tetrabrominated diphenyl ethers

Brominated fire retardants used in polyurethan foam and plastics. These PBDEs are neurotoxic and persist in people and the environment. They were withdrawn from the market in the U.S. in 2005.

PBDE-47

In PBDE chemical family - fire retardant in furniture foam, computers, televisions; may harm brain development and hormone systems.

• level found: 22.2 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• Moderate vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (50th %ile)

5.53	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	589

PBDE-49

• level found: 0.21 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• Moderate vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (55th %ile)

0.04	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	3.69

PBDE-66

• level found: 0.24 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• Moderate vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (50th %ile)

0.06	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	8.37

PBDE-71

• level found: 0.02 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• Moderate vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (60th %ile)

	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	0.33

PBDE-75

• level found: 0.02 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• Moderate vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (55th %ile)

0.01	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	0.43

Tribrominated diphenyl ethers

Brominated fire retardants used in polyurethan foam and plastics. These PBDEs are neurotoxic and persist in people and the environment. They were withdrawn from the market in the U.S. in 2005.

PBDE-17

• level found: 0.06 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• Moderate vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (50th %ile)

0.02	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	0.47

PBDE-25

• level found: 0.01 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• Moderate vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (65th %ile)

	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	0.06

PBDE-28 & PBDE-33 [2]

• level found: 3.14 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• Moderate vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (65th %ile)

0.35	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	43.8

PBDE-37

• level found: 0.03 ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk
• Moderate vs 20 tested in EWG/Commonweal studies (70th %ile)

	ppb (lipid weight) in breast milk	0.4

Chemicals not found in Tiffany Kimball

19 chemicals

PBDE-32, PBDE-3, PBDE-2, PBDE-1, PBDE-13, PBDE-12, PBDE-35, PBDE-77, PBDE-10, PBDE-7, PBDE-209, PBDE-30, PBDE-116, PBDE-105, PBDE-190, PBDE-181, PBDE-208, PBDE-207, PBDE-206

References/Notes

[1] CDC (2005). National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, Centers for Disease Control. http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/. (Methylmercury results have been compared to total mercury in CDC biomonitoring.)

[2] The chemicals co-eluted in the laboratory analysis.

See results for this participant's group

• EWG Study #2, flame retardants in breast milk
• Women of Childbearing Age
• Female
• Adult