"10 Americans" by Environmental Working Group
Summary
TLDRThis video highlights a project by the Environmental Working Group that examined the blood of 10 Americans for toxic chemicals. The study found 287 pollutants, some banned decades ago, in their blood—many transferred during pregnancy. The speaker emphasizes the dangers of low-dose exposure to industrial chemicals, which are linked to cancer, birth defects, and neurological damage. Despite existing regulations, these toxins persist in people and the environment. The video advocates for stronger chemical safety laws, specifically the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act, to better protect public health and future generations.
Takeaways
- 🧪 The Environmental Working Group conducted a study involving blood samples from 10 Americans to detect exposure to toxic chemicals.
- 🔬 A total of 287 chemicals were found in these 10 people, with each person having an average of 200 chemicals in their blood.
- 👶 The study revealed that many of these toxic chemicals were found in umbilical cord blood, showing that industrial pollution begins in the womb.
- 🧬 These chemicals include substances known to cause cancer, birth defects, hormone disruption, immune system toxicity, and neurological damage.
- 💉 A significant number of chemicals discovered had been banned for over 30 years, highlighting their persistence in the environment.
- ⚠️ Chemicals can have harmful effects even at very low concentrations, with some active at parts per billion, such as certain pharmaceuticals.
- 📈 There has been an increase in various health issues over the past decades, including childhood leukemia, brain cancer, autism, and infertility, which may be linked to chemical exposure.
- 🛑 The current regulatory law, the Toxic Substances Control Act, is outdated and insufficient, as it does not require health or safety studies before chemicals are approved for the market.
- 💡 Historical bans on dangerous chemicals like lead, PCBs, and DDT significantly reduced their presence in people's blood, showing that removing harmful substances works.
- 👶 The proposed Kidsafe Chemicals Act would require companies to prove chemicals are safe for children and other vulnerable populations before they can be sold, aiming to protect future generations.
Q & A
What was the purpose of the blood sample project involving 10 Americans?
-The project aimed to analyze the blood of 10 Americans for 413 toxic chemicals and pollutants to study the extent of industrial chemical exposure in the human body.
What was unique about the 10 Americans tested in the project?
-These 10 Americans were all newborns, and the study examined umbilical cord blood to determine how many toxic chemicals were passed from the mother to the developing child.
What types of chemicals were found in the blood samples of these 10 Americans?
-The analysis detected 287 chemicals, including industrial pollutants, pesticides, consumer product ingredients, and banned substances, with an average of 200 chemicals found in each person.
How did the researchers determine that air, water, and food were not the sources of exposure to these chemicals?
-The researchers ruled out air, water, and food as sources because none of the newborns had been exposed to these chemicals through these typical pathways due to their young age.
What was the significance of finding banned chemicals in the newborns' blood?
-It was alarming because it indicated that even chemicals banned 30 years prior, like DDT and PCBs, were still present in the environment and being passed to newborns.
Why is the discovery of toxic chemicals in umbilical cord blood concerning?
-This discovery is concerning because the developing baby does not have a blood-brain barrier, making them highly vulnerable to chemicals that could disrupt brain development and overall health.
What health issues are linked to exposure to these industrial chemicals?
-The chemicals found are linked to a variety of health problems, including cancer, birth defects, hormone disruption, neurodevelopmental disorders, and immune system toxicity.
What are the chemical industry's arguments regarding the safety of low-dose chemical exposure?
-The chemical industry claims that the chemicals are safe because they are present in very low doses (parts per billion), suggesting that such small concentrations cannot cause harm.
What examples were provided to demonstrate that even low doses of chemicals can have significant effects?
-Examples include common medications like albuterol (for asthma) and Paxil (an antidepressant), which are effective at very low doses (parts per billion), illustrating that even small concentrations can have significant biological effects.
What is the goal of the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act, and how would it change current regulations?
-The Kid-Safe Chemicals Act would require companies to prove that chemicals are safe for children and sensitive populations before they are allowed on the market, reversing the current system where chemicals are presumed safe until proven harmful.
