Introduction
Since the mid 1900s, the
global production and use of chemicals have increased substantially. It is
estimated that in the United States alone 42 billion pounds of chemicals are
produced or imported each day.1
Scientific studies have found two things:
- many of these chemicals pose a grave danger to human health and
- these chemicals can be found in every corner of every country—in the land, the air, the water, wildlife, people’s blood, and women’s breast milk. Despite these findings, current laws regulating chemicals are insufficient and endanger the health of all Americans, with particular threats to the health of our children (see Young Children and Fetuses at Greatest Risk).
The primary federal law regulating chemicals is the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act, or TSCA. Of the 81,600 chemicals registered in the United States, 62,000 were already in production in 1979 when TSCA was implemented. These “existing” chemical substances, as they are classified under TSCA, are assumed to be safe unless the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can demonstrate that they present an unreasonable risk to human health or the environment. Additionally, the EPA must weigh risk against the economic costs of banning, limiting, or phasing out a chemical. Unfortunately, because of the limited capacity to study the toxicity, health effects, and hazards of these existing chemicals, it is difficult for the EPA to demonstrate a risk to human health or the environment. As of 2005, the EPA has performed internal reviews of only an estimated 2% of the 62,000 TSCA pre-1979 chemicals.2
Today, most people assume that the chemicals, materials and products in their homes, workplaces and schools are safe. This is not necessarily the case.
Chemicals are all around us—in the air we breathe, the waterwe drink, the food we eat, and the products that are in our homes, schools, and workplaces. While some of these substances are likely to be safe, evidence is building that an alarming number of widely used chemicals pose a threat to our health and environment. Scientific research is revealing that everyday exposures to these common chemicals can contribute to the development of cancers, learning disabilities, Parkinson’s disease, endometriosis, birth defects, infertility, and other health problems.
Of particular concern to humans and the environment are chemicals that bioaccumulate, chemicals that are persistent, and highly toxic chemicals including carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxicants, and hormone-mimicking chemicals.
Bioaccumulation is the process through which a chemical concentrates in an organism. Chemicals that bioaccumulate can also biomagnify, which means that the concentration of the chemical increases as it moves up the food chain. Because humans are at the top of the food chain, these chemicals can have significant negative impacts on our health. Chemicals that bioaccumulate are usually concentrated and stored in an organism’s adipose (fat) tissue and organs.
Persistent chemicals are substances that do not break down quickly, staying in and negatively impacting the environment for decades, if not longer. Data from countless studies show persistent toxic chemicals in places they should never be, including human breast milk, the umbilical cords of newborn babies, whales, eagles, and peregrine falcons, to name a few.3 Even for chemicals that do breakdown within the environment, their sometimes ubiquitous presence in everyday products and foods means we are continually exposed to them.
Carcinogens are chemicals that cause cancer. A mutagen is a chemical that changes genetic information. As many mutations are known to cause cancer, mutagens are also a type of carcinogen.
Reproductive toxicants can interfere with sexual functioning or reproductive ability from puberty through adulthood. Toxicants that target the female reproductive system can cause a wide variety of adverse effects on sexual behavior, onset of puberty, fertility, gestation time, pregnancy outcome, lactation, and menopause onset. Toxicants that target the male reproductive system can affect sperm count or shape, alter sexual behavior, and decrease fertility.
Hormone-mimicking chemicals can interfere with a number of developmental and physiological processes, because our bodies have trouble distinguishing them from natural compounds such as estrogen. Hormone mimickers frequently interfere with sexual development, sperm counts, and reproductive functioning.
For the Pollution in People study, ten Oregonians from across the state volunteered to be tested for toxic chemicals encountered in their everyday lives. The results represent the first-ever report of 19 toxic pollutants found in Oregonians. By releasing these findings, the Oregon Environmental Council and the Oregon Collaborative for Health and the Environment seek to elevate public discussion about unwanted pollution in Oregonians and to promote actions to fix our broken chemical safety system.
