CHEMICAL ATTRACTION

Why chemicals can and should be regulated for our health and that of future generations.

Sienna Scheid

The Chemical Makeup Breakdown

You are a reservoir of chemicals. The slew of manmade trace substances in your body is as certain and undeniable as the hair growing from your scalp and the blood cells in your veins. You and everyone on this planet harbors synthetics within them. (Baker) This fact is as irrevocable as Newtons First Law. There is no escaping. None at all. We are born with chemicals already sloshing through our arteries and we will die with many more embedded in our tissues. Scientists are absolutely sure of our chemical body burden. Now we must explore what that means for us. The question is not whether we can completely detoxify ourselves or even halt introduction of new substances. By this point it is futile to so much as attempt to remove ones self from this global chemical sink. Instead, the true question that must be asked is: are these chemicals toxic and if so, how do we protect ourselves? Chemicals have become increasingly popular throughout the twentieth century. They have infiltrated just about every object currently produced, from the vegetables in your fridge (not to mention the fridge itself) to the socks in your dresser (and, again, the dresser itself as well). (Chemical Factsheets) From genetically modified organisms to fire retardants, pesticides to Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers, we are besieged with potentially mutagenic and carcinogenic substances. Whats more shocking is that most of these synthetics havent been tested. (Baker) So not only are we unknowingly bathed (literally) in chemicals, but we havent a clue what nearly any of them do to our bodies. Of the chemicals we do know about, the outlook isnt good. While there are certainly many harmless substances, there are also very dangerous toxins that we are exposed to daily. More importantly, we have no idea which chemicals are completely benign and which are potentially deadly. But it is evident that the toxins found in a variety of products are under-regulated.

Down to Business
For the most part the people of the United States remain blissfully unaware of the toxins in their eyeliner and leather wristwatches. Those that foster the faade of harmless chemicals are the chemical manufacturers themselves, as they should be, seeing that over 96 percent of all manufactured goods are directly touched by the business of chemistry, according to the American Chemistry Councils (ACC) website. Understandably, these companies are very interested in sustaining such a prolific industry. They maintain that the chemicals they produce are safe for public use. The ACC further insists that they have a public commitment to [their] role in the safe management of chemicals and articulates [their] pledge to make safety a core value in how [their] products are made, sold, delivered, used and disposed of. There is no denying that the chemical industry is a key player in global economics. Not only do they consume the most fossil fuels of any industry in the U.S., they are also major financial contributors. (Baker) In 2011 the industrys sales totaled $763 billion and upwards of 8,000 firms employed over 788,000 workers. (The Chemical Industry) Theres no doubt that regulation constricts business. In todays market they represent a sizable industry that is doing much to buoy a post-recession country. Whats more, the modern age would not be possible without synthetics. The chemical manufacturing company DuPont states that they use their deep expertise in material science to make a vital impact on virtually every major industry. We owe our entire world to chemicals. Theyve made nearly every advance that has occurred within the past century possible. As much as some might not like to admit it, we need the chemical industry apparently more than they need us. But browse the websites of Dow or DuPont and youll find that they expertly divert your attention from the dangers of the products they manufacture. One of my favorite examples is DuPonts defense of Teflon: the common nonstick coating found most abundantly on cookware. They bust the myth of the dangerous Teflon by reminding consumers that it can contribute to a heart-healthy lowfat diet by letting you cook with little or no fat. What they dont tell you is that it is a perfluorochemical which has been linked to hormone disruption and liver problems. (Chemical Factsheets) They effectively skirt most issues and in some cases they dont even address them. Their main tactic seems to be dispelling worry by heavily focusing on the undeniable benefits of the substance. Otherwise they cite studies which they themselves conducted. The chemical industry argues that heavy regulation will squash economic output. Firstly, theyve been allowed to run rampant under the dismally ineffective Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) which

