Why There Is No Such Thing As ‘Safe’ Tap Water

Despite being at the top of the global food chain and industrial developmental ladder, the United States has a poor track record for delivering uncontaminated drinking water to the public. Even the nicest restaurants are guilty of serving you directly from the tap. It’s time to get real about the ‘tap water problem,’ one of the most significant vectors of toxicity of our age…

Water is life, as the saying goes. And it’s more than just a poetic phrase. Water is so intrinsically connected to life, if you counted all the molecules in the human body, 99% of them would be water!

On average, a human life can be sustained for up to three weeks without food, but a person won’t survive more than a few days without water. Under extreme conditions, an adult can lose around one liter of water per hour, all of which needs to be readily replaced to maintain a healthy fluid balance. So, what could be more important than consuming high quality, non-contaminated water?

In the United States, most of the water we utilize comes from our domestic water tap. We cook with it, we bathe in it; we use it on our yards, and in our pools. And we rarely, if ever, consider how clean or safe it is to do so. But when it comes to drinking water, quality is not something that can be sacrificed in exchange for plentiful supply.

One of the most profound technological developments in the modern era was the implementation of mass public sanitation infrastructures and the subsequent availability of water free from feces and other biological contaminants. Indeed, this, along with improved nutrition and refrigeration technologies, was what was behind the widespread reduction in epidemic outbreaks in ‘infectitious diseases’ in the mid-tweintieth century and not the introduction of mass vaccination campaigns which came afterwards.  Drinking unclean water can cause either acute or chronic effects, depending on the nature of the contaminant, and the concentration. Dysentery, a common water-borne bacterial infection, causes acute reactions such as intestinal inflammation, and severe diarrhea. A serious condition, dysentery causes rapid dehydration, and an infection which can be fatal, if left untreated. It is still a common third-world killer today.

Yet, with the introduction of modern water sanitation technologies, another problem emerged: chronic, culminative poisoning to nonlethal doses of contaminants, such as most industrial chemicals. Fertilizer runoff, and other industrial pollutants, contaminate streams and rivers worldwide.

The Illusion of Safety / Not MY Tap!

It’s easy to think that living in the United States gives us a free pass from such concerns. But recent headlines speak to a darker reality.

You’ve heard about the ongoing battle for clean water in Flint, Michigan. But unsafe tap water is not a localized phenomenon. A recently released report found that 62 million Americans are exposed to unsafe drinking water. And often, these flag-raising issues don’t trigger safety responses until people start getting sick.

Safeguarding the health of our bodies includes ensuring that the water we drink has been properly filtered, or comes from a known-clean source such as a spring or an uncontaminated well. Only trust bottled water that comes from a reputable company.

And don’t let being in a nice restaurant in a big city lull you into a sense of complacency. From New York City to Encinitas, Portland to Boulder, veritable meccas of food quality and health consciousness are serving unfiltered tap water. You don’t have to see it to believe it.

Lead and Fluoride: Lethal Offenders

Among the most common water contaminants, none are as dangerous to our health as lead and fluoride. Studies show even low-dose lead exposure can cause brain damageand developmental problems in young people. Lead leaches into water systems through old, corroded pipes like the ones found in many turn-of-the-century cities and towns. This problem will worsen in coming years, as 20th century infrastructure continues to decay, and increased testing efforts raise awareness.

Fluoride is one of the greatest cons ever perpetrated on the American public. While some areas of the country can have high-levels of naturally occurring fluoride, the type that is added to about 90% of municipal water supplies are the silicofluorides, fluorosilicic acid (FSA) and sodium fluosilicate (NaFSA), by-products of the aluminum industry.

Done under the assertion that it helps prevent dental caries in underserved populations, this claim has been widely debunked in recent years. Authors of A Critical Review of the Physiological Effects of Ingested Fluoride, concluded that “Available evidence suggests that fluoride has a potential to cause major adverse human health problems, while having only a modest dental caries prevention effect.” These studies show that dental remineralization occurs when small amounts of fluoride are topically applied to teeth, not when ingested.

Although the medical establishment works hard to hide the dangers of fluoride, science is beginning to sound the alarm. In 2014, fluoride was added to a growing list of developmental neurotoxins, and the evidence of a link between ingested fluoride and the development of cancer is deepening.

What are some of the lesser-known but still frighteningly common contaminants being found in our drinking water? We’ve compiled five of the top reasons to find an alternative to tap water. (And no, single-step carbon filters don’t fix the problem.)

1) Disinfectant By-products

Chemicals like chlorine, bromine, and iodine are in the class known as halogens (“salt-producing”), and are frequently used as industrial disinfectants. Water treatment facilities are dependent on them, especially chlorine, to kill harmful bacteria that is commonly present in public water systems.

Trihalomethanes, a class of chemicals that includes chloroform, are dangerous by-products of these treatment processes. Trihalomethanes have been linked to colon and rectal cancers, as well as birth defects, low birth weight and miscarriage.

Scientists suspect that trihalomethanes in drinking water may also be causing thousands of cases of bladder cancer every year. In a 2007 report, a startling 50% increase in bladder cancer risk was identified in a group of subjects who consumed water with trihalomethane concentrations higher than 21 parts per billion. The current EPA limit for total trihalomethanes in drinking water is 100 micrograms per liter, or 1 part per billion in water.

Shockingly, 600 disinfectant by-products that are known to cause harm to the human body have been identified in municipal tap water. Even more alarming is the fact that potentially harmful interactions between these chemicals are not reflected in any of the toxicology studies of individual chemicals.

