An Indiscriminate Danger: The Overwhelming Burden of Toxin Exposure

For many of us, the signs that our world has become increasingly toxic are more discernable than ever. Widespread exposure to pollutants and harmful chemicals in our air, water and food have led to an increase in chronic illness worldwide, and in June 2006 the World Health Organization reported that nearly one-quarter of global disease is caused by environmental exposures. All of this was made startlingly clear recently for three political party leaders in Canada.

Early in 2007, Premier Dalton McGuinty, Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory and New Democratic Party (NDP) Leader Howard Hampton took part in a study organized by Environmental Defence, a Canadian organization dedicated to protecting the environment and human health. The study—part of their Toxic Nation campaign—was designed to measure the level of chemical contaminants in the body of each politician. The purpose was to more accurately gauge the level of toxins to which the human body is exposed daily and to illustrate that regardless of age, gender, location or profession, everyone is toxic to some degree. The participants were asked to provide samples of blood and urine, which were then sent for analysis to expert laboratories in Quebec, British Columbia and Missouri. What they learned, however, was not quite what they expected.

Findings revealed that McGuinty, Tory and Hampton each harbored an alarming number of toxins in their bodies—specifically 46 of the 70 pollutants for which the men were tested, many of which are linked to cancer, chronic illness, hormone disruption, birth defects and developmental delays, and decreased immune function. Among them were polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, banned in the United States since 1977 because of evidence that they accumulate in the environment and can cause harmful health effects in humans.(1) According to one Ohio State University study, high exposure to PCBs can damage the liver and may damage the nervous system, and chronic exposure to PCBs may result in reproductive system problems.(2)

Also among the toxins discovered in each participant was bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical compound used widely in the manufacture of many hard plastic products (such as baby bottles) and metal can linings. According to author Randall Fitzgerald in his book The Hundred-Year Lie: How Food and Medicine are Destroying your Health, “BPA is a well-known endocrine disrupter affecting development, memory, intelligence, and learning.”(3) In studies BPA has been linked to birth defects and alterations in fetal development, and research has shown that even in doses as low as two parts per billion it can cause significant damage.

In total, 33 carcinogens, 24 hormone disruptors, 9 respiratory toxins, 39 reproductive/developmental toxins, and 12 neurotoxins were detected in the three politicians, as well as two chemicals (both perfluorinated chemicals, or PFCs) for which no data exists regarding their effects on health.(4) All three participants expressed shock at the results of the study, but each was encouraged by the fact that more and more organizations like Environmental Defence are slowly beginning to uncover the truth about our toxic environment.

As awareness about toxins continues to grow, people worldwide are taking steps to reduce their toxic exposure through a healthy diet and lifestyle. Changes include choosing organic foods, replacing household cleansers and personal care products with chemical-free alternatives, exercising more often and using herbal cleansing programs to support the body’s natural detoxification physiology. These simple modifications are the foundation of toxin-free living and may be the key to reducing widespread toxic exposure now and in the future.

^1. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Click here.

^2. Ohio State University. Click here.

^3. Fitzgerald, Randall. The Hundred-Year Lie. Penguin Books, 2006. 114-115.

^4. Environmental Defence. Toxic Nation at Queen’s Park. A Report on Pollution in Three Ontario Politicians. 2007.