one more reason to eat organic...

[merchimerch]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/nation/epaper/2005/07/14/m1a_peststudy_0714.html

"In a benchmark study released today, researchers found an average of 200 industrial compounds, pollutants and other chemicals in the umbilical cord blood of newborns, including seven dangerous pesticides — some banned in the United States more than 30 years ago.

The report, Body Burden — The Pollution in Newborns, by the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Working Group, detected 287 chemicals in the umbilical cord blood of 10 newborns. Of those chemicals, 76 cause cancer in humans or animals, 94 are toxic to the brain and nervous system and 79 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests."

This is completely scary - what are we doing to ourselves just so we can have pretty looking produce in our aisles and tomatoes in December?

Comments

[fallen42.livejournal.com]

Of course the news story doesn't say how much of each of these toxic chemicals were found, or how much of each a person can handle in their lifetime without problems, or the specific effect of differnt levels of these chemicals in babies and children. Never mind that infant mortality rates have been falling, and life expectancy has been rising for the last 20 years.

News stories like this really bother me because they take a little bit of scientific information that warrents a some concern and further study, and turn it into WE'RE POISIONING OUR CHILDREN, and WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!

Sorry, it's kinda a pet peeve of mine.