Toxics affect bay bass before birth

Researchers say baby striped bass in the San Francisco Estuary are contaminated with toxic chemicals, pesticides and flame retardants before birth.

Scientists at UC Davis say mother fish acquire the pollutants from estuary waters and their offspring have underdeveloped brains, have dysfunctional livers and grow more slowly than offspring of fish grown in clean-water hatcheries.

Researcher David Ostrach says the findings are troubling because the estuary -- which includes the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and San Francisco Bay -- provides water for two-thirds of the state’s population and most of its farms.

The study says one of the contaminants found in fish, PBDEs, is also found in Bay Area women’s breast milk at levels 100 times those of women measured elsewhere. Scientists, however, say the benefits of breastfeeding still greatly outweigh any risks from PBDEs.