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When Health is Absent: Wisdom cannot reveal itself, Art cannot become
manifest, Strength cannot be exerted, Wealth becomes useless, and Reason
becomes powerless. -- Greek Physician and Philosopher Herophilus, 200 B.C. |
Pollutants commonly found in the air, food and water can make your immune system weaker and less capable of defending you against diseases.
Most of the 75,000 man-made chemicals have never been properly tested for safety. Following exposure to multiple chemicals, it may be impossible to determine which ones ruined the health of an individual.
In the USA, tissues and organs of an average person contain more than 100 toxic pollutants that can damage the mind and body. Some of the most damaging pollutants come from the burning of oil, coal and other fuels.
Pollution may be involved in the development of about 80% of all diseases.
Inflammation, a secret killer, is often triggered by the airborne irritants, allergens and toxins that can be filtered out of the air breathe.
Many airborne pollutants have a pleasant odor, or no odor, so the human sense of smell provides no warning of the dangers. Example: Some "air fresheners" are made with toxic formaldehyde or 1,1,1-trichloroethane to reduce your sense of smell.
Toxic particles that are small enough to get deep into your lungs are too small to see without a microscope.
Modern ventilation systems with high efficiency air filters can provide good indoor air quality and make it safe to seal any openings have been allowing entry of dust, drafts and insects.
The health information contained herein is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace discussions with a health care provider. All decisions regarding patient care must be made with a health care provider, considering the unique characteristics of patients.
What are you breathing today?
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The American Lung Association estimates that more than 60,000 Americans die prematurely each year due to inhalation of microscopic particles emitted into the atmosphere by factories, power plants, furnaces, fireplaces, vehicles, etc.
The Lung Association also says that air in ordinary homes is typically 2 to 20 times more polluted than outdoors. You can make indoor air cleaner than outdoor air if you:
Thirty years ago, cancer afflicted 1 in 4 Americans. Today, the American Cancer Society says the chances of getting cancer are now 1 in 2 for men and 1 in 3 for women. One of the primary reasons for this rapid increase is the increased pollution of air, soil, water and food.
Simple health and energy related improvements to typical homes and other buildings have often produced the following results:
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 23, 2006
NOTE: The latest study of industrial
poisons in humans has revealed that people in Washington State all carry a
"body burden" of toxicants, with effects that are unknown but surely not
good. Studies confirm that in the U.S., babies are all born carrying a body
burden of toxicants, which they pick up in the womb. What's wrong with this
picture?]
By Rachel La Corte, Associated Press Writer
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- A coalition of environmental and advocacy groups tested 10
Washington residents from around the state and found each of them had dozens
of potentially harmful chemicals in their bodies, ranging from pesticides to
flame retardants.
Coalition officials who released the report in Seattle on Tuesday
acknowledged it wasn't a scientific representation of the state, but said
they wanted to put a face on the issue.
The Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition collected hair, urine and blood samples last
fall from the participants, who were specifically chosen for the tests. Most
of the participants are involved with organizations that are members of or
have worked with the coalition.
The coalition said it chose the people to represent both genders, different
races, professions and people who live in different parts of the state, as
well as people who were local leaders.
Laboratories in Victoria, British Columbia, Seattle, and Los Angeles tested
the samples for 86 chemicals. Each participant, including state Sens. Bill
Finkbeiner and Lisa Brown, both from opposite sides of the state, tested
positive for at least 26 of the various chemicals, and as many as 39.
An extensive study on exposure to environmental chemicals by the federal
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year stressed that the
presence of an environmental chemical in blood or urine "does not mean that
the chemical causes disease." But state coalition members said they wanted
people to be aware of potential risks.
"It's very likely each of us is walking around with a cocktail of chemicals
in our bodies," said Erika Schreder, staff scientist for the Washington
Toxics Coalition and the lead scientist on the report. "The chemicals that
we found in our test participants are chemicals that are linked to very
serious health problems. That's a concern."
But Dr. Elaine Faustman, a toxicologist and professor of environmental and
occupational health at the University of Washington, said it's important to
keep in mind the levels of chemicals in each person, not just that they are
detected.
She noted that there are persistent chemicals in almost everyone.
"For us, the dose makes the poison," she said.
However, Faustman said that while the sample size was very small, the report
was a good tool to see specific data for the Pacific Northwest.
Among the chemicals found were phthalates, a manmade ingredient of many
plastics, cosmetics and other consumer products.
Other chemicals included fire-retardant PBDEs, and PFCs, which are found in
the plastic coating Teflon.
Finkbeiner, R-Kirkland, had 30 chemicals detected and a mercury level above
the EPA "safe" level. Of the group tested, he had the highest levels of the
Teflon chemicals and the pesticide carbaryl.
"I never gave too much thought or made too many lifestyle choices based on
these issues prior to having this profile. It sure made me think a whole lot
more," said Finkbeiner, who added that he has since stopped using Teflon
pans, plans to buy more organic foods, and will pull weeds in his yard
instead of spraying them with pesticides.