Outlines
🔬 Blood Analysis of 10 Americans
The Environmental Working Group conducted a study analyzing the blood of 10 Americans for 413 toxic chemicals, including pollutants and pesticides. The study highlights that although air, water, and food were unlikely sources, the individuals still had significant chemical exposure, raising concerns about pollution in people. Surprisingly, 287 different chemicals were found in the subjects, indicating extensive chemical presence in the environment.
👶 Pollution in the Womb
This paragraph focuses on how toxic chemicals can affect babies in the womb. Contrary to prior beliefs, the placenta does not filter out these pollutants, meaning that exposure starts before birth. The speaker shares a personal connection by introducing his son, Callahan, who was exposed to these chemicals in the womb, underscoring the reality that industrial pollution affects even the most vulnerable.
💊 Low-Dose Chemical Exposure Risks
This section explains the potential harm caused by chemicals even at very low doses, using examples like common medications (e.g., Paxel, Calis) that are active at parts per billion. These examples demonstrate that even tiny concentrations of chemicals can have significant effects, drawing a parallel to industrial pollutants and raising awareness of their potentially harmful impact on human health.
📈 The Rise of Health Issues Linked to Chemicals
The paragraph describes the alarming rise in various diseases and health conditions potentially linked to chemical exposure, including childhood leukemia, birth defects, brain cancer, autism, and infertility. The statistics point to a growing public health crisis that cannot be explained by genetics alone. It highlights the urgent need to understand the connection between these chemicals and the increase in such conditions.
🧪 The Weakness of the Toxic Substances Control Act
The speaker critiques the outdated Toxic Substances Control Act, which has allowed thousands of chemicals to enter the market without thorough safety testing. Only five chemicals have been banned or restricted under the act, and even attempts to ban substances like asbestos have failed. The speaker calls for reform to prioritize public health over industrial interests, emphasizing that past successes in banning dangerous chemicals have led to improved health outcomes.
🍼 Protecting Babies from Chemical Exposure
This paragraph introduces the Kidsafe Chemicals Act, which aims to protect vulnerable populations, especially children, from toxic chemicals. The proposed law would require companies to prove the safety of chemicals before they can be sold. By focusing on chemicals found in umbilical cord blood, the act seeks to prioritize child safety and prevent exposure to hazardous substances.
👶 A Personal Call to Action
The speaker concludes with a personal plea to support the Kidsafe Chemicals Act, emphasizing his concern for his son Callahan’s future. He urges individuals to get involved in the movement to reduce toxic chemical exposure for the sake of future generations. This emotional appeal highlights the importance of collective action to protect children and the environment.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Environmental Working Group
💡Toxic Chemicals
💡Pollutants
💡Personal Care Products
💡Industrial Chemicals
💡Pesticides
💡Umbilical Cord Blood
💡Health Effects
💡Toxic Substances Control Act
💡Kidsafe Chemicals Act
💡Chemical Exposure
Highlights
The project collected blood samples from 10 Americans to analyze for 413 toxic chemical pollutants, including pesticides and industrial chemicals.
The study found 287 chemicals in the blood of these 10 individuals, with an average of 200 chemicals per person.
Among the chemicals found were 28 waste byproducts, 47 consumer product ingredients, and 212 industrial chemicals and pesticide breakdown products banned 30 years earlier.
The individuals were not exposed to these chemicals through air, water, or food, leading to questions about other routes of exposure.
Umbilical cord blood from babies was analyzed, revealing that pollution starts in the womb, as toxic chemicals pass through the placenta.
134 of the chemicals found were linked to cancer, 151 to birth defects, 154 to hormone disruption, and 130 to neurotoxicity.
The presence of toxic chemicals in blood does not guarantee biological damage but raises concerns about potential long-term health risks.
Studies show that even extremely low doses of chemicals (parts per billion) can have significant health impacts, such as albuterol stopping asthma attacks at 2.1 parts per billion.
