An Unbearable Burden

The Environmental Working Group today released the results of a study on the "body burden" of pollutants found in the umbilical cord blood of newborns. I have written before, in my AOL Journal, of the burden of industrial pollutants we all carry in our blood, tissues, nerves, brains. It was previously thought that a blood barrier protected babies in utero from the toxic substances we all bear. This study shows how untrue that assumption is.

In a study spearheaded by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) in collaboration with Commonweal, researchers at two major laboratories found an average of 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants in umbilical cord blood from 10 babies born in August and September of 2004 in U.S. hospitals. Tests revealed a total of 287 chemicals in the group. The umbilical cord blood of these 10 children, collected by Red Cross after the cord was cut, harbored pesticides, consumer product ingredients, and wastes from burning coal, gasoline, and garbage.

This study represents the first reported cord blood tests for 261 of the targeted chemicals and the first reported detections in cord blood for 209 compounds. Among them are eight perfluorochemicals used as stain and oil repellants in fast food packaging, clothes and textiles - including the Teflon chemical PFOA, recently characterized as a likely human carcinogen by the EPA's Science Advisory Board - dozens of widely used brominated flame retardants and their toxic by-products; and numerous pesticides.

Of the 287 chemicals we detected in umbilical cord blood, we know that 180 cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests. The dangers of pre- or post-natal exposure to this complex mixture of carcinogens, developmental toxins and neurotoxins have never been studied.

Results of the study, a chart of the toxins and their possible effects on a developing fetus, implications for the future of our children and our children's children, are all laid out in these pages on the EWG's site, as is the unescapable conclusion that many increasing childhood problems: autism, asthma, leukemia, childhood brain cancer, ADD and ADHD, are the results of these embryonic toxins.

Those who have obsessed so diligently over the legality of abortion need to sit up, read this report, think about the fact that the chemical industry largely depends on "voluntary" regulation, rather than seriously regulated federal standards - and call upon the usual villains in environmental disasters: industry and government, to immediately pay attention to the millions of pounds of chemical materials liberally used in so much that we come in contact with in daily life (including, incidentally, the burning of coal, gas and oil, these carbon emissions are part of this infantile body burden too). What can be wrong with us as human beings that we have allowed such a situation to happen? Why are people worrying about birth control and pregnancy termination when we are well on our way to creating generations of young humans who will have the options of never reaching adulthood, living a damaged life, or developing problems early in their adult life resulting from events in their embryonic development?

This report has overwhelmed me with grief and fury. A commenter on previous posts of mine tells me that the environmental movement has been "hijacked by modern day socialists," that it is a cover for those wanting to destroy our capitalist society. What I have to say to that is - good. (Not that I put the slightest credence in such nonsense.) The sooner I can see the collapse of a society that values financial profit for the chemical and energy industries over healthy life for both unborn and born babies and children, the happier I will be. Please read this entire article, I beg of anyone who visits this blog. Please become an activist in any way open to you. Write your congresspeople, write the heads of industry, avoid as many of these products as you possibly can - most of them are entirely unnecessary anyway. Within this story lurks the Teflon story, which may or may not have surfaced to common awareness. A story for another day. This is enough for now.

| +Save/Share | |