Schreder said the report should serve as a wake-up call to the state's
lawmakers and Gov. Chris Gregoire.
"What we're really lacking is a comprehensive approach to ensure these
harmful toxins are not in our products," she said.
A spokeswoman for the American Chemistry Council, which represents about 130
major chemical companies, said the small sample of the report doesn't
warrant "the far-reaching conclusions or recommendations that are made."
Sarah Brozena said scientists have long known that humans can absorb
chemicals from the environment.
"We are finding them now because there are much better analytical techniques
that can measure them at these very trace (part per billion or part per
trillion) levels," she said in an e-mailed statement. "Further, detection of
chemicals in our bodies -- by itself -- is not an indication of risk to
health and shouldn't be cause for alarm."
Earlier this year, the state Department of Health and the Department of
Ecology asked the Legislature to ban all trade in PBDEs, arguing that the
fireproofing chemicals are being found in Columbia River fish, seal blubber,
grizzly bears and women's breast milk.
A bill died in the Legislature this year, though supporters said they will
try again next year.
Schreder said that, in addition to the passage of the PBDE ban, the
coalition wants the state to require companies that do business with
Washington state to provide complete information on what types of chemicals
are used. The coalition also wants to see an immediate plan to phase out
certain products and manufacturing chemicals, and to help companies make the
switch with either incentives or technical assistance.
Gregoire's office did not return a phone call Tuesday seeking comment on the
report.
Brown, D-Spokane, said the report got her attention, and she's certain it
will open a dialogue in the next legislative session.
"We pretty much take for granted that Washington state is a beautiful place
to live and work," said Brown, who tested positive for 37 chemicals,
including high levels of mercury. "We want it to be a truly healthy place to
live."
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On the Net:
Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition: http://pollutioninpeople.org
Washington Toxics Coalition: http://www.watoxics.org
CDC National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals:
http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/
Legislature: http://www.leg.wa.gov
Severe acute respiratory syndrome — Mayo Clinic
Air Cleaners — National Network for Health
SavonHealth: Practical advice from health care professionals
Use of clean and safe Non-Fossil Energy, such as wind and solar energy, can protect your health by reducing pollution of the air, water and food
Consumerlab provides results of independent tests of products that affect health and well being
Medicine Planet: an indispensable health resource for international travelers before, during, and after a trip
| Weird Medical Rumors on the Internet | Do weird medical rumors on the Internet have you worried? For a more reliable scoop, visit the "hoaxers and rumors" section at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Web site. No, you can't get the flesh-eating bacteria from eating bananas. The CDC explains the science behind this and other health issues in plain language. |
| How to Talk With Your Doctor | "How to Talk With Your Doctor" is a free Patient Page from The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The page covers how to prepare for an office visit: what to expect from your provider: confidentiality: and additional resources. For a copy, visit JAMA's Web site at (jama.ama-assn.org) and click on Patient Page Index for a list of topics. A new topic is added weekly. |
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Save The Child & Yourself
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What we don't know can hurt us. Over one and a half million Americans suffer untimely death or diminished quality of life each year due to heart disease, cancer, stroke, lung disease and diabetes. The good news is that many chronic diseases responsible for untimely death are preventable and the Author tells us how. Nikolaus J. Smeh, M. S. gathered the findings of thousands of medical researchers on preventive measures. His book can help you minimize exposure to environmental toxins in the air, food and water. |
| Second National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals | The Centers for Disease Control and Protection today released
their Second National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental
Chemicals, an ongoing assessment of the exposure of the US
population to environmental chemicals. The study reports on levels of
116 chemicals collected from blood and urine samples from 10,000
randomly selected Americans from age 6 and older in 1999-2000. Key
findings include a clear sign that smoke-free places are reducing
exposure to secondhand smoke: this study showed a 75% reduction among
nonsmoking adults in cotinine levels, a blood marker for tobacco smoke
exposure from the previous data for 1991-1994. The study also
established benchmark levels for exposure to many other chemicals,
including some combustion by-products, pesticides and herbicides. You
can find more about the report, including downloadable copies of the
executive summary and the full report at
www.cdc.gov/exposurereport .
CLICK HERE to view John
Kirkwood's statement on
www.lungusa.org .
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AllRefer.com -
Reference
and Health
An educational resource with a
comprehensive collection of reference, encyclopedia, health, gazetteer,
country studies, and educational databases. Includes more than 150,000
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Physicians and other health care professionals are encouraged to consult other sources and confirm the information contained in this site because no single reference or service can take the place of medical training, education and experience.
Consumers are cautioned that this site is not intended to provide medical advice about any specific medical condition they may have or treatment they may need and they are encouraged to call or see their physician or other health care provider promptly with any health related questions they may have.
Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift, so we call it the present.
CAUTION: Some stories circulating on the internet are not true. See:
