Chemicals Within Us

[Crazycat]

There is an interesting and disturbing article in the October 2006 issue of National Geographic entitled "The Pollution Within" by David Ewing Duncan.

The author was subjected to a series of special and very expensive blood tests designed to detect trace amounts of 320 chemicals that he may have picked-up from food, drink, air and various products that we all come in contact with every day. Included are older chemicals that he might have been exposed to decades ago, such as DDT and PCBs; pollutants like lead, mercury and dioxins.; newer pesticides and plastic ingredients; and the compounds that lurk just beneath the surface of modern life, making shampoos fragrant, pans nonstick, and fabrics water-resistant and fire-safe.

He said the tests are too expensive for most individuals—National Geographic had paid for his, which would normally cost around $15,000—and only a few labs have the technical expertise to detect the trace amounts involved. He ran the tests to learn what substances build up in a typical American over a lifetime, and where they might come from.

He also said: "Yet even though many health statistics have been improving over the past few decades, a few illnesses are rising mysteriously. From the early 1980s through the late 1990s, autism increased tenfold; from the early 1970s through the mid-1990s, one type of leukemia was up 62 percent, male birth defects doubled, and childhood brain cancer was up 40 percent. Some experts suspect a link to the man-made chemicals that pervade our food, water, and air. There's little firm evidence. But over the years, one chemical after another that was thought to be harmless turned out otherwise once the facts were in."

His results are disheartening to say the least with far too much information to recount and transcribe here. I have however, found a link to the article on the net. So here it is for your review....

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2006/10/toxic-people/duncan-text.html


The fact that we are saturated with noxious chemicals is nothing new. I thought that the blood tests the author had undergone, while not conclusively proving a link with certain diseases, provide a more in-depth illustration—or indication—as to what the root/cause of many diseases may be that afflict our society now more than ever before—A.N.s included.

[Migoi]

Thanks for posting the article, it was very interesting. I'm thinking though that I will be filing this under the "interesting info with little practical value to me." Life is risk and as the article pointed out, while there might be a single source (such as mercury and fish) that could be eliminated to reduce the levels of a single toxin...to attempt to reduce every toxin through the eliminatition of all the sources would leave one in a bubble breathing filtered air and ingesting only purified liquid diets... no thank you very much.

Life is meant to be lived, not worried through. One should certainly try to manage their risk levels (I always wear my seat belt, drink dark beer in moderation, and very rarely use the blindfold while juggling running chainsaws) but worrying about situations one has no control over doesn't seem like a very good idea to me.

Frankly, I'm a bit disappointed that this appeared in National Geographic, since it seems to do little but increase the overall worry level of those that would read it...including the one that wrote it. I don't see any real point in the article... it seems very much the "Chicken Little" type of article that would be more at home in a supermarket tabloid. We might have been all better served if he had taken the $15,000, grabbed a loved one of choice, caught the first mode of transportation to Venice and danced amongst the pigeons of Piazza San Marco then wrote us an artcile about the unbridled joy of living life with the speed controller taped to the full on position.

Again, thank you for posting the article... have to go now, the synapse factory seems to be hitting on at least 7 of the 8 cylinders tonight, maybe I'll use the blindfold during juggling practice..

..take care... tim b

[Crazycat]

Wow, I must be a blooming idiot. Either that or a hopeless paranoid.

Who's telling you to stop living life? Aren't we overreacting just a wee bit here?

I simply thought the article  provides some interesting information.

There's no way as members of this society in this day and age that we're going to be able to avoid whatever substances we're being exposed to.

While the information may be disturbing and even suggestive of "running for the hills" (which I had in no way intended) it is nonetheless true. The test results bear this out.

Sorry to have wasted your time....

Another thing: The author goes through all those tests and takes the time to put together all that data so someone like you can just brush it off as meaningless hysteria?

I don't think so.

[Crazycat]

"Stop living life". That's funny.

I lost half my hearing and I'm still out there in the trenches working in rock bands at the age of 52. Why? Because even though I'm fully aware of the risks of continuing to expose what's left of my hearing to loud noise, I have to carry on because not only is it my only source of income, I genuinely love what I do.

I am no more going to stop playing music any more than I'm going to stop eating food obtained from the grocery store, washing my hair with shampoo or using underarm deodorant.

We wonder why we're being afflicted with so many diseases like never before. Maybe...just maybe these pollutants have something to do with all.

[leapyrtwins]

The article is very interesting, but I'm of the opinion that we're all going to die of something sooner or later (personally, I'm hoping for later) so we basically should just do the best we can under the "circumstances".  Not to say that we should take gigantic risks or anything, but certain things we just have no control over.

If we believed in and stressed about everything we're exposed to in life, I think we'd all just wrap ourselves in cocoons and take a seat in the corner of a room of our house and wait for the "inevitable". 

I don't have a dog in this fight, and I could be wrong about this, but I don't think Tim was implying that you are an idiot or that you are paranoid. 

Thanks for the link,

Jan

[Crazycat]

That may be but he nonetheless made me feel like a fool for having posted it while insultingly ingratiating me by saying "thanks for posting the article" and I resent that deeply. I resent putting my best foot forward by taking the time and effort to put something together in the spirit of helping and sharing only to be rebuffed like an idiot.
It happens ALL the time and I'm sick and tired of it.

[sgerrard]

Paul and Tim,

I'm going to step in lightly as a moderator and ask that this little spat end now. I understand both sides, and that you both have a right to express opinions, and a right to have your feelings and opinions respected. In this case I think you can both decide to overlook what may be implied by the other, and stick to simply expressing your own view of the subject.

