Collecting Cancer Causing Chemicals in Our Bodies
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has released the first ever comprehensive inventory of cancer causing compounds that have been measured in people. EWG reviewed over 1000 studies and found that as many as 420 chemicals that either known to cause cancer or that are likely to cause cancer have been detected in humans. . . .
Curt Della Valle, the author of the EWG report, The Pollution in People: Cancer-Causing Chemicals in Americans’ Bodies, says that “At any given time some people may harbor dozens or hundreds of cancer-causing chemicals. This troubling truth underscores the need for greater awareness of our everyday exposure to chemicals and how to avoid them.”
Though nine of the chemicals were measured at levels known to pose significant risk of cancer, the great unknown is the risk posed by the “dozens or hundreds of cancer-causing chemicals” that are combined in our bodies.
The report says that these carcinogens are delivered to our bodies by many sources, including industrial chemicals, commercial products, pesticides, heavy metals, byproducts of combustion, heating and disinfection and solvents.
Industrial chemicals are used in the production of things like plastic, rubber, electrical components, dyes, pigments, resins, solvents, asbestos and adhesives. Though some commercial products, like tobacco and alcohol, are well known carcinogens, there are several less known ones, like flame retardants in furniture, dry cleaning products, nonstick and waterproofing chemicals in cookware and clothing as well as chemicals in paint, hair colourin and flavour and fragrance ingredients in packaged food. Combustion and other by-products include engine exhaust and industrial emissions as well as by-products from charring meat or cooking it at high temperatures. Solvents are used in adhesives, pesticides, plastics and personal care products.
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