While the water-treatment industry has sought alternatives to chlorination, initial efforts have not found safe alternatives. Until that time, treatment facilities will continue mixing these dangerous chemicals in the petri dish of our public water supply, until the cost to public health clearly outweighs the short-term benefits

2) Radionuclides

It’s hard to dispute that we live in an age of radioactive fallout. From the nuclear weapons tests of the last century, to the meltdowns at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima, highly toxic, radioactive elements called radionuclides have found their way into the environment, and inevitably, into our food supply.

Our water is not immune from these contaminants. The disaster at Fukushimaprompted the Japanese government to authorize the dumping of 777,000 tons of water tainted with tritium, the radioactive version of hydrogen, into the Pacific Ocean. This nuclear waste makes its way into the broader atmosphere via condensation of contaminated water, and eventually into groundwater supplies.

And it doesn’t take a meltdown to release this dangerous radiation into the environment. High levels of tritium have recently been found in the groundwater around the Miami, Florida nuclear complex at Turkey Point. Believed to be the result of seepage from underground cooling canals, these leaks are even more troubling due to their positioning between two national parks known for flourishing marine habitats, and their value to the public as recreation areas.

3) Pharmaceuticals

Scientists were alerted to something “fishy” going on in the Potomac River in the late 1990’s, when fish were found with both male and female sex organs. It was soon discovered that phytoestrogens in the water, likely from synthetic birth control pills, were affecting the hormones of these aquatic “canaries in the coal mine.”

This signaled a big wake-up call regarding the presence of pharmaceutical drugs in public water supplies.

Drugs are xenobiotics, treated by the body as foreign substances that must be eliminated. This means they don’t biodegrade well, and are often found persisting in the environment as pollutants. Not unlike pesticides, a wide range of pharmaceuticals can be found in minute but still significant quantities in environmental and municipal water samples, making second-hand pharmaceutical exposure a now-pervasive problem.

It is often argued that the concentrations of drugs showing up in municipal water supplies are so low as to render them insignificant. This is a dangerous brush-off, considering that most of these drugs are formulated to be effective at low doses. Furthermore, the long-term effects of these “accidental” exposures have never been tested, especially in combination with other chemicals.

While the EPA doesn’t want to “alarm the public”, a representative admits they “are concerned”, and have allocated funds to research this issue further.

4) Fluorosilicic Acid

Fluorosilicic acid is another dangerous waste product that has found its way into our drinking water. A by-product of the phosphate fertilizer industry, fluorosilicic acid is heavily contaminated with toxins and heavy metals (including arsenic, lead and cadmium), as well as radioactive materials.

And it doesn’t get into our water supply merely by groundwater leaching; it’s actively used in water treatment as an alternative to sodium fluoride in the government’s dangerous fluoridation campaign.

Fluorosilicic acid has been shown to contain the carcinogens arsenic and lead, and its high salt content leaches lead from water pipes. Fluorosilicic acid is so dangerous, the website PolyProcessing.com explains the difficulties of ensuring safe, industrial containment: “FSA interacts negatively with metals to produce a flammable hydrogen gas, meaning a stainless steel chemical storage tank is not a viable option. It attacks glass, eats through concrete, and poses a serious storage concern.…”

Not a pharmaceutical grade substance, even the EPA admits that the use of fluorosilicic acid (in the form hydrofluorosilicic acid) constitutes a practice akin to turning the public water supply systems of the United States into “hazardous waste disposal for these products.’

In 2013, concerned researchers petitioned the EPA to mandate a switch from using these industrial chemical waste products to fluoridate drinking water, to pharmaceutical-grade fluoride. Despite an estimated 100-fold decrease in risk of cancers, the EPA rejected the switch as being “too costly.”

5) Chemical pesticides

Groundwater provides the drinking water for more than half of the U.S. population, and is the source for most springs and wells that supply many rural homes. Just like the run-off in the bottom of your potted plant, when our nation’s farms and fields get watered, all the fertilizers, herbicides, and other chemicals used to treat them pass right through the soil, eventually leaching into groundwater supplies.

Knowing which substances are passing into your glass can be helpful for both monitoring and advocating tighter controls on agricultural practices that contribute many of these chemicals to the nation’s water table. These are just a few of the offenders that you don’t want in your glass!

DDT (Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane)

You may have heard that DDT, the insecticide made famous for its near-decimation of our nation’s bald eagle population, was banned from use in the 1970’s. So how can it still be a problem?

Thanks to a chemical phenomenon known as biopersistence, this widely-used chemical is still posing a cancer risk to Americans.

Biopersistent chemicals are resistant to break-down through metabolic processes. Once inside the body, these chemicals accumulate, often in fat cells and adipose tissue, where they can wreak long-term havoc on hormones, and overall health.

Another factor in this ongoing contamination is the fact that DDT remains legal for use in many countries. DDT molecules can travel vast distances in the atmosphere, leaving toxic soil in their wake.

DDT is acknowledged to be carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, as well as causing reproductive health issues and liver damage.

HCB (Hexachlorobenzene)

Originally used on cereal crops to prevent the growth of fungi, HCB is another dangerous chemical whose dark effects were brought to light in the 1970’s. Although use has been discontinued in the U.S., use worldwide has not been eliminated. HCB has been detected at measurable levels in air, water, soil, and food samples in the United States in recent years.

A by-product that is produced via numerous chemical processes, HCB ingestion is known to cause liver damage, neurological symptoms, and tainted breast milk. Large doses can be fatal.

To demonstrate HCB’s ability to biopersist, studies found that 30 years after acute exposure, breast milk of affected women still contained up to 150 times the allowable limit for consumption.

Dacthal® (DCPA, dimethyl tetrachloro terephthalate)

Dacthal is a popular herbicide used to control grasses and weeds. Unlike HBA and DDT, Dacthal is still legal for use in the United States, despite its growing fame as a dangerous ground water contaminant.

Dacthal first hit the radar as a chemical troublemaker around 1999, when the EPA launched large-scale monitoring of public water systems. Dacthal degradates were found in concentrations as high as 15% in several states, primarily where agriculture was prominent.

