M3.1 Biomonitoring

CNN Video with Anderson Cooper

I was shocked to discover that children often have significantly higher blood levels of toxins and chemicals than their parents. In the case of lead, children more readily absorb it into their bloodstream than adults. The cause for this is unknown, and it may be true for other chemicals as well. Manufacturing companies argue that just because a chemical is present in the body does not mean that it causes disease. However, evidence suggests that even low doses of certain chemicals can cause notable changes within the body. For example, low levels of BPA were found to increase weight, especially in females. These important findings suggest that we must start addressing environmental exposures for the sake of our children and their futures. 

This movie has inspired me to get my own blood levels drawn for evaluation (see below for discussion). It would be so interesting and scary to find out the many foreign substances my body contains. Anderson Cooper had high levels of phthalates due to persistent makeup use. I assume my phthalate levels would also be high for this same reason. Phthalates can cause infertility, a growing problem for women under the age of 25. The blood tests also identified that Cooper's body had traces of chemicals that were banned decades ago. He was most likely exposed as a child and the chemicals still remain today. Thus, suggesting that some of these chemicals have extremely long half-lives. The interaction of different chemicals within the body may potentiate their effects. More research is needed to understand these effects further.

Hypothetical Lab Results

My hypothetical lab results found that my body contains dioxins, DDT, organophosphates, lead, solvents, PCBs, and phthalates. All of these chemicals are unsafe at any level in the human body. Despite this being very scary, it is also a real possibility that my body does actually contain the majority of these chemicals. I am most concerned about the reproductive side effects many of these chemicals cause. Several of my friends are struggling with infertility and I see what an emotionally and physically challenging process it can be to get pregnant. Having worked in the NICU, I have also seen the consequences of delivering prematurely. With technological advances in IVF, people who were unable to conceive previously, are now able to have children. Even with these advances, I think people should be more open to the adoption process. However, there is still a lot of stigma and challenges associated with an adoption.