- Being an alternative health practitioner and the mother
of a 3 year-old child is a definite blessing but can also be very
frustrating
at times. On one hand, I am fortunate to have the wisdom of how to eat
right and how to utilize home-remedies and natural therapies. But on the
other side of the coin I feel completely helpless, as there are so many
environmental factors affecting our lives that I have no control over.
We (humans) are not only destroying our rain forests, wild life, ozone
layer, environment, and drinking water, but in the process, completely
abolishing our precious children's future as well.
-
- Despite living in the greatest country in the world,
we can also boast about consuming the most chemically contaminated food
per capita. Americans have sacrificed nutrition for convenience as more
and more people are turning to fast and ready-to-eat meals. These processed
foods are not only totally deficient of nutrients (except for the added
artificial nutrients) they also contain deadly chemicals, preservatives,
and colorings. Unfortunately, we're not much better off eating fruits and
vegetables, as those are grown in depleted soil and sprayed with hundreds
of pesticides and chemicals. Eating meat and animals products puts us in
danger of contracting salmonella, parasites or the newest threat; Mad Cow
Disease. The ethical aspect of the inhumane way our livestock are being
raised and slaughtered is only compounded by the amount of hormones,
antibiotics
and fattening agents these poor creatures are fed. And if all this wasn't
bad enough, man has to accelerate his path to destruction by inventing
genetically modified and genetically engineered foods. The long-term
consequences
of such interferences with mother nature are sure to be disastrous.
-
- I am thankful that we still have access to whole,
organically
grown foods and that to some extent, I can protect my son from the toxic
nightmare sold in traditional supermarkets. We drink only filtered water
and use a shower filter for bathing. We pay a little bit extra to have
organic, all-natural pesticides used in our home and yard. We also use
only natural, chemical-free cleaning and laundry products. But despite
all the precautions I take in preserving my family's health the
frustrating,
and infuriating fact is that I can't shelter them from what's going on
outside the sanctuary of our home.
-
- We live in an upscale part of Florida, where the
landscaping
is impeccable, the lawn always emerald green, and the flowers constantly
in full bloom - in other words, everything is artificially sustained. I
can't even conceive the amount of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers
sprayed around us each and every day. And because Florida is blessed with
a Mediterranean climate, our landscaping is treated year-round as opposed
to the seasonal bombardment our northern neighbors receive.
-
- A friend of mine brought to my attention a very
thought-provoking
observation the other day. She complained that we don't see any birds,
deer, squirrels, fish, or any other form of wildlife in our area. (Except
for the dead birds that neighbors keep finding in their back yards.) Add
to this the mutant alligators, deformed frogs, and turtles with developed
tumors, which we see on the news on a regular basis, and we have a real
mess on our hands.
-
- Chemical Overload
-
- In 1991 an estimated five billion pounds of chemicals
were released into our air every day. There are approximately 100,000
synthetic
chemicals in commercial use today. Over a lifetime, the average American
will be exposed to over half of them. Sadly, only a tiny fraction of these
chemicals have been tested for their effect on the human body and these
studies were usually funded by the chemical companies themselves. Despite
deeming most household chemicals "safe", they all seem to carry
very frightening warning labels. Not to mention the fact that thousands
of children are poisoned each year from injecting some type of chemical
product found in the home.
-
- Genetically, humans are not accustomed to being in
contact
with so many foreign chemicals and artificial toxic agents. Our bodies
are not able to break these down or eliminate them completely therefore,
much of it becomes stored in various parts of the body, especially within
the fat cells. This chemical overload was first introduced during the
Industrial
Revolution and has been magnified with each passing year, reaching
exorbitant
levels during the last few decades. Since we haven't had time to adapt
to these rapid adverse changes, we can't even begin to speculate what the
long-term ramifications might be on future generations. The danger signs
and warning signals are definitely present. Cancer has become the number
one cause of death from diseases among children between the ages of 1 and
19. One in every eight women will develop breast cancer. Heart disease
has become the number one killer in the US and throughout the Western
world.
As a nation, we are not only sicker and more obese but sadly also more
complacent than ever before.
-
- We don't seem concerned with what's going on around us
as long as we have our pretty little house, two cars in the garage, and
so-called "food" on our table. We keep running to the doctor
with our babies and allow them to be given endless doses of antibiotics,
vaccines, and unnecessary medications- all without question, because it's
the "right" thing to do. It's also the right thing to use strong,
industrial cleaners to disinfect our homes, and we'll spray whatever
necessary
to keep those little pests out of our sight. And if our children get sick
from all the toxins and chemicals we'll just take them back to the doctor
for more medicine. If we just stick our heads in the sand long enough,
everything will be OK. Or will it?
-
- Children who live in homes where indoor or outdoor
pesticides
are used face a far greater chance of developing leukemia. The study,
published
in July's 1987 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute,
studied
123 Los Angeles children with leukemia and 123 children without the
malignancy.
The results showed the children living in the pesticide treated homes had
nearly a four times greater risk of developing the disease. If the children
lived in homes where pesticides were used in the garden as well, the risk
of developing leukemia was 6.5 times greater. All of the children in the
study were 10 years of age or younger.
-
- The American Cancer Society also comments on the
relationship
between pesticide exposure and childhood cancers: "Children who have
been exposed to household insecticides and professional extermination
methods
within the home are three to seven times more likely to develop non-Hodgkin
lymphoma (NHL) compared with children who have not been exposed to
pesticides."
