Harp participated in a seven-state study to gauge how many people harbor three chemicals found in all kinds of consumer products, including baby toys and baby bottles.

The three substances -- pthalates, bisphenol A and PBDEs -- have been linked in human and animal studies to birth defects, mental retardation, cancer and other health problems.

Now she plans to take action, at the legislative level, to keep people safer.

"The most important thing about this issue is that we're all walking around with these things inside of our bodies, actually probably doing long-term harm... and that government has a responsibility," she said. Click here to hear more of her comments.

Thirty-five people in Connecticut, Alaska, New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois had their blood and urine tested for the chemicals. Results showed all three classes of toxic chemicals in every person tested (except for one who didn't have her urine tested; therefore bisphenol A was not found).

Click here for a press release, and here for the full report, entitled, Is it In Us: Toxic Trespass, Regulatory Failure and Opportunities for Action.

Thirty-five people is admittedly a very small sample. But Sarah Uhl, the environmental health coordinator for Clean Water Action, who organized the study for the Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut, said of the study's results, "They corroborate the results from the Centers for Disease Control when they've looked at a broader sampling of Americans." It's just that the CDC won't release specific results to individuals who've been tested.

By testing this group of individuals, including five Connecticut women, who are willing to go public with the results, Uhl hopes more Americans will begin to realize how widespread the problem is.

It's not that these chemicals somehow slip in to consumer products. "In most cases they are added on purpose," Uhl says. "So, bisphenol A is actually one of the ingredients in the plastic of shatter-proof baby bottles. It's also used to line cans -- baby food cans, beer cans, soda cans." Why? Ironically, she said, to keep components of the metal in the cans from leaching into the food.

Pthalates are famously used in infants' toys to keep them pliable, like the now infamous bright yellow rubber duckies. Since babies suck on toys, this is a serious problem. Pthalates are also found in many other common items, like shower curtains, perfumes, and the dashboards of automobiles (producing that "new car" smell).

PBDEs (poly brominated diphenol ethers) are found in flame retardants in all kinds of consumer products, including blankets and children's clothing.

But the federal government does not regulate these substances. According to the coalition's news release, "The federal law regulating chemicals -- the Toxics Substances Control Act -- was enacted in 1976 and has not been updated to reflect recent scientific advances, including evidence that even tiny doses of toxic chemicals may cause harm."

"We don't' know the level that causes harm," Uhl said, "but as we do testing we find that lower and lower doses cause harm. Just like with lead, we used to think a small amount wouldn't hurt people, but now we know that any level is not safe."

In the face of federal government inaction, states are taking the lead to get these harmful additives out of consumer products. California has passed such legislation, for example, said Uhl. The Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut -- made up of about 20 public health organizations, environmental justice groups and labor unions -- is aiming to get a law passed in the next session of the General Assembly that would ban pthalates and bisphenol A from children's toys, for starters. The group's long-term goal is to replace hazardous toxic substances with proven, safer alternatives.

Sen. Harp said she'll cosponsor such legislation with any other lawmakers who want to sign on.