Dacthal bio-persists in adipose (fatty) tissue, and was found in animal studies to negatively impact multiple regions of the body, including liver, kidney, thyroid, and lungs.

A comprehensive groundwater study conducted by the Michigan Department of Community Health to gather toxicological data, determined that the herbicide Dacthal and its metabolites constituted a public health hazard.

For more information on tap water research, consult GreenMedInfo’s Tap Water Research database.

The Environmental Working Group’s Tap Water database allows you to search by state for relevant information about the safety of tap water in your area.

References

1. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34150#.WaSDtj6GOUk


2. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/08/14/63-million-americans-exposed-unsafe-drinking-water/564278001/


3. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071120111526.htm


4. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/lead/health.html


5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3956646/


6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24719570/


7. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(13)70278-3/abstract


8. National Research Council (NRC) Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA’s Standards.Washington, DC, USA: National Academies Press; 2006.


9. NHDES. 2006. Trihalomethanes: Health Information Summary. New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. Available: www.des.nh.gov [accessed January 2013]


10. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15287390701459031


11. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp6-c1.pdf


12. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5865306_Occurrence_Genotoxicity_and_Carcinogenicity_of_Regulated_and_Emerging_Disinfection_By-Products_in_Drinking_Water_A_Review_and_Roadmap_for_Research


13. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/07/14/national/science-health/tepco-says-decision-already-made-release-radioactive-low-toxic-tritium-sea-fishermen-irate/#.WaUTuz6GOUk


14. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/23/us/nuclear-plant-leak-threatens-drinking-water-wells-in-florida.html?mcubz=1


15. http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/drugs-in-our-drinking-water


16. http://blog.polyprocessing.com/blog/fsa


17. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/tsca_21_petition_hfsa_2013-04-22.pdf


18. https://www.livescience.com/38952-epa-arsenic-petition-response.html


19. (Solley and others, 1993)


20. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistent,_bioaccumulative_and_toxic_substances


21. http://www.cardnochemrisk.com/index.php?option=com_easyblog&view=entry&id=181&Itemid=2


22. http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/carbaryl-dicrotophos/ddt-ext.html


23. http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chemicals/hexachlorobenzene.pdf


24. https://www.nrdc.org/media/2001/010522


25. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-09/documents/drinking_water_health_advisory_for_dacthal_and_dacthal_degradates_tpa_and_mtp.pdf


26. https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/ncap/pages/26/attachments/original/1428423346/dacthal.pdf?1428423346


27. https://www.michigan.gov/documents/DacthalDiAcidHealthConsult_71729_7.pdf

© December 17, 2017 GreenMedInfo LLC. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of GreenMedInfo LLC. Want to learn more from GreenMedInfo? Sign up for the newsletter here http://www.greenmedinfo.com/greenmed/newsletter.

The post Why There Is No Such Thing As ‘Safe’ Tap Water appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

Shocking CDC Tests Reveal 3,800 US Water Supplies Up To 400% MORE Contaminated Than Flint

An investigation found that Flint, Michigan ranks nowhere near the top when it comes to lead in the water, thousands of areas are far worse.

Toxic Metal: The Health Dangers of Lead

Lead is a naturally occurring metal but its natural status doesn’t mean it’s healthy. In fact, lead is extremely toxic to humans and affects the liver, kidneys, reproductive system, and nervous system. ^[1] Lead exposure can happen quietly and causes permanent problems, especially to the brain.Children are the most at-risk for lead exposure and the worst effects impact motor skills and cognitive impairment. Toxic metal and lead poisoning is a problem in many countries in the world including the United States, Iran, India, and China. Sources of lead exposure really vary which is due in part to the inclusion of lead in many chemicals and products. Occupational exposure is a public health issue everywhere and mine workers, paint factory employees, drivers, and tile makers are just a few occupations that have been identified as higher risk for lead toxicity. ^[2]

Health Dangers of Lead Exposure

Lead is harmful to nearly all systems of the body. Lead is one of many toxic metals that cause damage by inducing oxidative stress. Because lead accumulates in the body, it can simply sit there and be a constant source of harmful free radicals. What may be most scary is that the harmful effects of lead exposure are often irreversible. Lead exposure is perhaps best associated with its negative impact on intelligence. ^[3] This is because the brain is especially vulnerable to intoxication and poisoning and lead poisoning affects the brain much the same way drug abuse does. ^[4] Exposed persons experience a suppressed immune system, which leads to a myriad of problems. ^[5] Increased blood pressure is also a common effect. ^[6]

Lead Exposure and Children

There is no question that lead exposure negatively impacts the health of children. This is even true for tiny amounts, no safe levels of lead for children have been identified. In children, affected areas include the nervous system and this results in in learning and behavior problems; seizures, coma, and death may also result. In the United States, the most common source of lead exposure for children is lead based paint dust but incidents of exposure by way of low quality toys and trinkets also seems to pop up on an almost regular basis. ^[7]

Lead poisoning is a huge concern for pregnant women. Chronic, low-level exposure can accumulate in the bones and remain immobile until pregnancy occurs and calcium demands are increased. This can “dislodge” lead deposits into the blood stream and allow them to harm pregnant women and be extremely detrimental to the developing fetus. This lead exposure “time bomb” makes prediction very difficult. ^[8]

Living or working in areas more susceptible to lead contamination presents a two fold problem. High levels of lead in the environment cause a low and slow chronic exposure to lead that can hinder brain development in children. If children have parents or guardians whose occupations including lead dust, studies have shown that these kids are susceptible to “second hand” exposure through their parents clothing. Dust carried in on clothing is a source of contamination for the home, which further affects children in the home. ^[9] [10]

