|
By Jackie Alan Giuliano, Ph.D.
The mud shall cover our sins
and the water shall wash us free
and the brush shall cleanse our skin
and te wind shall weave our hair
and the sun shall bless our face.
The sky shall clothe us in blue.
-- Nicole Thibodeaux, Grade 10, Taos High School, New Mexico
We are surrounded in our daily lives by thousands of substances and combinations of substances that are affecting the health of nearly every woman, man, and child on Earth.
Our imperiled Earth (Photo courtesy National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA))
Even the Inuit native peoples who live in the extreme Arctic, about as far away from technological civilization as you can get, are at risk from birth defects and other health problems from toxic chemicals in their native foods. Pollutants, such as chlorinated pesticides and PCBs, find their way to the Arctic by air or by sea from as far away as India and Egypt. Even plants and animals are being impacted by this toxic load.
Frustration abounds among people everywhere who wish there was a way to identify toxic materials before they start harming people. Remarkably, the U.S. government has been producing a document since 1978 that tells us what substances in the marketplace are known to cause cancer. Unfortunately, the government is only required to publish the information, not to remove any of these deadly substances from the market.
Congress requires that the Department of Health and Human Services' National Toxicology Program (NTP) publish a report every two years. The report contains a list of substances that are either known to be human carcinogens or that may reasonably be anticipated to be human carcinogens. Substances are included if "a significant number of persons" in the United States are exposed to them.
To date, nine editions of the report have been published. The 9th Edition contained 218 entries and the 10th Edition is in the final stages of review.
Plastic teethers contain chemical softeners that have been found to be harmful to the health of young children. (Photo courtesy Greenpeace USA)
The law also states that the reports should provide available information on the nature of exposures, the estimated number of persons exposed and the extent to which the implementation of Federal regulations decreases the risk to public health from exposure to these chemicals. Industries hate this document, and their representatives and attorneys work hard to keep a substance from making the list.
The National Toxicology Program claims that the reports are purely informational and states that they "do not present risk assessments of cancer potential."
The agency goes on to say that "the listing of a substance in the report, therefore, does not establish that such substances or exposure circumstances presents a risk to persons in their daily lives. Such formal risk assessments are the responsibility of the appropriate federal, state, and local health regulatory and research agencies."
This, of course, is the usual political rhetoric to get the National Toxicology Program off the hook for all the sick people harmed by these substances.
If a substance makes it to the document, passing all the conservative tests and standards of the National Toxicology Program, you can bet it causes harm.
Since the Report on Carcinogens carries no regulatory power, people must act for themselves in removing these substances from their lives.
Here are a few of the items on the list. The complete report can be found at:
http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov/
NewHomeRoc/AboutRoC.html
Proposed to be added to the 10th edition of the Report are some substances that may surprise you. Take steps now to reduce your exposure today.
Woodworking shop (Photo courtesy American Woodworking Academy)Wood
Dust
Wood dust
Wood dust is a candidate for the 10th Edition, suggested by the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration, the agency that regulates workplace safety. The agency estimates that at least two million people are routinely exposed occupationally to wood dust worldwide while sanding furniture or constructing cabinets. Because wood is treated with so many chemicals, including arsenic, the dust is harmful and is carcinogenic. People who make wood furniture or cabinets for their own homes are also exposed to the dust. With the huge amount of interest in home improvement projects, this finding affects a large number of Americans.
Ultraviolet Radiation
Broad spectrum ultraviolet (UV) radiation from natural sources like the Sun or unnatural sources like tanning salons or even fluorescent lights is under consideration for listing. UV is known to cause skin cancer and the incidence of skin cancers is rising in the United States. Turn off those fluorescent lights, stay away from tanning parlors, and use sunscreen.
Talc
The presence of talc on the list ends years of controversy. Many people have believed for decades that talc powder - both with and without asbestos - results in increased cancer risk, and studies have confirmed this connection. Studies have shown increased incidences of alveolar/bronchiolar cancers of the lung in female rats. Recently published studies of the distribution and determinants of cancer among pottery workers suggest that talc exposure is associated with lung and ovarian cancer in women workers in this industry. Don't wait for further proof. Switch to using non-talc powders.