Industrial chemicals are linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, with evidence suggesting a 'silent pandemic' of such disorders.
The incidence of various diseases has dramatically increased, including a 57% rise in childhood brain cancer and a doubling of hypospadias cases.
There has been an 84% increase in acute lymphocytic leukemia in children between 1975 and 2002.
The Kid Safe Chemicals Act aims to require companies to prove that chemicals are safe for children before they can be sold.
The campaign advocates for prioritizing chemicals that are hazardous and found in people, especially in umbilical cord blood.
The study emphasizes the need for stronger regulations, updating outdated laws like the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976.
Historical success stories, such as banning lead in gasoline and DDT, resulted in reduced toxic levels in people's blood, demonstrating the potential for regulatory change to improve health outcomes.
Transcripts
[Music]
we do a lot of different research
projects at the environmental working
group on a wide range of
topics but tonight I want to talk to you
about one specific
project involving 10 Americans 10
Americans who have really Been
instrumental in inspiring what we
consider to be one of the most important
environmental campaigns in
history one day we collected a sample of
blood from each of these 10
Americans and we sent it to a laboratory
to analyze it for
413 different tox xic chemical
pollutants pesticides and Industrial
chemicals
alike of course scientists have been
studying pollution in air and water and
land for
decades but it's only recently that they
turn to the study of pollution and
people and that's what this project was
designed also to
do there are hundreds and hundreds of
toxic chemicals in the air in the United
States hundreds of millions of pounds
pounds emitted each year but we know for
a fact that none of these 10 Americans
were exposed to these chemicals by
virtue of the air that they breathed
even though we found some of these very
chemicals in these 10
people could also have been the water
that they drank and believe it or not
some drinking water does start off
looking like this before it's treated
but we know for a fact it wasn't the tap
water of course it could have been food
that was the route of
exposure but we know for a fact that
none of these 10 Americans were exposed
to the chemicals we found in them as a
result of food that they bought at the
grocery store bought at a restaurant and
consumed that was not the
source what about personal care products
our online survey has shown that women
use an average of about 12 personal care
products a day and that exposes them to
more more than 160 chemical ingredients
some of them rather toxic day after day
after day men the exposure is about half
that because they only use about half of
the personal care products that women
use but uh some good news this is not a
gloom and doom presentation altogether
um almost all of the men were found to
use both deodorant and
toothpaste
so so there's there's kind of a silver
lining there
these 10 Americans weren't Farm Workers
they weren't Factory
workers and when the results came back
from the laboratory we had found 287
chemicals in just those 10
people an average of 200 chemicals in
each
one when you look at the chemicals by
category it's kind of Aston
puning 28 different waste byproducts
dioxins furans things that come out of
incinerators smoke stacks 47 different
consumer product ingredients the flame
retardant in these lights and this
projector Teflon chemicals Scotch Guard
chemicals
pesticides but for my money most
disturbing of all we found 212
industrial chemicals and pesticide
breakdown products that had been banned
30 years before we took those blood
samples and sent them to the lab in
2004 who were these 10 Americans how
were they exposed well the truth of the
matter is we don't really know very much
about these 10 people about the only
thing we know is that as the exposures
took
place all of them looked something like
this
this was the first time anyone had ever
bothered since the beginning of the
chemical Revolution to examine umbilical
cord blood to see how many toxic
chemicals got through to the developing
child here's another view this Baby's
receiving about 300 quarts of blood
circulating to him from the mother every
day the nutrients that are allowing the
baby to grow the oxygen that's allowing
the baby to
breathe this baby like all babies at
that age does not have a blood brain
barrier that means that the tissues of
the brain the cells of the brain are not
protected as they will be in later life
just a few months from now really to
protect him from the chemicals that
would pass into those tissues and those
cells so this baby arguably has been at
his most vulnerable for nine months at
this
stage and the other thing to know about
this baby this is my baby this is
Callahan cook my son who was
born a year
ago pediatricians and scientists thought