In May 2012, the CDC implemented new reference standards for determining childhood lead poisoning. Threshold levels have been reduced, which is expected to initiate an increase in incidences of lead poisoning. ^[11]

On the international front, the rapid economic development and mineral processing in China has caused a serious lead pollution problem. A large amount of lead has been released into the environment and impacted water, soil, and farming efforts. The blood lead levels of children in China are significantly higher than other developed countries. ^[12]

Efforts to Reduce Lead Exposure

In the 1970s we started to see lead concentrations in air, water, and soil begin to decline which resulted in reduced blood lead levels in children. However, that doesn’t mean the problem has gone away, not by a long shot. Children are still at risk for lead exposure, especially if they live in a home built prior to the 1978 ban on lead based paint. It must be understood that simply banning a product that has been in place for decades does not make the problem evaporate! In addition, even though most water utilities are in compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act Lead and Copper Rule of 1991, lead in water remains a problem in some areas. Public water sources should always be monitored for potential contamination. ^[13] According to Parents for Nontoxic Alternatives, lead is the most prevalent toxin found in water in schools in the United States. They assert there is a need to reevaluate this largely overlooked exposure source to better address childhood lead poisoning. ^[14]

Purdue University’s Department of Earth Sciences warns that even though significant progress has been made to understand and reduce the risks of lead exposure, cases of poisoning are still unacceptably high in many areas, especially urban areas. Research has indicated the probable reason for this is due to the presence of lead (likely from old paint dust) in soil. They advise that when construction products are undertaken, a process known as “capping” the lead contaminated soil with lead-free soil is a simple, effective method that helps reduce incidences of lead exposure. ^[15]

References (15)

1. Flora G, Gupta D, Tiwari A. Toxicity of lead: A review with recent updates. Interdiscip Toxicol. 2012 Jun;5(2):47-58. doi: 10.2478/v10102-012-0009-2.


2. Karrari P, Mehrpour O, Abdollahi M. A systematic review on status of lead pollution and toxicity in Iran; Guidance for preventive measures. Daru. 2012;20(1):2. doi: 10.1186/1560-8115-20-2. Epub 2012 Jul 19.


3. Iglesias V, Steenland K, Maisonet M, Pino P. Exposure to lead from a storage site associated with intellectual impairment in Chilean children living nearby. Int J Occup Environ Health. 2011 Oct-Dec;17(4):314-21.


4. Manto M. Toxic agents causing cerebellar ataxias. Handb Clin Neurol. 2012;103:201-13. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-444-51892-7.00012-7. Review.


5. García-Lestón J, Roma-Torres J, Mayan O, Schroecksnadel S, Fuchs D, Moreira AO, Pásaro E, Méndez J, Teixeira JP, Laffon B. Assessment of immunotoxicity parameters in individuals occupationally exposed to lead. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2012;75(13-15):807-18. doi: 10.1080/15287394.2012.690327.


6. Zeqiri N, Zeqiri S, Skenderaj S. Blood pressure evaluation at the workers exposed to lead. Med Arh. 2012;66(2):92-3.


7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Lead poisoning of a child associated with use of a Cambodian Amulet — New York City, 2009. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2011 Jan 28;60(3):69-71.


8. Vigeh M, Saito H, Sawada S. Lead exposure in female workers who are pregnant or of childbearing age. Ind Health. 2011;49(2):255-61. Epub 2010 Dec 16.


9. Khan DA, Qayyum S, Saleem S, Ansari WM, Khan FA. Lead exposure and its adverse health effects among occupational worker’s children. Toxicol Ind Health. 2010 Sep;26(8):497-504. doi: 10.1177/0748233710373085. Epub 2010 Jun 10.


10. Howarth D. Lead exposure–implications for general practice. Aust Fam Physician. 2012 May;41(5):311-5.


11. Handler P, Brabander D. Increased incidence and altered risk demographics of childhood lead poisoning: predicting the impacts of the CDC’s 5 µg/dL reference value in Massachusetts (USA). Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2012 Oct 30;9(11):3934-42. doi: 10.3390/ijerph9113934.


12. Luo W, Ruan D, Yan C, Yin S, Chen J. Effects of chronic lead exposure on functions of nervous system in Chinese children and developmental rats. Neurotoxicology. 2012 Aug;33(4):862-71. doi: 10.1016/j.neuro.2012.03.008. Epub 2012 Apr 6.


13. Brown MJ, Margolis S. Lead in drinking water and human blood lead levels in the United States. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2012 Aug 10;61 Suppl:1-9. Review.


14. Lambrinidou Y, Triantafyllidou S, Edwards M. Failing our children: lead in U.S. school drinking water. New Solut. 2010;20(1):25-47. doi: 10.2190/NS.022010eov.


15. Filippelli GM, Laidlaw MA. The elephant in the playground: confronting lead-contaminated soils as an important source of lead burdens to urban populations. Perspect Biol Med. 2010 Winter;53(1):31-45. doi: 10.1353/pbm.0.0136.

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8 Things You May Not Know About Lead Poisoning

Lead is a toxic metal and lead poisoning can have really ugly consequences. Lead exposure commonly happens by way of lead based paint, the CDC has reported it as the number one cause of exposure in children. Other persons are exposed to lead dust through occupational hazards. But did you know lead exposure can cause sexual dysfunction? Or that, not long ago, multiple cases of lead poisoning resulted from contaminated flour? Here are 8 things you may not know about lead and lead poisoning.

1. Lead Exposure May Cause Schizophrenia

Researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health found that lead exposure can negatively affect the areas of the brain that are linked to schizophrenic behavior. ^[1]

2. Lead Poisoning Can Cause Erectile Dysfunction

Research conducted at Turkey’s Konya Research and Training Hospital found that chronic lead exposure was a factor responsible for increased frequency of erectile dysfunction. ^[2]

3. Lead Poisoning Can Unexpectedly Affect Pregnant Women

We all know lead poisoning is toxic and its horrible effect is multiplied when it affects pregnant women. That said, many pregnant women take extra precautions to avoid toxic metal exposure. But what if exposure happened years prior?

