Testing people for pollutants

"They said: You know what? Flame retardants shouldn't be in breast milk -- whether there is a link to breast cancer or not," Rizzo says. "When breast milk talks, people listen."

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Monitoring breast milk

Testing breast milk can detect chemicals that accumulate in the body. These substances are released when a new mother nurses, providing a snapshot of chemical exposures over time. Some of these chemicals include:

* Dioxins: These industrial byproducts have been linked to cancer as well as reproductive problems and the disruption of hormones.

* Organochlorine pesticides: These chemicals, used on crops, are sometimes called endocrine-disruptors because they mimic the female hormone estradiol, causing breast cells to proliferate.

* Polybrominated diphenyl ethers: This class of widely used flame retardants has only recently been recognized as potentially harmful to infant brain development.

* Polychlorinated biphenyls: PCBs are banned but remain in the environment. They were used to make adhesives, paints, lubricants, coolants and many other products. High levels of exposure have been linked to problems in infants, such as low birth weight.