Chemicals: the Real Cost of Clean

“Finding a chemical in our bodies is merely finding evidence of an exposure. It doesn’t tell you anything about the source of the exposure or how big the exposure was that caused it. And it especially doesn’t tell you anything about what risk it might pose at that level.”

Sarah Brozena, PhD

Dr. Brozena’s remark is intended to reassure us that the traces of 148 industrial chemicals and pesticides found by the CDC in blood and urine are nothing to worry about. Her position is that until there is conclusive proof of a connection between these trace chemicals and subsequent health problems, no problem exists, and we have nothing to worry about. Absent from her remarks is the widely accepted view that, as a practical matter it may be difficult or impossible to ever prove such a connection exists. As a senior director at the American Chemistry Council, Ms. Brozena represents the interests of many of the chemical companies that manufacture the suspect chemicals. They want us to believe that the benefits of their products justify the risks of the symphony of toxic industrial chemicals that we all carry around in our bodies. I find her logic flawed and her argument unconvincing but you should read it yourself make your own decision.

In his excellent article in the January edition of Steve Ashkin’s Destination Green newsletter, Chemicals: What Cost To Our Bodies , Scott Streater makes the case that the we are already paying for the past mistakes and unless we make smarter decisions about the cleaning products that we use and the chemicals that they contain, we will pay much more in the future. l agree with his assessment and would add that this is as important a problem as Global Warming, another example of massive chemical indiscretion. The history of these experiments is literally written in our blood and the blood of our children, where traces of the accumulated burden of chemicals may be evident for decades. Because the consequences of this reckless practice may not become apparent for many years, by the time we realize what we have done, massive quantities of the chemicals will have been irreversibly released into the environment. If you have any doubt that our leaders and an entire industry would knowingly take us all to the brink of disaster in order to make money, again consider Global Warning.

Ironically, many of the worst offenders in the past have been chemicals originally manufactured and sold as “miracle” cleaners , disinfectants, and pesticides have had the worst records for long term toxicity and environmental pollution (DDT, Carbon Tetrachloride, hexachlorophene, phosphates, and now triclosan found in over 70% of liquid soaps). More information about the chemicals that we carry in our bodies can be found in The Toxics Within, an excellent article from National Geographic, and on the website of the Environmental Working Group. Recently, the European Union took a big step forward with the REACH program that will require that manufacturers of chemicals prove that they are safe prior to sale.
Not surprisingly, Reach has been vigorously opposed by the chemical industry trade organizations and the Bush administration claiming that it would be expensive to comply with the terms of REACH. This despite the staggering cost of environmental cleanup of past mistakes. Since we cannot reasonably expect industry to change as long as we continue to buy their toxic products, it is up to all of us to give them an incentive. Educate yourselves about the lifecycle of all of the chemicals in the products that you buy and use so that you can make informed decisions about the world that we leave to our children. Educated consumers, cleaning professionals, and institutions have the power to change the world.

This entry was posted on February 10, 2007 at 2:26 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.