Lead may stay in the bones, immobilized, for decades and only mobilized when calcium needs increase during pregnancy. This leads to pregnant women and their unborn children being at a higher risk for complications from lead exposure, including anemia, high blood pressure, low birth weight, and developmental delays. This can be extremely frightening because the length in time between exposure and effect can make evaluation very difficult. ^[3]

4. Lead is Toxic to Animals

The focus on lead poisoning is not limited to humans. The Department of Biomedical Sciences at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine reviewed 45 years worth of literature and found 70 incidences that involved cats. Symptoms of poisoning can be less apparent in animals and researchers warned that lead toxicosis may be an under recognized problem in felines. ^[4]

5. Lead is Toxic to People Who Eat Animals

Hunting is usually done with lead ammunition. While previously dismissed as an “unlikely source of lead exposure” researchers have more recently warned that lead bullets can fragment upon impact and particles can distribute, polluting the meat. This is a potential lead exposure risk for anyone who ingests the meat of wild game that was hunted with lead ammunition. ^[5]

This has been of particular concern in Greenland. Research has shown a close relationship between how often adults consume wild birds taken during hunting and measured levels of lead in blood. The situation is severe enough that lead shot is fingered as the primary source of lead exposure for persons in Greenland. ^[6]

6. Lead has Been Found in Children’s Toys

In 2003, the Deschutes County Health Department and the Oregon Department of Human Services reported a lead poisoning incident involving a boy who had swallowed a metal trinket that was sold in a vending machine. ^[7]

Additionally, the Department of Chemistry at Ashland University in Ohio found, when evaluating paint scraped off plastic jewelry items, lead limits to be in excess of regulatory limits. Furthermore, these were on items intended for children! Just another reason to avoid plastic junk. ^[8]

7. Lead Can Significantly Contaminate Food

In 1996, a community in Chile was the subject of a massive lead poisoning incident caused by contamination of flour. Apparently, a grinding stone at the flour mill had been repaired with lead. Unfortunately, persons under six year of age at the time of exposure had a low IQ when 10 year follow up measurements were evaluated. ^[9]

8. Lead May Have Killed Beethoven

The Department of Psychiatry at the University of Ottawa conducted a toxicological analysis of Beethoven’s hair and discovered high lead levels. Lead was a common, albeit illegal, additive to wine during the 18th and 19th centuries. Researchers hypothesized Beethoven may have actually died due to a combination of liver cirrhosis, lead poisoning, and kidney failure, rather than the syphilis that is often cited. ^[10]

References (9)

1. Guilarte TR, Opler M, Pletnikov M. Is lead exposure in early life an environmental risk factor for Schizophrenia? Neurobiological connections and testable hypotheses. Neurotoxicology. 2012 Jun;33(3):560-74. doi: 10.1016/j.neuro.2011.11.008. Epub 2011 Dec 9. Review.


2. Gonulalan U, Hayırlı A, Kosan M, Ozkan O, Yılmaz H. Erectile dysfunction and depression in patients with chronic lead poisoning. Andrologia. 2012 Nov 1. doi: 10.1111/and.12029.


3. Alba A, Carleton L, Dinkel L, Ruppe R. Increased lead levels in pregnancy among immigrant women. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2012 Sep-Oct;57(5):509-14. doi: 10.1111/j.1542-2011.2012.00166.x. Epub 2012 Aug 21. Review.


4. Knight TE, Kumar MS. Lead toxicosis in cats-a review. J Feline Med Surg. 2003 Oct;5(5):249-55. Review.


5. Pain DJ, Cromie RL, Newth J, Brown MJ, Crutcher E, Hardman P, Hurst L, Mateo R, Meharg AA, Moran AC, Raab A, Taggart MA, Green RE. Potential hazard to human health from exposure to fragments of lead bullets and shot in the tissues of game animals. PLoS One. 2010 Apr 26;5(4):e10315. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0010315.


6. Johansen P, Pedersen HS, Asmund G, Riget F. Lead shot from hunting as a source of lead in human blood. Environ Pollut. 2006 Jul;142(1):93-7. Epub 2005 Nov 8.


7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Lead poisoning from ingestion of a toy necklace–Oregon, 2003. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2004 Jun 18;53(23):509-11.


8. Yost JL, Weidenhamer JD. Lead contamination of inexpensive plastic jewelry. Sci Total Environ. 2008 Apr 15;393(2-3):348-50. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.01.009. Epub 2008 Feb 19.


9. Coria C, Cabello A, Tassara E, López E, Rosales H, Pérez M, Zavala C, Muñoz P, Orellana G, Inostroza MI, Contreras L, Kirsten L. [Long term consequences among children exposed to lead poisoning]. Rev Med Chil. 2009 Aug;137(8):1037-44. doi: /S0034-98872009000800006. Epub 2009 Nov 4. Spanish.


10. Mai FM. Beethoven’s terminal illness and death. J R Coll Physicians Edinb. 2006 Oct;36(3):258-63.

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What Baby Teeth may Tell Researchers About Autism

Researchers are constantly studying and learning more about autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but they have yet to be able to pinpoint specific causes. The origins of the disorder seem to be based in genetics and environmental factors. Now a study funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health and Sciences (NIEHS) seems to suggest that exposure to heavy metals could be one of the environmental triggers of autism. [1]

The researchers behind the study found that the baby teeth of children with autism contain more lead and fewer vital nutrients, including manganese and zinc, compared to the teeth of children without the developmental condition.

