PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS
Persistent organic pollutants (POP’s) are man made synthetic chemicals that are slow to decompose in the environment. They may last for decades in soil and water. These chemicals are fat soluble and concentrate up the food chain. Humans, at the top of the food chain, may accumulate large amounts of these toxic chemicals. Major food sources of POP’s are meat, dairy and predator fish.
In the 1960’s, Lake Erie became so polluted with POP’s that the lake became “dead” as entire populations of fish and other organisms died off. The USA and Canada developed programs to reduce lake pollution from untreated sewage, agricultural runoff and industrial wastes. Lake Erie’s biologic species improved but predator fish species failed to recover due to the persistence of the POP’s in the lake.
This ongoing problem has generated a worldwide grassroots movement to regulate and restrict use of POP’s. In May, 2001, 122 countries signed the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. The United States has failed to ratify the treaty and will have no say in further discussions until they do ratify the treaty. The treaty is based on the precautionary principle that if uncertainty exists about the safety of using a chemical, it may not be used until testing shows safety. The treaty also asks countries to eliminate use of known toxic POP’s and to substitute processes and products that do not need use of POP’s.
Twelve of the worst chemicals, nicknamed the Dirty Dozen, have been targeted for banning and destruction. (These include Aldrin, Chlordane, DDT, Dieldrin, Endrin, Heptachlor, Hexachlorobenzene, Mirex, Toxaphene, PCB’s, Dioxin’s and Furan’s.) These chemicals have been found in penguins in Antarctica. Chlorinated hydrocarbons pass through the placenta to the fetus and are found concentrated in breast milk. These toxic chemicals cause a wide array of disorders such as cancer, infertility, birth defects, and other diseases related to damage to DNA.
Protecting yourself and your family from these harmful chemicals requires a number of things. Avoid eating foods known to be exposed to pesticides and herbicides (eat organic food). Avoid use of these chemicals in your yard and house. If you do use them, be careful to minimize exposure and wash off immediately after use. Do not let pets or children play on lawns, parks, golf courses or other areas that you know use these kinds of chemicals. Have your private water well tested for volatile organic chemical (VOC’s) and insist that your public water supply do periodic testing as well. Be aware of factories or industries in your area that make or use these chemicals. Support legislation that strictly regulates these toxic chemicals and that uses the precautionary principle.
If you suspect you are ill from exposure to chemicals, consult an environmental medicine specialist. A variety of detoxification methods are available to help the body to remove these from the body. Methods include detox baths or saunas, antioxidant supplements, fasting or juicing, herbs, oral activated charcoal and others. A good book on the topic is “Natural Detoxification: A Practical Encyclopedia” by Krohn and Taylor (2000).
The ground breaking book “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson in 1962 first brought this problem to public attention. Additional information on the topic can be found at these websites:
www.ipen.org – International POP’s Elimination Network
www.chej.org – Center for Health and Environmental Justice
www.panna.org – Pesticide Action Network of North America
Daniel Blodgett MD