Common soap chemical exposure during pregncy may harm babies in womb

TCC is among the top 10 most commonly detected wastewater contamints in concentration and frequency. “Our results are significant because of the potential risk of exposure to TCC through contamited water sources and in the living environment, and the potential adverse effects resulting from this exposure during development,” said lead author of the study Heather Enright of Lawrence Livermore tiol Laboratory in California, US. “Early life exposure to TCC has the potential to cause irreversible outcomes due to the fragile ture of organ systems and protective mechanisms in developing offspring,” Enright said. The findings showed that exposure to TCC can transfer from mother to offspring and interfere with lipid metabolism. Lipids are turally occurring molecules that include fats, waxes, fat-soluble vitamins, monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides and others.

The main biological function of lipids is storing energy and sigling, and acting as structural components of cell membranes. The team studied mice during gestation and lactation to see if, in fact, exposure to TCC would transfer from mother to offspring. Researchers administered TCC laced with carbon-14 to trace how the contamint distributed in organ systems of female mice and exposed offspring. Using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), Enright and her colleagues quantified TCC concentrations in offspring and their mothers after exposure.

“We demonstrated that TCC does effectively transfer from mother to offspring, both trans-placentally and via lactation,” Enright said. “Exposure to TCC during development may pose a serious health risk to the developing embryo and fetus, as they are more sensitive to alterations in hormone levels, which may result in changes that often are irreversible,” she added. (IANS)