American Population Poisoned by Cancer-Causing Chemicals

The Obama administration appears to be moving in slow motion as the BP oil spill catastrophe unfolds like a bad nightmare. There is another environmental catastrophe the president should also be concerned about, and it is once again spelled out in a new report from researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine¹. The prevalence of high amounts of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including bisphenol A, is a cancer causing public health crisis in America.

“The strength and breadth of existing research on the negative effects of EDCs, including bisphenol A, warrants immediate action to reduce EDC exposure, particularly among the developing fetus and women of reproductive age,” said author Carlos Sonnenschein, MD, professor in the department of anatomy and cellular biology at Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM).

“Developing embryos ‘read’ environmental cues as a forecast of the outside world. These cues can affect the way certain genes are expressed and in this way alter the structure and function of organs. Studies in rodents show that EDCs can cause harm at much lower levels if exposure happens during organ formation as opposed to exposures during adulthood,” said author Ana Soto, MD, professor in the department of anatomy and cellular biology at TUSM.

“The evidence indicates that exposure to BPA and other EDCs may contribute to diseases that manifest during adult life, such as increased cancer rates in the industrialized world. These chemicals have also been linked to obesity, altered behavior, and infertility,” continued Soto.

This problem has been caused and perpetuated under both Republican and Democratic administrations. In the current oil spill crisis we see the cozy relationship between the government agency that is supposed to be regulating the oil companies and BP. These exact same criminal relationships permeate the FDA and the EPA, all to the detriment of human health.

It is quite true that the Obama administration inherited this problem. The president doesn’t need a commission to study the problem and report back to him – that was how the Bush administration dodged the issue. That hot-potato report now sits on the president’s desk, as I reported earlier this month in my article, Presidential Panel Warns of Grievous Harm & Increased Cancer Risk from Toxins. The scope of the problem becomes more apparent as each day passes. These are the type of health care problems that government should be responsible for. Will President Obama take action?