Human Poisoning

   According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers almost 94% of all poisonings occur in the home.  And, over half of these occur in children younger than 5.  The total number of poison exposures reported in 2011 in the household was 2.3 million.  Most poisonings involve everyday household items, like cleaning supplies, cosmetics, personal care products and medications.  In children, the most common exposures were cosmetic/personal care products (14%), analgesics (9.9%), and household cleaning products (9.2%).

Chemicals are now common in our cells!  Daily exposure slowly builds until enough damage is done to trigger a symptom or disease.

Body Burden

Not only is the environment toxic, so are humans!

Scientists know about this toxic contamination in humans and it is called body burden.  The Environmental Working Group (EWG) conducted 2 enlightening, but disturbing, studies.  The following information is taken from their website.

STUDY 1:  A group of people who don’t work with chemicals or live near industrial facilities were tested through blood and urine samples.  This is the most comprehensive assessment of chemical contamination in people ever performed:

*An average of 91 different chemicals per person

*A total of 167 different chemicals were found (76 cause cancer, 94 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 79 cause birth defects or abnormal development)

*The dangers of these chemicals in combination has never been studied

*Only a very limited number of chemicals were included.  Many more are known to contaminate the population.

Who is checking the safety of these products?  A more accurate answer isn’t possible because chemical companies aren’t required to tell the EPA how their compounds are used or monitor where their products end up.  And, U.S. law doesn’t require chemical companies to conduct basic health and safety testing of their products before or after they are sold.  Eighty percent of all applications to produce a new chemical are approved by the U.S. EPA with NO health and safety data.

STUDY 2:  Umbilical cord blood samples taken from 10 randomly chosen unborn babies

This study represents the first cord blood tests analyzing chemical compounds.  The umbilical cord blood, collected by Red Cross after the cord was cut, contained pesticides, consumer product ingredients, and wastes from burning coal, gasoline, and garbage.

*An average of 200 different chemicals per baby

*A total of 287 different chemicals were found (180 cause cancer, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development)

*The dangers of exposure to this mixture of chemicals have never been studied.

*Only a very limited number of chemicals were included in this analysis.

Consider this alarming information taken from EWG’s summary statement:

In the month leading up to birth, the umbilical cord carries about 300 quarts of blood per day, pumped between the placenta and the rapidly growing child.  We now know the umbilical cord carries not only the building blocks of life, but also a steady stream of industrial chemicals, pollutants and pesticides across the placenta.

Chemical exposures in the womb or during infancy can be much more harmful than exposures later in life.  Studies shows that children face increased risks from their body burden of pollution.  Children are so vulnerable because of their rapid development and incomplete defense systems:

*A developing child’s chemical exposures are greater pound-for-pound than those of adults.

*An immature blood-brain barrier allows more chemical exposure to the developing brain.

*Children have lower levels of chemical-binding proteins, allowing more chemicals to reach “target organs”.

*Immune and waste systems are not fully developed.

*The longer future life span of a child allows more time for adverse effects to arise.

Had a broader array of chemicals been tested for, almost certainly far more than 287 would have been found.

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