It is also known that plastic particles tend to accumulate persistent, bioaccumulating and toxic contaminants such as PCBs, DDT and PBDEs.

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So Kim Harley of the University of California, Berkeley, and her colleagues decided to look at whether levels of PBDEs in women affected their fertility.

ECONOMIST: Fire retardants may affect female reproduction

These are a key source of toxic PBDEs in household dust.

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Similarly, over the last 30 years flame-retardant chemicals known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been widely used, although little is known about their broader effects.

ECONOMIST: Fire retardants may affect female reproduction