Ken Cook from the Environmental Working Group delivered and
eye opening presentation regarding “10 Americans” and the chemicals we are
being exposed to. I was surprised and saddened to learn that we begin to be
exposed to chemicals while in the womb. The chemicals are transferred from the umbilical
cord. The same cord which brings us the necessary nutrients we need to grow, is
also introducing us to dangerous chemicals. How can these chemicals not impact
our growth and development during this crucial time while we are in the womb?
This is truly a silent pandemic especially due to the fact that these chemicals
do not just cause one adverse health effect. Each chemical can cause multiple
health effects. The explanation by industries that emit and produce products
that contain these chemicals say that small doses do not cause that much harm. That
could not be farther from the truth. The combination of low doses throughout
our day, week, and accumulated years add up and has the ability to increase our
rates of various diseases and disorders. The fact that 1 in 3 women will get cancer in
their lifetime and that 50% of all men will get cancer is a scary fact. We need
to have more substantial protection acts that ban unsafe chemicals and prioritize
safety and awareness.
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When I asked my boss for our Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), I was handed a very large binder, which included several ... -
I truly learned so much in this class and feel like I am already a much more conscious consumer and also freaked out and ...
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It is frightening to think of all the many chemical, biological, and radioactive agents we are exposed to everyday while at home, work, and ...
It is mind boggling that fetuses are still exposed to these harmful chemicals while in the amniotic sack. When I drive around and see pregnant women around people smoking, at the nail salon, or in various public places, I wonder how many of them know that they could be potentially exposing their child and themselves to harmful chemicals in these situations. The rate of cancer is another scary thing...I know of at least 2 people that cancer has touched just in my family alone. The rate of this occurring is too high and something needs to be done. Thank you for such a great post!
ReplyDelete-Kera
Hi Marisa,
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a really great question - and I will say that the chemicals do impact growth and development during the crucial fetus time. I think the extent of the damage is not as resounding as it should be probably because the chemicals are so common. I wonder whether the body adapts to certain chemicals. It's unfortunate to see how companies and stores we trust violate the trust and expose humans to toxic chemicals. Once again, it goes back towards having legislature and educating people so they are aware of the consequences and can make responsible decisions.
Hi Marisa,
ReplyDeleteFor my undergraduate degree, I majored in Biology with a concentration in pre-medical studies. One of my core classes was Developmental Biology, in which I learned about human development in great detail. Hence, when I was watching the video, I immediately thought back to that class and how fetus development could be compromised. One of my research projects was to investigate the impact of RU-486 (a progesterone blocker used in abortions) on the thymus glands of a Xenopus tadpole -- our findings indicated that the thymus glands became enlarged when exposed to the chemical. Now, if we were to think about our health impact from other environmental exposures, we may very well find a link to cancers and diseases. Thanks for sharing!
Carmen