Cindy Lawler, Ph.D., head of the NIEHS Genes, Environment, and Health Branch, said:

“We think autism begins very early, most likely in the womb, and research suggests that our environment can increase a child’s risk. But by the time children are diagnosed at age 3 or 4, it’s hard to go back and know what the moms were exposed to. With baby teeth, we can actually do that.” [1]

The study is the work of researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. It involved 32 sets of twins recruited from a national database of twins in Sweden, and was intended to see whether levels of lead and other metals correlated with an increased risk of autism. [2]

Source: Autism Speaks

Read: Possible Causes of Autism

Of the 32 sets, 6 had only 1 twin with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 7 had both twins with ASD, and 19 were unaffected by ASD.

Lasers were used to extract precise layers of the hard substance beneath tooth enamel, called dentine, to be analyzed for metals. Umbilical cord blood was used to check prenatal levels of metals.

Manish Arora, Ph.D., an environmental scientist and dentist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, said:

“What is needed is a window into our fetal life. Unlike genes, our environment is constantly changing, and our body’s response to environmental stressors not only depends on just how much we were exposed to, but at what age we experienced that exposure.” [2]

Researchers got a closer look at fetal life when they uncovered major differences in pairs in which only one twin was diagnosed with autism, and less significant changes among pairs in which both twins had ASD. They were able to show dissimilarities in six metals, including lead, zinc, tin, chromium, manganese, and strontium, out of the 10 metals studied and autism rates.

They found that:

• Lead levels were consistently higher from 10 weeks before birth to 20 weeks after birth in children with ASD than in children without the disorder.

• The most significant difference appeared to occur at 15 weeks after the twins’ birth; lead levels were 1.5 times higher in kids with ASD than in their co-twins.

• Manganese levels were found to be consistently lower in children with ASD at 10 weeks prenatal to birth, and at 5-20 weeks after birth. The largest difference was seen at 15 weeks, at which point manganese levels were 2.5 times lower in ASD cases. [2]

Source: Deal With Autism

Perhaps the most compelling finding from the study was that lead appears to replace zinc and manganese in autistic children’s baby teeth. This is similar to what happens in the brains of some people who are exposed to lead, only in the case of the brain, lead takes the place of calcium and makes the patient more crime-prone. [3]

It’s heartbreaking to think about what the children of Flint, Michigan, may be facing after being exposed to lead in their drinking water.

The study is in no way the final word on environmental causes of autism. The research involved a small number of subjects, and looked only at twins in order to isolate environmental factors. Not all the pieces fit together. Lead exposure in children was at its peak during the ’50s into the late ’70s, so why didn’t autism rates climb during those decades and then decline? It’s entirely possible that lead plays such a small role that it ends up getting muted in the historical data by other things.

Researchers previously had mixed results about autism and exposure to metals, particularly lead; but genetics and other factors could have limited the findings. The scientists had hoped that studying twins would rule genetics out as a factor and isolate metal exposures from the environment.

Said Arora:

“We have identified the time period when we are most susceptible. We hope to be able to provide clinical recommendations to help as we continue to do more research.” [2]

The study was published in Nature Communications.

Sources:

[1] The Huffington Post

[2] ABC News

[3] Mother Jones

Autism Speaks

Deal With Autism

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.

Rappers Unite — Do Better Job than Govt Getting Flint Clean Water

Flint, MI — As city officials in Flint, Michigan come to grips with being the focal point of the most serious American health crisis since the 1949 Polio outbreak, the people continue to suffer from complications related to their lead poisoning. Since Flint was outed as being responsible for poisoning its own residents, another 3000 communities have been discovered to have lead levels in their water, higher than Flint’s. But while government continues to scratch its head, twiddle its thumbs, and search for a solution to the crisis, several high-profile hip-hop artists and rappers are taking action to help the people of Flint.

The artist known as “The Game” donated 500 thousand dollars to Avita Water, which matched the artists’ donation, in order to provide 1 million dollars’ worth of bottled water to Flint’s residents. After stating his motivation for helping is partly due to the fact that his younger sister’s family lives in Flint, and pointing to the fact that Flint’s affected residents have to use 9 bottles of water daily to drink, wash, and cook, The Game called out other celebrities. “Stop using others tragedies for your won celebrity gain…You’re not fooling ANYONE!” he reportedly said. “I seen Madonna and Jimmy Fallon’s $10,000 donations…that’s cute, but not nearly enough.”

According to one source, The Game is joined by several high-profile artists;

Diddy and his AQUAhydrate business partner, actor Mark Wahlberg, have pledged to donate one million bottles of water to local residents affected by the poisoned water infiltrating the city. They both have a large stake in the bottled water company. AQUAhydrate reps promised to send 5,000 cases of water to Flint and plan to continue providing additional cases of water to residents until the crisis has been resolved. “The AQUAhydrate team is doing everything it can to help with this issue,” Diddy said. “Mark and I made an initial pledge to donate and are committed to the continued aid to Flint residents as long as they need it. We hope this commitment will inspire others to get involved as well.” Joining them with the cause are Eminem and Wiz Khalifa.

Rapper Big Sean donated 10,000 dollars, and started a fundraising page known as Crowdrise to help others raise needed water funds for Flint. “I’m raising money to support the kids of Flint Michigan,” he stated. “Toxic water in Flint has rendered the water undrinkable and put the entire city in a state of emergency. Flint’s children were hit the hardest and some have experienced permanent and potentially devastating health defects from lead poisoning.”

