Title Preconception Maternal and Paternal Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants and Birth Size: The LIFE Study Author(s)

Background Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are chemicals used for pest and disease control, crop production, and industry. There are a number of different classes of POPs including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which were once used for their non-flammability and chemical stability in things like transformers, insulation, and other electrical products; polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which are flame-retardants that are used in a variety of foam and plastic products, including flooring, furniture, and electronics; perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), which make everyday products like cookware, mattresses, and carpets resistant to stains, grease, and water; polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), which are non-flammable chemicals that were once used in things like televisions, computer monitors, and textiles; and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), which are used for mosquito control and agriculture. Many POPs do not degrade, or break down easily, and thus they persist for many years, even decades, in the environment. Thus, even POPs whose production has been banned pose continued threats to human health. POPs can easily travel long distances through the air before being deposited, and can thus be found all over the world. Human exposure is via direct contact with these chemicals in our living and working environments, through drinking water, and/or through consumption of contaminated foods, particularly dairy products, meats and seafood, and especiall