serves to protect the industry more than it does to regulate it. (Baker) Secondly, no major industry has been crushed under regulation even those that have a plethora of acts hanging over their heads. The industry would take a blow. Its inevitable. But any doubt as to the survival of DuPont and Dow can be quieted by a glance to the European continent. Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) is the European Commissions version of a revamped TSCA. The program is working well, contrary to pre-enactment fears. As always, in the face of restriction innovation is birthed. European chemical manufacturers must develop ingenuities in order to adapt to REACH. Europe is seeing progress and growth rather than regression. (Miller and Spoolman) This approach expertly deals with our inseparable attachment to chemicals. New restrictions prod the industry to create imaginative alternatives in response. We may one day be able to nurse our addiction to chemicals without worrying if they are making us ill.

Organochlorines and pyrethroids are popular yet toxic pesticides. Both are persistent organic chemicals (POPs).

Chemical Body Burden

Approximately 80,000 chemicals are used today, with about 10,000 of those found in consumer products. (Baker) The Center for Disease Control and Preventions Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals released information on about tests conducted on a measly 250 of these chemicals (0.3125% of the chemicals on the market). With only a fraction of the chemicals being tested, it is evident we know very little about these potential toxins. But there are some certainties which can be explored to give insight into a frightful future. The first problem encountered with chemicals is that some have been identified as persistent organic compounds (POPs). Examples include the infamous DDT, PCB, flame retardants, and dioxins. (Miller and Spoolman) The problem with POPs is that they dont degrade or decompose. They spend centuries and beyond completely intact and wafting through our atmosphere, water, food webs, and, by default, our bodies. Theyre known to be teratogens, mutagens, and carcinogens. (Chemical Factsheets) The second problem we face with chemicals (particularly dangerous POPs and heavy metals) is that they become biomagnified through the food chain. This means that they accumulate in the fatty tissues of various animals as they digests prey that has already ingested these toxins. (Miller and Spoolman) The toxins reach significant levels in the top consumers of the food chain - which include us. We find them amassing in our own tissues. Because these chemicals are persistent we can expect them to settle inside us for quite a while - likely until death. Finally, our most pressing problem is that these chemicals are still unregulated, with the exception of a landmark few (including lead, mercury, and DDT). The responsibility of monitoring and regulating these toxins falls largely upon the shoulders of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Their main source of power comes from the TSCA. Unfortunately, the act was written to be ineffectual. In order for the EPA to ban any sort of chemical they must prove that the chemical is toxic enough to merit prohibition. (Baker) But the task of evaluating each substance becomes nearly impossible with thousands of chemicals being patented each year. The job then falls to the industry itself, which can hardly be relied to accurately test its own products and report honestly.

Tackling Toxins
Not every chemical is a POP or can be bio-magnified. In fact, many dont exhibit either characteristic. The government has also succeeded in phasing out the worst of them. So we can breathe easy, right? Cant we be at peace now that we know scrubbers are pulling out sulfur dioxide from coalburning power plants and the plastic in our childs Barbie doesnt contain lead?

I wish I could tell you that detergent and oven cleaner only does what its advertised to do. It would be so convenient to be able to trust that our baby bottles cannot create infertility, or that the cow milk in them wont speed up the onset of puberty. I wish the flame retardant in our blankets and pajamas wasnt a possible carcinogen, and that neurological disorders couldnt be linked to consumption of seafood. Id much rather the whole population of humans didnt store toxins in their fatty tissues and struggle with the aftereffects of these chemicals. By far the most frightening result of toxin buildup is the heightened chance of developing cancer. This is a wellknown fact, as exemplified by the following quote from The Breast Cancer Funds website: The chemicals in our environment play a role in altering our biological processes. It's clear that our exposures to toxic chemicals and radiation are connected to our breast cancer risk. Modern statistics from the National Cancer Institute give us the dismal prospect that 1 in 2 men and women will be diagnosed with cancer of all sites during their lifetime. The percent of U.S. citizens that develop any form (site) of cancer is 40.76% (SEER Stat Fact Sheets: All Sites) While not all incidences of cancer can be attributed to cancer, I believe its safe to say that known carcinogens are definitely contributing.

