Pollution in People

Every one of us has chemicals building up in our bodies that escape from products we use each day. This is referred to as our body burden of chemicals.

The Environmental Health Strategy Center led a study of pollution in people for the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine in 2006. Thirteen Maine men and women volunteered to have samples of their blood, urine, and hair tested. We found a total of 46 different chemicals (of 71 tested) in these samples and on average each participant had measurable levels of 36 toxic chemicals in their bodies.

These findings show that Maine people are routinely exposed to hazardous industrial chemicals including phthalates from cosmetics and vinyl plastic, brominated flame retardants (PBDEs) from televisions and furniture, perflourinated chemicals (PFCs) Teflon chemicals from stain-resistant and non-stick coatings, bisphenol A from reusable water bottles and can linings, and toxic metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic.

The Maine study is one of many biomonitoring projects working to establish greater understanding of the extent of people’s exposure to toxics. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the most comprehensive assessment to date of the exposure of Americans to chemicals in December 2009. The CDC’s Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals measured samples from 2,400 Americans for the presence of 212 chemicals. This report found nearly all participants were contaminated with flame retardants, PFCs from non-stick coatings used in cookware, and the hormone disruptor bisphenol A.

Scientific research shows that these chemicals are hazardous and that even tiny amounts may threaten human health. They are toxic or harmful to life and many are slow to degrade and also build up to high levels in the food chain.