The Washington Toxics Coalition yesterday released a study which is being called the first of its kind. The project tested nine pregnant women from Washington, Oregon and California for levels of toxic chemicals in their bodies, and thus being exposed to their fetuses. This study was completed in collaboration with Commonweal Biomonitoring Resource Center and the Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition.

The women were tested in their second trimester of pregnancy. Every woman tested was found to have levels of bisphenol A, mercury, phthalates, and perfluorinated -- or "Teflon" -- chemicals in their blood. The chemical levels are alarming because the chemicals tested are known to impair brain development, disrupt hormone levels, cause reproductive issues, and lead to cancer.