The environment is loaded with harmful toxins such as mercury, gasoline byproducts and pesticides that present a real public health risk. However, it's a truly sad state of affairs when it can be said that such chemicals are finding their way into the developing bodies of unborn babies.
Considering chemical exposures in the womb or during infancy can be significantly more harmful than exposures later in life, the following report highlights the nation's dire need for immediate action.
Facts Don't Lie
The report was released by the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit public-interest research group known for making connections between chemical exposure and adverse health conditions.
Based on tests of 10 random samples of umbilical-cord blood (a reflection of what the mother passes to the baby via the placenta), the group found an average of 287 contaminants--209 of which had never been detected in cord blood before. Of the detected chemicals:
- 180 cause cancer in humans and animals.
- 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system.
- 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests.
Mercury, pesticides, fire retardants, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the Teflon chemical known as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) were among the discovered chemicals.
A Move in the Right Direction
Given the horrific results, the survey prompted several members of Congress to push for legislation that would strengthen controls on chemicals polluting the environment.
Reuters July 14, 2005
Environmental Working Group July 14, 2005
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