Steve

[Migoi]

Paul,

     It was never my intention to denigrate you at all. I did appreciate your posting the article, it was interesting, and while I don't agreee with the author or the magazine as to the point of it being written, posting it here helps do what these forums are designed to do...create discussion.

     Please accept my apologies. In rereading my post I can see that I was not as clear as I should have or could have been that I was addressing the article and not you. My post was poorly written and I probably should have done at least one more re-read before hitting the submit button.

     After posting last evening, I closed down my computer. Just as I was going to bed my phone beeped at me for an email..it showed someone else had posted to this thread. When I looked at the thread briefly, I saw your post that starts out, "Stop living life." That funny." and interpreted it to mean that you agreed with me as to the point (or non-point) of the article... that all the stuff in the environment is getting into our bodies but since there is nothing we can do to change that we should live our lives.

     Then when I checked this morning I saw your other post and saw that I had so badly miscommunicated my intentions. Again, please accept my apologies and know that my comments were all directed at the point of the author, not at the point of the posting of the article.

      If possible, I would like to hit the 'reset' button, this is no way for two obviously great guys to start out...

Hi, I'm Tim. Sometimes I express myself poorly.

     

[NancyMc]

I firmly believe that my acoustic neuroma was caused by the herbicides and pesticides that my parents used in our gardens and homes while I was living with them.  My mother continues to use toxins to control nature.  I live three miles from her, surrounded by hundreds of acres of conservation land (hence the moose, bears, etc), and use no toxins to control my habitat.  If you can live without them, LIVE without them.

[arkansasfarmgirl]

Nancy, I'm going to be a smarta$$ here, just because I'm in one of those moods.  <evilgrin>  Herbicides ARE a pesticide.  The more correct way to put that would be to say pesticides (which would also encompass fungicides), or say herbicides and insecticides.

BTW, I farm for a living, so I'm surrounded by pesticides. (and our local cancer rates are horrendous)  Honestly, a lot more of the world would be hungry and naked if our only option was organic farming.  It's wonderful for small plots, but doesn't work so well commercially.  Especially here in the South, where our pest pressures are so much higher.  GMO is a good alternative, but people seem to have more of a problem with that than they do with chemicals.  IMO, out of ignorance. Oh well...to each their own.   

Vonda

[Crazycat]

Thanks for the feedback...

And sorry for the blowout.

You have to admit that it is interesting information though.

[Jim Scott]

I didn't read the article because, while I like to be informed, I long since stopped being very concerned about all the stuff in our air, food and water.  I think much of the alarms raised are simply media hype or college research facilities justifying government grants.  Sometimes these studies are little more than speculation.  Of course there are things around - man-made and natural - that pollute.  Fortunately, our bodies are made to handle most of them or we would all be dead by the age of 25 or so.  I do keep up with whatever is the pollutant du jour but I rarely take seriously the 'findings' of magazines, TV networks and people hyping a new book that claims we're all gonna die from the (fill in your poison of choice) in our air, food or water or hiding under our living room couch.  Perhaps because I've maintained good health for over six decades without worrying much about 'potential health hazards' makes me a bit cynical about these things.

I see nothing wrong in Paul linking an article from a reputable magazine (no one is forced to click it and read - I didn't).  I also found Tim's apology to Paul quite sincere and clearly an attempt at rectifying the mistaken perception Paul got from Tim's original, slightly acerbic, post in reply to Paul's message.  I thank fellow moderator Steve for, well, being moderate and all. 

I very much hope that Paul and Steve can remain cordial toward each other and that any further comments on this thread will be civil and responsible, in the tradition of this forum.

Jim

[yardtick]

I would like to make a comment or two about this.  My Father-in-law will turn 82 in July God willing.  He was diagnosed with a 9cm tumour in the bottom portion of his right lung.  It has metastasis to the adrenal glands above his kidneys and the lymph node by his windpipe.  There is probably more going on but the family has decided to not test any further.  He has been given three months.

Now here is a very crucial point I want to make.  The man smoked and continues to smoke like a chimney.  He was born and raised in Southern Italy.  He literally eat off the land.  In his home growing up the animals slept in the lower level of the house and the family in the upper level.  As a man in his mid 20's he came to Canada and continued to live off the land.  He grew all of his garlic, onions, herbs and spices he would need for the year.  He also grew enough tomatoes to jar and make into sauce for the year.  Not to mention every year he made wine.

Here's were it gets interesting.  When my husband was a young child there was a chicken coup in the backyard also.  Until just a few years ago my FIL had rabbits.  When it is sausage making time, nothing is wasted.  My in-laws rendered their own lard.  Nothing is wasted.  My MIL still makes her own fresh pasta, bread, and pizza.  The Mediterranean diet which is a lot of greens, beans, olive oil and tomatoes has been proven to healthy.  The best olive oil I ever had, my MIL brought back from her family's property a few years ago.  It was the first cold press.  The taste was unbelievable.

I do think we need to be careful about the food we put in our mouths.  My husband is first generation Canadian and he still continues with his parents traditions.  My sons this year planted Nonno's garden because he is too sick.  They too help now when it is time to make sauce, roast peppers, make sausage and wine.  Hopefully the tradition will continue.  We hardly eat out.  We prepare all of our meals.   

I think we can learn a lot from our elders minus the smoking!!!
Anne Marie