READ MORE:  Shocking Report: Over 5,300 U.S. Water Systems are in Violation of the Law -- Poisoning Millions

Artist Meek Hill donated 60,000 bottles of water, DJ Mustard donated 10,000 dollars, and Pusha donated 2,000 cases of water. Several other artists have taken action of a different kind, they’ve volunteered their time to meet the residents of Flint where they are, by spending time talking with folks and distributing water. Russell Simmons and Jon Connor have reportedly spent time passing out water and hanging with kids at the local boys and girls clubs in Flint. Other artists have made it a habit of mentioning Flint in their songs and raps — so that no one forgets the ongoing health crisis taking place.

Russell Simmons and Jon Connor have reportedly spent time passing out water and hanging with kids at the local boys and girls clubs in Flint. Other artists have made it a habit of mentioning Flint in their songs and raps — so that no one forgets the ongoing health crisis taking place.

Flint’s water supply became poisoned with lead when city officials attempted to save money by switching to the Flint River as the source for its water. The untreated Flint River corroded the city’s piping system, exposing its residents to unsafe levels of lead. While residents were first told their water was unsafe to drink and should be boiled, little did they know more serious poisons were also in their water.

While residents were first told their water was unsafe to drink and should be boiled, little did they know more serious poisons were also in their water. Lead had poisoned the supply, leading to birth defects in babies, developmental disorders and learning disabilities in youth, and painful skin conditions in others. All along, the government has done very little to resolve the health crisis. Flint’s water supply is still unsafe to drink, causing its residents to depend on bottled water for all their water needs.

Nearly 3,000 US Communities Have Lead Levels Higher Than Flint

Submitted by Nadia Prupis via TheAntiMedia.org,

A Reuters investigation this week uncovered nearly 3,000 different communities across the U.S. with lead levels higher than those found in Flint, Michigan, which has been the center of an ongoing water contamination crisis since 2014.

click image for link to interactive map...

The investigation found that many of the hot-spots are receiving little attention or funding. Local healthcare advocates said they hope the reporting will spur action from influential community leaders.

All of the communities Reuters investigated had lead levels at least two times higher than Flint’s; more than 1,000 were four times higher. In most cases, the local data covered a 5- to 10-year period through 2015, the analysis states.

Areas affected by lead poisoning populate the map from Texas to Pennsylvania, reported Reuters‘ M.B. Pell and Joshua Schneyer. The available data charts 21 states that are home to about 61 percent of the U.S. population.

Despite the massive drop in lead poisoning rates since the 1970s—when heavy metals were phased out of paint and gasoline—many communities throughout the country are still at risk.

“The national mean doesn’t mean anything for a kid who lives in a place where the risks are much higher,” said Dr. Helen Egger, chair of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical Center’s Child Study Center.

Like Flint, many of the communities are mired in “legacy lead,” Reuters reported—old industrial waste, crumbling paint, or corrosive pipes. But few have received help or attention.

Contamination in children can cause cognitive difficulties, which in turn can lead to low school performance, few job opportunities, and trouble with the law. That cycle was examined last year when 25-year-old Baltimore resident Freddie Gray died after his spine was severed in police custody. Amid protests against brutality and racism, many noted that Gray experienced lead poisoning as a child while living in an area with persistently high exposure levels.

But the problem is nationwide and affects a vast spectrum of communities, Reuters writes. Milwaukee, Wisconsin still has “135,000 prewar dwellings with lead paint, and 70,000 with lead water service lines,” and $50 million has already been spent to protect the city’s children. Many families do not have the funds to make the repairs themselves, and laws requiring owners to remove lead from their properties are not consistent state by state.

“Reporters visited several of the trouble spots: a neighborhood with many rundown homes in South Bend, Indiana; a rural mining town in Missouri’s Lead Belt; the economically depressed North Side of Milwaukee,” Pell and Schneyer write. “In each location, it was easy to find people whose lives have been impacted by lead exposure. While poverty remains a potent predictor of lead poisoning, the victims span the American spectrum—poor and rich, rural and urban, black and white.”

In St. Joseph, Missouri, one of the most contaminated neighborhoods included in the study, even a local pediatrician’s children had lead poisoning.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Senate approved a $170 million aid package to repair Flint’s corrosive pipes and fund recovery efforts. But that is 10 times the budget the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allotted for lead poisoning assistance this year, Reuters notes.

“I hope this data spurs questions from the public to community leaders who can make changes,” epidemiologist Robert Walker, co-chair of the CDC’s Lead Content Work Group, told Reuters. “I would think that it would turn some heads.”

Terrifying Toxic Chemicals To Avoid This Halloween

Halloween is creeping near, are you prepared? Before you make a mad dash to the nearest costume shop, consider this—do you know what’s in your costume? Your masks and makeup?

Terrifying toxins! Catastrophic chemicals! Horrifying harbingers of–ok, alright. You probably get the idea. Festive Halloween accouterments can be loaded with harmful chemicals and toxic metals. It can be difficult to resist a low-price costume produced with cheaply-sourced goods, but there are a few good reasons why you should consider more than price when deciding which Halloween products to buy.

Chemicals in Costumes, Accessories, and Decorations

Costumes, accessories, and decorations from most major national Halloween retailers contain chemicals and additives that have been linked to health issues such as reproductive problems, developmental delays, and even cancer.^[1]

PVC, Phthalates, and Dioxins

In one evaluation of nearly 150 Halloween products, one-third contained PVC (polyvinyl chloride), a known endocrine disruptor.^[1] Additionally, PVC fabric is frequently treated with chemicals known as phthalates. Children are susceptible to the ill-effects of phthalates which include premature puberty, birth defects, liver problems, and testicular cancer later in life.^[2] PVC products also contain dioxins, chemicals that are classified carcinogens and cause reproductive issues and learning delays.^[3]

