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How Synthetic Chemicals Can Harm Us
Did you know that over the last 20 years, the incidence of asthma has skyrocketed in American women? It has. A growing number of doctors now believe that scrubbing sinks, toilets and dusting with products containing toxic synthetic chemicals is making a lot of American women sick. Typically the most common chemicals that trigger asthma attacks contain ammonia or chlorine. And when these two dangerous chemicals are combined, they produce chloramines gas. Exposure will cause not only watering eyes, and inflammation of the sinuses, airways and difficulty breathing, but prolonged exposure will cause damage to lung tissue and what is known as "chemical pneumonia".
Still skeptical? Over the last few decades, many scientists have been perplexed by the increases in the incidence of cancers and childhood brain diseases. Something about 20th century America has driven up the rates of everything from breast and prostate cancer to autism and learning disabilities. The new suspect is the presence of certain of certain industrial chemicals in the environment at EXTREMELY LOW LEVELS.
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal states "It appears that some substances may have effects at the very lowest exposures that are absent at higher levels. Some scientists, many of them in industry dismiss such concerns. But the new science of low-dose exposure is challenging centuries of accepted wisdom about toxic substances and rattling the foundation of environmental law."
Modern pollution restrictions aim to limit exposures to levels past studies have found safe. For example, it's known mercury can cause learning problems in children if it's above 58 parts per billion in the bloodstream. But what if it turned out some common substances have essentially no safe exposure levels at all? That was ultimately what the EPA concluded about lead after studying its effects on children for decade. Indications some other chemicals may have no safe limits have led regulators in Europe and Japan to bar the use of certain compounds in toys and in objects used to serve food. In the US, federal scientists are devising new tests that could be used to screen thousands of common chemicals to make sure they're safe at extremely low exposures.
Remember that these scientists are now testing these chemicals individually, but they are usually used in combination with many other chemicals. The synergy that may exist between multiple chemical exposure is not currently being addressed.
This is why it is so important to get as many chemicals out of our lives as possible. It is important.
Please tune into my Chemical Free Living Show every Monday from 11-noon Pacific time at www.ContactTalkRadio.com learn to get the chemicals out of your life.
Copyright 2006 by Cynthia Drasler, MBA. Permission is granted by Cynthia Drasler to reproduce this newsletter in whole or in part only if Cynthia Drasler and www.OrganicExcellence.com are cited as the source of this infomation.