Methyleugenol
Methyleugenol is a substance that most people have never heard of, yet can sometimes be found in the list of ingredients in jellies, baked goods, nonalcoholic beverages, chewing gum, candy, and ice cream. It is also used as a fragrance for many perfumes, lotions, detergents and soaps. Studies have shown clear evidence of carcinogenic activity of methyleugenol in rats and mice.
Steroidal Estrogens
These hormores are used widely in oral contraceptives and in post-menopausal therapy for women. The International Agency for Research on Cancer believes that there is a "consistent, strongly positive association between exposure to a number of estrogenic substances and risk of endometrial and breast cancer in women."
Vinyl Fluoride
Used in the production of polyvinyl fluoride which is used for plastics, this material is present in plastic and vinyl toys for babies. Remove them at once from your children. Babies and young children, who put everything into their mouths, should only be given untreated wood toys.
Substances already on the list that were included in the 9th Edition of the Report are:
Ethylene oxide
This chemical is used to make other chemicals, and is also widely used in the health care industry to sterilize medical devices. Hospital workers should beware.
Trichloroethylene
Millions of people are exposed to this deadly chemical, predominantly used for vapor degreasing of metal parts in the automotive and metal industries. It is also used as a component of adhesives and as a solvent in paint strippers, lubricants, paints, varnishes, pesticides, and cold metal cleaners. It is used as a low temperature heat transfer medium and as a chemical intermediate in the production of pharmaceuticals, flame retardant chemicals and insecticides. It is used in metal phosphatizing systems, textile processing, the production of polyvinyl chloride and aerospace operations.
Now banned for use in foods and beverages, it was used to decaffeinate coffee. It has been banned for pet foods, medicine, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics because of its toxicity.
We cannot underestimate or ignore the immense toxic assault on our bodies and minds from these and other substances. Act now to protect yourself and your family. If you wait for action from federal, state, or local governments, you will probably be waiting a very long time.
RESOURCES
1. Examine the Report on Carcinogens at: http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov/
NewHomeRoc/AboutRoC.html
2. View the 9th Report free of charge at: http://ehis.niehs.nih.gov/
roc/toc9.html
3. The United Auto Workers tracks these issues at: http://www.uaw.org/
hs/00/04/hs04.html
4. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has an excellent website to search for chemicals at:
http://www.ccohs.ca/
oshanswers/chemicals/
5. Get help understanding the magnitude of the toxic problem from the Worldwatch Institute at: http://www.worldwatch.org/. A good summary of the current state of our world is at:
http://www.worldwatch.org/
alerts/010113.html
6. See how industries fight these listings at the Center for Regulatory Effectiveness at:
http://www.thecre.com/ntp/
7. Stay informed on health issues with the Health Research Group, founded by Ralph Nader in 1971, at:
http://www.citizen.org/hrg/
index.html
8. Keep your kids safe with the help of the Greenpeace Toxic Toys program at:
http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/
toxics/toxictoystext.htm
9. Read about the hazards of wood dust at: http://www.osha-slc.gov/
SLTC/wooddust/
10. Find out who your Congressional representatives are and e-mail them. Tell them that all items in the Report on Carcinogens should be eliminated at once. What good is a strong economy if we are all sick and dying. If you know your Zip code, you can find them at:
http://www.visi.com/juan/
congress/ziptoit.html
11. Contact President George W. Bush at president@whitehouse.gov. Tell him that this assault on the environment and on our health must stop.
12. Use your voice at the Act For Change website at: http://www.workingforchange.com/
activism/category.cfm?CategoryId=5, operated by Working Assets. There, you can easily send email messages on a variety of issues to the right people.
Jackie Alan Giuliano, Ph.D. is a writer and teacher in Seattle. He can be found preparing for the birth of his son, wondering how to keep him healthy in this troubled world. Send your thoughts and ideas to him at
jackie@healingourworld.com and visit his web site at
http://www.healingourworld.com
http://ens-news.com/ens/
apr2001/2001L-04-13g.html
|