Living Point Blank

We arent safe just because the most hazardous POPs have been banned. We arent out of the clear because many chemicals arent POPs. We still must consider the persistence of the banned chemicals. Even though they arent being produced they are still here; inside you and me. Theyll be around for generations. We will pass them onto our children through our own blood and the food that

we lay in front of them. We cant avoid POPs. Eating organic or shoving off to live in the woods wont protect you from these trace killers. Whats more, we arent even beginning to examine most of the chemicals that surround us. In fact, most effort taken to protect consumers is being made by the consumers themselves. Weve begun to shy away from BPA, VOCs, phthalates, parabens, and sulfates. However, very few of us are aware of organochlorides, PANs, or furans. But whats really incredible is that there are hundreds of thousands of chemicals that are wreaking unseen havoc. Yet we arent even the slightest bit perturbed. In fact, were so placid that we ignorantly let them enter our environment and bodies without second thought. You wont buy a pair of heels without trying them on. You wont eat an apple you find on the ground unless you can see the tree above it. Yet you will inject your body with hundreds of potential toxins without hesitation. Its not really your fault. The chemical industry didnt give you anything to doubt. As long as you didnt down Drano or mistake Raid for hairspray you thought you were good. The dose makes the poison, right? But were forgetting common sense. Look before you leap. Weve all been jumping completely blind. Precaution is thrown out the window as we make trust falls into the non-existent arms of the chemical industry. Plain and simple, chemicals shouldnt make it into the market without being thoroughly tested. We have no idea which of the some 80,000 chemicals could be POPs, aggressive mutagens, or flat out lethal. Our future and that of our children depends on our sentience today. We are gifting our kids with a big toxic nightmare, all wrapped up behind the pretty paper of economy and a bow of apathetic convenience. If the current tribulation of our chemical affair is anything to go by, we can pretty easily predict that the future only has more perils in store. It doesnt really matter that not every chemical is toxic. It doesnt even matter if most of them arent. What we have to consider is that the ones that are can pack a big punch. Theyve been proven carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, and are known to be accompanied by a slew of costly and crippling health issues. By not practicing preventative care we are dooming ourselves to a future riddled with increasingly severe health issues. If we dont take action to protect ourselves and our children we will find our healthcare system disintegrating under the strain. Indeed, it already is. It is a difficult issue to tackle because toxins are slow working and tricky to attribute health complications to. We have a hard

time assigning the side effects of chemicals when we are host to so many. NASA scientist James Hanson sums it up quite nicely: You can't blame any single event [on toxins], so the analogy that was recently drawn of a baseball player on steroids that's a good example. He'll hit more home runs, but you can't say that particular home run was because he was on steroids. But you can clearly see there's an impact.

Works Cited
Body Care Toxins. Honey Love Essentials , 18 May 2013. American Chemistry Council. n.d. Web. 25 September 2013. Baker, Nena. The Body Toxic . New York: North Point Press, 2008. Book . Breast Cancer & Our Environment. n.d. Web. 25 September 2013. Chemical Factsheets. n.d. Website. 24 September 2013. "Chemical Manufacturing ." Sector Preformance Report . 2008. PDF. DuPont. n.d. Web. 25 September 2013. "Female Breast Cancer SEER Incidence Rates." n.d. "Figure 2." Global Trends in the Use of Insecticides to Control Vector-Borne Diseases. Environmental Health Perspectives , 12 January 2012. Mcdonough, Katie. Majority of chemicals in household products have never been independently tested. 14 April 2013. Image. 23 September 2013. Miller, G. Tyler and Scott E. Spoolman. 17, Living in the Environment: Edition. Cengage Learning, 2011. SEER Stat Fact Sheets: All Sites. n.d. Website. 25 September 2013. Surveilliance Epidemiology and End Results. n.d. Web. 25 September 2013. The Chemical Industry. n.d. Website. 24 September 2013.