New flame retardants found in breast milk years after similar chemicals were banned

Years after one class of flame retardants was phased out, researchers detected other, similar flame-retardant compounds in U.S. women's breast milk in a recent study. (Ceneri/Getty Images)

In the early 2000s, researchers tested breast milk samples from U.S. mothers and found high levels of toxic compounds used as a common flame retardant in household items.

The compounds, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), were gradually phased out after a link was found with certain health risks. It sounds like a public health success story, but new research suggests it may not be quite that simple.