Health, Taken Seriously

I was encouraged by the book The Body Toxic to write my representatives in government regarding my concerns about the lack of chemical regulation.  It took me less than an hour to craft my letter and send it.  All my senators and congresswomen have websites that make sending communications a piece of cake.  If you’re passionate about an issue like this one, I encourage you to do the same.  Here is my letter:

Dear Senator,

In 2005, my first son was born.  Soon after his birth, I became alarmed when I learned that plasticizers called phthalates might be in his baby toys, like plastic bath ducks and teethers, and could be entering his vulnerable body when he mouthed them.  Phthalates are endocrine disrupters and at least one type of phthalate, DEHP, is a probably human carcinogen.  Naturally concerned, I asked my son’s pediatrician about the chemical and his response was that he’d never heard of them and not to worry.

Since 2005, the list of chemicals, industrial pollutants, toxins, and unregulated substances I try to protect my family from has grown to include pesticides, bisphenol-A, perflourinated chemicals, polybrominated diethyers (PBDEs), genetically modified foods, etc.  I’m pleased to see that the common knowledge surrounding these topics is also increasing, in part thanks to the efforts of advocacy groups like the Environmental Working Group, in part due to increasing concerns of parents like myself, and in part due to the publication of more and more quality books on the subject (Healthy Child, Health World, The Body Toxic, The Toxic Sandbox, The Unhealthy Truth).  I am encouraged by this.

What I’m discouraged by though is that with time, I am becoming more and more aware of my inability to properly protect my family.  I am now expecting my third child and pregnancy magnifies this problem even more.  What adults can handle, children cannot.  Their bodies are ill-equipped, their protective systems not yet developed (immature livers and kidneys and lack of blood-brain barrier while they are fetuses and infants make them vulnerable).  And more and more studies show that they are exposed to many toxins in greater amounts than adults.  Yet our current legislation does not reflect that.  Our acceptable levels of contamination do not consider the unborn nor the newly born.  And the Environmental Working Group’s biomonitoring studies examining cord-blood highlight the importance of doing just that.  The placenta does not protect children from the chemicals in our environment—hundreds of persistent organic pollutants, chemicals, heavy metals, and pesticides are found in the cord blood of American fetuses.  I can’t protect my family as well as I thought I could.  Even banned chemicals like DDT are found in cord blood.  I can eat organic, avoid plastic, avoid nonstick cookware, and filter my water, but my entire family is still exposed.

I am writing you to encourage the support of change in the way our government views chemicals.  They are not safe until proven otherwise.  They should be regulated.  Industries should not be allowed to use any chemical they wish without safety testing.  A chemical should not be allowed to cause harm to Americans for decades while research mounts regarding its adverse affects before it is removed from commerce.  We need to be careful, prudent, and preventative.  History has shown us the damage caused by lack of caution.  We were not careful before with toxins like lead, PCBs, and DDT.  But sadly, we still are not careful now with newer chemicals, even if their safety is questionable.

In the European Union, phthalates are banned.  In the U.S., they are not.  In Canada, BPA cannot be used in any product for children under three.  In the U.S., BPA is not regulated.  In the E.U., more than 1000 chemicals cannot be added to personal care products.  In the U.S., almost any chemical can be added to personal care products (including lead).  In the E.U., food products are colored without the use of artificial dyes.  In the U.S., despite the fact that companies like McDonalds and Kraft have already reformulated products in Europe to use more natural coloring agents, artificial dyes are used.  In the E.U., genetically modified foods are not allowed.  In the U.S., despite the desires of the public, genetically modified foods are not even labeled.  Are American children any less important than European children?  Why aren’t we being protected?

The 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act is failing us.  Why isn’t more effective legislation replacing it?  It is clear that individuals cannot shop their way out of chemical contamination.  Government needs to regulate the industries that clearly cannot regulate themselves.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to my concerns.

Filed under: Chemicals on January 27th, 2010