By Jimmy Downs

Friday Nov 30, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- Exposure to polybrominated biphenyls (PBB)  - a type of flame retardant may increase risk of ovarian cancer, according to a study in Journal of Women's Health.

D.J. Jamieson at Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia and colleagues conducted the study and found women who were exposed to the flame retardant were at higher risk for abnormal Pap smear test or Pap test.

The study was intended to examine the association between dietary exposure to the flame retardant and self-reported abnormal Pap test results and cervical dysplasia, which is a precursor to cervical cancer.

 The researchers enlisted women in Michigan who ingested poultry, beef, and dairy products contaminated with the flame retardant in the early 1970s for the population-based cohort study in Michigan. 

For the study, serum PBB and serum polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) (a flame retardant that had been banned due to their toxicity) concentrations were measured.  Participants reported reproductive history and Pap test results.

After adjustment for PCB exposure, age, and smoking history, women who were highly exposed to the PBB type of flame retardant were 23 percent more likely to have an abnormal Pap test, compared with women who had nondetectable PBB concentrations. 

The researchers concluded "It remains important to evaluate the potential reproductive health consequences of this class of chemicals (flame retardant) as well as other potential predictors of abnormal Pap tests."

The PBB type of flame retardant is widely used in household products including carpets, furniture like couches and electronics and many products intended for infants to use.