hoped that babies were protected from
from toxic chemicals because the
chemicals were filtered out by the
placenta our study showed disturbingly
that that's not the
case industrial pollution begins in the
womb
obviously this is a heavy message we are
concerned about toxic chemicals to which
babies in the womb are exposed
but let me also tell you just because a
chemical is found in someone does not
mean that there's going to be
environmental damage biological damage
it doesn't mean that at all but what it
does mean is that there is reason to be
concerned what it does mean is that we
ought to do all we can to minimize those
exposures it stands to reason and the
reason we want to avoid them is the
nature of the chemicals themselves 134
of these chemicals had been shown to
cause cancer in laboratory studies or in
people 151 associated with causing birth
defects
154 caused hormone disruption
infertility 186 different chemicals
immune system toxicants
130 neurotoxins like lead pcbs Mercury
that we know can have profound effects
on the developing child profound effects
on their intelligence profound effects
on their motor
coordination if you're doing a little
math here you're already seeing that we
have more health effects than we have
chemicals why is that the answer is
simple many of these chemicals have
multiple toxic
effects a recent
review concluded that that when you look
at all of these chemicals in combination
which we never do when we review their
toxicity we look at them one at a time
you have to come to a disturbing
conclusion the combined evidence
suggests that neurodevelopmental
disorders caused by industrial chemicals
has created a silent pandemic in modern
society
so what is the chemical industry
say that there's no reason to worry why
because the chemicals are safe because
the doses are so
low parts per
billion so the question
becomes can a part per billion really
cause harm after all a part per billion
as the industry likes to say is equal to
one
pancake in a stack of pancakes 4,000
miles
high uh this is an actual picture that
the industry took of that stack of
pancakes after they stack them 4,000
miles they they have more money than we
do but we have this cool
slideshow one pancake in a stack 4,000
mil High what could possibly have any
impact at such a low
concentration let's look at some
chemicals that we know more about
because we're exposed to them every day
in advertising and we in many cases use
them albuterol this is a chemical that's
in the desk of every school nurse
because one dose of it at 2.1 parts per
billion will stop an asthma
attack paxel a common anti-depressant
one dose in the blood active at 30 parts
per
billion
Calis one dose which can have profound
therapeutic
effects 30 parts per billion and it's
good for 36
hours and then there's Nar ring which is
a commonly prescribed birth controlled
drug it is active at
0.035 parts per
billion less than 400s of a pancake in a
stack of pancakes 4,000 miles high and
it's almost 100%
effective now some people are more
sensitive than others one of the side
effects of Calis at 30 parts per billion
is that if you have any sudden decreas
increase in hearing or Vision you can't
see or hear at 30 parts per billion you
should stop taking Calis and seek
immediate medical
help and then there's the most famous
side effect of
all and my question about this side
effect is really very simple if you've
experienced the preceding one as well
and you can't see or
hear how do you call the
[Music]
doctor low doses matter for 30 parts per
billion we can Inspire human
reproduction for
0.035 parts per billion we can prevent
it and for another 30 parts per billion
we can chill out about it either way
the exposures happen industry is allowed
to sell these chemicals use them in the
market
place and we have to wonder after
Decades of these exposures what the
problems that they're causing might just
be there are increases in diseases
disorders health problems that we cannot
explain by genetics alone we're not
evolving so quickly that these problems
can be
explained an 84% increase in acute
lymphocytic leukemia in children between
1975 and
2002 hypospadius has doubled over
roughly that same period This is a birth
defect a deformation of the penis where
the urethra doesn't come out at the end
but somewhere else along the shaft and
it requires surgery often within days or
months of birth that now affects one out
of 125 baby boys in the United States
chemicals are
implicated a 57% increase in childhood
brain
cancer autism the great mystery the
great tragedy one in 150 children on the
autism Spectrum Disorder one in 150
children in some states where we have
more robust data it's approaching
1% it's not just the kids it's adults
too millions of couples struggle with
getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy
to full term a dramatic increase of 20%
in those problems in the past decade the
biggest increase has been with women of
childbearing age under 25 years
