Researchers tested 200 toddlers — 96 chemicals were lurking in their bodies

Researchers testing urine from 2- to 4-year-olds in four U.S. states uncovered 96 different chemicals, many of them unmonitored and linked to hormone and brain disruption. Legacy toxins like triclosan are slowly declining, yet replacements such as DINCH plasticizer and modern pesticides are rising. Toddlers—especially the youngest, later-born, and those from minority groups—often carried higher levels than their own mothers. Scientists urge expanded biomonitoring and stricter regulations before these invisible pollutants derail early development.