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In the largest survey of its kind undertaken in Canada, researchers plan to track chemical pollutants in about 2,000 pregnant women and their babies over the next five years to see what kind of industrial contaminants are in their bodies.

Federal Health Minister Tony Clement announced the $3.9-million research study yesterday, which will involve scientists across the country taking samples from women who volunteer to participate.

The testing will begin in the first trimester of their pregnancies, and follow the women through to the birth of their children and up to eight weeks afterward. The researchers will test blood, urine, hair, milk and meconium, a child's first bowel movement after birth, for the presence of synthetic chemicals.

"The knowledge we gain from this study will help us understand the impacts of the environment on the health of Canada's most vulnerable populations," said William Fraser, one of those conducting the study, which will be co-ordinated by the Sainte-Justine Hospital in Montreal.

Research into the burden of contaminants people have in their bodies has emerged as one of the hottest areas of scientific study in the last decade.

Although extensive surveys like the one announced yesterday haven't been done in Canada, testing in other countries has found people typically have a bewildering array of chemical pollutants from industrial emissions and consumer products.

These include residues from pesticides, flame retardants, water repellants and plastics, among other compounds, and even detectible levels of chemicals, such as PCBs, that have been banned for decades. The new Canadian study will also test for metals, such as lead, along with residues from cigarette smoke.

There are widespread concerns that high chemical exposures during fetal development can lead later in life to illnesses such as cancer, and to impaired mental development.

One of the goals of the study will be to see if heavy metals, at current levels found in women, are having any deleterious effects on their children.

The research project will be a collaborative effort among Health Canada scientists, the Sainte-Justine Hospital and clinical researchers from Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Sudbury, Ottawa, Kingston, Hamilton, Toronto and Halifax.