This is a fascinating story that exposes the extent of the involuntary chemical invasion of our bodies in a world filled with man-made chemicals. Since I have personal experience with this being that I have toxic levels of heavy metals in my own body, I was intrigued by what this journalist found out about his own levels of internal toxicity. It is shocking and certainly a wake up call to all those out there who may not know they have a potentially toxic level of chemicals swarming within them.

This story starts with the inevitable curiosity of a National Geographic journalist, David Ewing Duncan who wants to find out what toll modern chemistry is having on our bodies. In order to find out he volunteered to be a human guinea pig by submitting to an enormous amount of chemical testing that included testing for 320 different chemicals that occur in our environment. These are the same chemicals that make up insecticides, that clean our bodies, clothes, carpets and households, and anything that generally permeates our air, water, and food.

Of course, this isn’t the normal testing that most of us have during our lives. His tests required urine samples and 14 vials of blood. If you were to test yourself as he did, it would cost you more than $15,000. But National Geographic wanted to be thorough so they went after most known chemicals that exist today. And, this also included chemicals that he may have been exposed to years ago such as DDT and PCBs.

What Duncan found out was more than what he bargained for. He always wondered what the effects on the body were of newer pesticides, plastic ingredients and even components in shampoos, non-stick pans and chemicals that make water-resistant and fire-resistant fabrics. These are all those chemicals that we just take for granted and assume they are safe. But what Duncan found out about his own body burden of chemicals shocked him.

The Swedish chemist on the phone reported that his test results read like a chemical diary. His blood contained traces of several chemicals now banned or restricted, including DDT (in the form of DDE, one of its breakdown products) and other pesticides such as the termite-killers chlordane and heptachlor. The levels are about what you would expect decades after exposure. But what alarmed the chemist the most was his levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), or what is commonly referred to as flame retardants. These are found in any product that can burn such as any fabrics, mattresses, carpets, plastic casings of electronics, electronic circuit boards, automobiles — and the list goes on.

Duncan was informed that the concentration of these flame retardant chemicals was “very high”. His blood level of one of the particularly toxic PBDE, found primarily in U.S.-made products, is 10 times the average found in a study of U.S. residents and more than 200 times the average in Sweden. He also had another PBDE variant, also proven toxic to animals, which was nearly as bad. His levels were as high as a worker who worked in a factory making the chemicals.




In rats and mice with high doses of PBDE’s, it was found that they interfere with thyroid function, cause reproductive and neurological problems, and hamper neurological development. But in regards to humans, there haven’t been enough studies to know for sure what the effects of these chemicals are on us. There have been studies that do report that having these chemicals in the body is more common than we would like to think, There was a study by the Environmental Working Group which is an environmental organization who helped pioneer the concept of “body burden” of toxic chemicals, which found hundreds of chemical traces in the bodies of volunteers. But we are still in the infancy stage when it comes to determining what levels are considered toxic and what their effects are on overall health.

What is alarming is that several studies from Indiana University found an exponential rise in PBDEs in people and animals, with the levels doubling every three to five years. Now the CDC is putting together a comprehensive study of PBDE levels in the U.S. on a fast track in order to get a handle on this concern. But in the meantime, we continue to be exposed not knowing what effect they may have on our health. And what’s worse is having mysterious illnesses that doctors don’t diagnose because of their lack of knowledge in the area.

But one thing we do know is that a few illnesses are rising mysteriously. From the early 1980s through the late 1990s, autism increased tenfold; from the early 1970s through the mid 1990s, one type of leukemia was up 62 percent, male birth defects doubled, and childhood brain cancer was up 40 percent. Some experts have suspected a link to the pervasive man-made chemicals that permeate our food, water and air, that may be contributing to these dire statistics.

There is little evidence to date to stop the continued pollution of our our environment and sometimes I wonder why. But what’s worse is that every year the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reviews an average of 1,700 new compounds that industry is seeking to introduce. But even though the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act requires that the new chemicals be tested for any ill effects but only if evidence of potential harm exists which is seldom the case for new chemicals. So, the EPA approves about 90 percent of the new compounds without restrictions. And only a quarter of the 82,000 chemicals in use in the U.S. have ever been tested for toxicity.

This is a sad state of affairs for all of us who are concerned with our health and safety. I, for one, having been a victim of all the pollution that permeates our world today, can only guess who else out there is experiencing the same symptoms as myself, but for which their doctor will never diagnose because there is so little known about it. With big business interests and the chemical companies aggressive pursuit of newer and “better” chemicals, we are at their mercy. Hopefully, with the new Democratic congress, we will see more oversight on these dangerous practices. We just have to keep the pressure on them to do what’s right and make the safety and health of their constituents more important than the big lobbyists interests. So, do your part and let your congressmen know how important this issue is to you and your children.

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