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Women who eat PCB-contaminated fish are less likely to give
birth to boys, according to a study.
PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are man-made chemicals
that can mimic female sex hormones. They were used until the
last 1970s as coolants and lubricants.
According to the study, women who had been exposed to the
highest levels of PCBs through the consumption of contaminated
fish had about 50 percent fewer boys compared with women who
had been exposed to the lowest levels.
Worldwide, the proportion of male births decreased by a statistically
significant fraction of one percent between 1970 and 1990.
The findings add to previous research that suggests environmental
pollution may be responsible for the decrease.
Telegraph May 5, 2003
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