Lead Contamination

Lead is another toxin that often contaminates cheap foreign goods, especially Chinese imports, including food and children’s toys.^[4] It shouldn’t be a surprise that lead’s insidious reach extends to Halloween products. In 2012, the US federal government seized over 1400 Halloween costumes of Chinese origin due to lead levels that were 10 times higher than the allowed maximum.^[5] Many lead-contaminated costumes or props have a piece or two that will, at some point, find its way into a child’s mouth. The seized items included pirate costumes that had an eye patch that contained over 40 times the legal maximum limit for lead.^[6]

Lead poisoning is exceptionally hazardous to children. It interferes with calcium, is toxic to proteins, and has a severely negative effect on nerve function. Exposure to lead is even linked to cognitive and hearing impairment. Lead exposure threatens fetal development as well. Pregnant women who have been exposed to lead may experience miscarriage, premature birth, or have undersized babies.^[7]

Flame Retardants

Fabrics that have been treated with flame retardants are another concern with respect to Halloween costume safety. Such fabrics are often contaminated with antimony^[8] and other dangerous chemicals. Exposure to antimony trioxide, a common flame retardant applied to fabrics, is linked to sharp increases in peripheral arterial disease (PAD),^[9] which is a condition that causes atherosclerotic plaque to form in the arteries.^[10] Some flame retardants are especially dangerous to children because their chemical structure is similar to developmental neurotoxins, like organophosphate pesticides, which affect brain development.^[11]

Toxic Makeup and Glow Sticks

Many people don’t consider that the skin is their largest organ and one of the first contact points for toxins. Makeup, in general, is something to watch out for, as toxic metals frequently contaminate cosmetics.^{[12, 13]} Some face painting kits for children also contain high levels of lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, and antimony, all of which are especially toxic to the kidneys and the immune, reproductive, and nervous systems.^[14]

Glow sticks and glow jewelry seem like a harmless way to stay visible while trick-or-treating, but the chemicals in those plastic tubes do pose a threat. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and anthracene, two chemicals found in glow sticks, can be poisonous. But, to be fair to glow sticks, the amount contained is usually too small to cause problems in humans. A more likely scenario is a child or pet getting DBP in their eyes, mouth, or on their skin. For children, the effects range from skin irritation or mild chemical burns to nausea and vomiting if ingested.^[15] Pets have a similar reaction—they may drool profusely, retch, vomit, or paw at their mouths if they made the mistake of chewing on a stray glow bracelet.^[16] A sick pet or child can ruin your evening, so forego the glow sticks or make sure no one tries to cut (or bite) them open.

How to Have a Healthy, Happy Halloween

We’re not here to ruin Halloween for you—we want you to have the safest, healthiest, and happiest Halloween possible! There are safe alternatives that render the hazardous options completely unnecessary. Of course, you could perform a full body detox, but reducing your exposure to toxins in the first place is a better strategy. When assembling your costume, examine the labels before purchasing. Or, better yet, make your own costumes and accessories yourself with non-toxic materials.

The Top 5 Ways To Ensure a Toxin-Free Halloween

1. Look for makeup kits labeled non-toxic, and make sure they are produced in a country with strict regulations on consumer goods. Wash off makeup before bed.


2. Wear a wig instead of temporary spray-on hair color, as they often contain VOCs.^[17]


3. Avoid plastic teeth as they tend to be softened with phthalates.^[18]


4. Check labels on costumes and accessories for vinyl (polyvinyl chloride or PVC) and flame retardants.


5. Limit candy consumption, avoid corn syrup and synthetic food dyes.

Healthy Treats Are Important, Too

Toxic costumes aren’t the only potential problem. Conventional Halloween fare is too sugary, over-processed, and full of preservatives and stabilizers. It’s difficult to resist all the Halloween cakes, cookies, and candy, but you can easily find recipes that recreate the traditional treats with legitimately healthy ingredients like cashews, chia seeds, and dark chocolate. Autumn is a time to be indulgent — in a healthy way. Try our dessert recipes for great-tasting and good-for-you alternatives, like the vegan custard-stuffed pumpkin.

Do you have any tips for enjoying a happy, healthy Halloween? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

References

1. “Halloween Study.” 2014. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.


2. Johnson. PVC – a major source of phthalates. n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.


3. “Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) – toxic chemicals and environmental health risks where you live and work – text version.” 27 June 2016. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.


4. Berman, Barry, and Kunal Swani. “Managing product safety of imported Chinese goods.” Business Horizons 53.1 (2010): 39–48. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.


5. International, Public Radio. Chinese-made Halloween costumes recalled for high lead content. Public Radio International, 13 Oct. 2016. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.


6. “Lead-contaminated pirate costumes seized.” NBCNews.com, n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.


7. “Lead – toxic chemicals and environmental health risks where you live and work – text version.” 31 Mar. 2016. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.


8. Cooper, Ross G., and Adrian P. Harrison. “The Exposure to and Health Effects of Antimony.” 13.1 (2009): n.pag. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.


9. “The exposure to and health effects of antimony.” 13.1 (2009): n.pag. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.


10. “What Is Peripheral Artery Disease? – NHLBI, NIH.” Google+, 22 June 2016. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.


11. Grossman, Elizabeth. Are Flame Retardants Safe? Growing Evidence Says “No”. Yale environment 360. 2008. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.


12. Troubling levels of toxic metals found in cosmetics. UC Berkeley School of Public Health, 2016. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.


13. Bocca, B, et al. “Toxic Metals Contained in Cosmetics: A Status Report.” Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP. 68.3 (2014): 447–67. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.


14. Schmidt, Sarah. Heavy metals found in kids’ face paints. www.canada.com, 1 Feb. 2009. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.


15. Campbell, Olivia. Party Poopers: Are Glow Sticks Party Killers? 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.


16. Coffin, Anna. 13 household items toxic to pets. 2016. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.


17. “Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in Commonly Used Products.” July 2013. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.


18. Reports, 2016 Consumer. Ten tricks for a safe and “green” Halloween. 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.