old decreased sperm count in men about
1% per year in the United States and
Northern Europe breast cancer does
anyone here not know a person a family
that has been touched by this disease
now one in eight
women and for all
cancers one in three women will develop
them during their lifetime and half of
all
men
so what can you
do all these chemicals all these
exposures well one thing we know for
certain you can't live under a rock you
can't avoid Modern Life you can't
escape you can't escape all of these exp
would you like to see that
again we can't
avoid these
exposures we live in the real world and
we're not proposing for one minute that
we try and live anywhere else but we
need to fix that real world and we can
do
it chemicals are showing up on the front
page of newspapers for the same reason
that they're showing up in
babies a very weak law that was passed a
long time ago and has never since been
modernized it's the toxic substances
Control Act and my message to you
tonight is we need to fix this
thing the toxic substances Control Act
grandfathered in 62,000 industrial
chemicals in 1976 and presumed that they
were safe the law does not require any
health or safety studies before a new
chemical is allowed onto the market
none of the chemicals that come to EP PA
for approval 80% are approved within
just 3
weeks and in the history of Tusa as it's
called only five chemicals only five
have been banned or restricted this law
is so weak that when the first Bush
Administration tried to ban
asbes it was challenged in court and
lost this is a law that protects
polluters it protects companies it
protects profits and what we need is a
law that protects people and public
health it's a tall order but we've made
big changes
before we've cleaned up Industries we've
cleaned up air we've cleaned up water
but most relevant to tonight we've
cleaned up our blood
lead when we took the lead out of
gasoline look what happened to blood
lead levels in the US population they
plummeted we still have a problem with
lead poisoning in inner cities in older
housing particularly lowincome housing
but we've made dramatic strides by
taking lead out of both paint and
gasoline PCB levels in blood at the time
it was detected in people and Wildlife
it was suggested that if we got rid of
this insulating chemical we might not
have electri
electricity well we did ban it the
lights are still
on and PCB levels in blood
plummeted and then there's
DDT notorious insecticide the industry
of course said well if you ban DDT we
might not be able to grow
food but we did ban it we did continue
to grow food and DDT levels plummeted in
the American people's
blood as an important note when we
tested those babies in
2004 we still found pcbs we still found
DDT the lesson is pretty clear if a
chemical is dangerous and it lasts a
long time in the environment you want to
waste no time moving to take it off of
the
market for the past five years a
campaign has been building to protect
the most vulnerable to protect all of us
it's called the kidsafe chemicals act
and here's what this law in summary
would do if it got on the books and we
want it on the books it would require
that chemicals be proven by the
companies to be safe for children and
others who are sensitive before the
chemicals are allowed on the market what
a
concept it assumes that chemicals are
harming people until it's proven
otherwise until they're proven safe by
the companies now it goes the other
way if you've got tens of thousands of
chemicals where do you start trying to
unravel the
problem well this bill says let's start
with chemicals that we have reason to
believe are hazardous and end up in
people and this is where the 10
Americans come
in this bill says that if chemicals show
up in umbilical cord blood we're going
to assume they're unsafe and we're going
to require the companies that make those
chemicals to prove that they are safe on
an expedited basis before they can come
onto the market or remain on the market
and that's what we hope the kids safe
chemicals act will
do science scientists medical
leaders religious
leaders environmental organizations are
coming together and it's the most
exciting development in my professional
life dealing with toxic
chemicals and the problems they
cause
this is another image of my baby
Callahan cook he's about two weeks
old when I look into his face I see
every hope for a healthy future I know
that when he came into the world like
all American babies he did have some
toxic chemicals in him for all our best
efforts but but my hope is that going
forward we can do better and we have to
do
better we can protect babies and the
rest of us from these toxic chemicals if
we just make it our business to do
so yes be smarter when you shop but even
more importantly tonight get involved to
help us pass the kidsafe chemicals act
we owe it to our
kids we owe it to our VES to protect
them so that no baby is born into this
world pre- pooled in the
[Music]
future
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