The lead author and peer reviewers of the report, which raises the possibility that contamination might be linked to public health threats, told The Washington Post (NYSE:WPO) the report is being held back for political reasons. Lead author Chris De Rosa -- who headed the division of toxicology and environmental medicine at the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry within the federal Centers for Disease Control -- told the newspaper his report played a significant role in his reassignment to a non-supervisory post in 2007.

The House Committee on Science and Technology is investigating De Rosa's job switch, the newspaper said. A spokesman for the CDC, Glen Nowak, said he could not discuss personnel matters but he told the Post De Rosa's report was held back from publication because "very senior people" had "some significant questions and concerns" about its content.

Biologist Michael Gilbertson, who peer-reviewed De Rosa's report, said the information contained in it should have been released "more than a year ago." He said the information in the report was "inconvenient to the administration."