-
- Sure, avoiding these deadly pesticides in the home is
one way of protecting our children, but what happens at school, where they
spend their entire day? Take the pesticide Dursban, for example. It has
been documented to cause brain and nervous system damage, and it also
happens
to be the "pesticide of choice" for most schools. Sadly, school
officials are generally not required to notify parents when these sprayings
take place.
-
- * 93 percent of schools surveyed in California reported
using toxic pesticides to control pests.
-
- * 87 percent of Connecticut schools used toxic
pesticides,
and 32 percent sprayed even when they didn't have pest problems.
-
- * 87 percent of New York State schools sprayed,
including
every school surveyed in New York City
-
- Dursban is one of the most widely-used chemicals at these
schools, and there is increasing evidence that the heavy use of this and
other highly toxic pesticides is having adverse effects on children.
Exposure
to this pesticide usually produces complaints such as initial flu-like
illness followed by chronic complaints of fatigue, headaches, dizziness,
loss of memory, upper and lower respiratory symptoms, joint and muscle
pain and gastrointestinal disturbances. According to data collected by
the Association of Poison Control Centers, there were 2,300
pesticide-related
accidents in U.S. schools between 1993 and 1996. Researchers at the General
Accounting Office believe that this might actually be an
underestimate.
-
- Innocent victims of
Dursban
-
- Joshua Herb was just 3 weeks old when his West Virginia
home was sprayed with Dursban. Soon after the spraying, his nervous system
suffered a complete breakdown and he was left paralyzed for life. Faced
with the traumatic injury and lifetime of expensive medical bills, the
family decided to sue Dow Chemical to recover some of the damages. At
first,
the company followed its normal course of action and prepared to fight
the case in court. But Dow changed its mind when researchers at Duke
University
concluded a study that linked Dursban to the kind of nerve damage that
the boy suffered. At that point, the company decided to settle with the
family for more than $10 million although the exact terms of the settlement
are not known because Dow made the family sign a confidentiality agreement.
Dow's PR department still claims that Dursban was not responsible for
Joshua
Herb's paralysis; however, a number of respected scientists, including
one of the nation's preeminent toxicologists--Dr. John Doull--disagree.
According to Dr. Doull, "the boy was clearly over-exposed [to
Dursban]".
-
- The Joshua Herb case is a chilling example of what can
happen when infants are exposed to dangerous chemicals like Dursban;
however,
Dow does not seem to be all that worried. According to one of Dow's
corporate
lawyers: "You won't see another settlement like that."
-
- Michael Eash was six years old when he started classes
at Montgomery Elementary School in North Wales, Pennsylvania. Although
he was a bright student, Michael seemed to have trouble at Montgomery
Elementary.
He also seemed to get sick quite often at the new school, suffering from
unbearable headaches, fevers, diarrhea, leg pains, and other problems.
Michael's mom, Connie, became suspicious when she noticed that these
symptoms
seemed to go away during vacations. Her suspicions grew when she learned
that Michael was not the only student who was having these problems.
-
- One day while searching for clues to her son's mysterious
illness, Connie--a toxicologist and former drug researcher--noticed a
strong
chemical smell in the school. Connie later learned that the smell was the
result of routine Dursban application. Knowing the risks posed by this
chemical, Connie withdrew Michael from Montgomery Elementary and tutored
him at home for five months. As he stayed away from the school, Michael's
symptoms gradually faded away and his academic performance improved. Blood
tests confirmed his recovery. One measure of organophosphate poisoning
is low levels of an enzyme called red blood cell (RBC) cholinesterase.
Michael's RBC cholinesterase levels gradually increased from 2900 soon
after Connie pulled him from school (5200-10,000 is normal) to 3300 two
weeks later to 7700 three weeks after that.
-
- The school district eventually abandoned the use of
Dursban
and now relies on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to control insects.
Michael has reenrolled at the school and is doing better, although his
mom says that the Dursban exposure weakened his immune system and that
he is now much more sensitive to chemicals in the environment.
-
- Michael Eash's story is one example of what can happen
when schools are sprayed with Dursban. Fortunately, Michael's mom was
educated
about the risks and was able to take prompt action to test his blood and
to remove him from the school. Unfortunately, most of us don't have
Connie's
education and experience.
-
- Pesticide Vapors Present - Weeks -
Months & Years after Application
-
- A research conducted by Dow Chemical to determine the
amount of indoor air contamination following routine indoor application
of pesticides found the levels of the pesticide Dursban drop to only
one-sixth
of its original one-hour-level four days after application. The no-odor
pesticide Ficam was reported to have an air half-life of approximately
10 days. Of significant concern is the discovery that the pesticide soil
drench procedure (a procedure in which approximately 200 gallons of
pesticides
are saturated into the soil just prior to the pouring of the concrete
foundation
in new home construction) is finding its way into the indoor air for
literally
years and years after application. It was originally thought that the
concrete foundation provided a solid barrier to the poison. However,
air-testing
technology has shown this is not the case.
-
- With summer just around the corner Florida's getting
ready for mosquito season, which means dumping massive amounts of malathion
(a deadly chemical) to ward off these annoying little insects. This year,
in anticipation of a very active mosquito season, plans are being made
for extra rounds of spraying in order to protect the defenseless public
from these deadly creatures.
-
- Even though most people are oblivious to the harmful
effects of malathion, there are also a growing number of concerned
citizens.
A few years ago, in trying to calm the fears of Tampa residents,
representatives
for the Florida Department of Agriculture have made public statements that
after application, malathion "breaks-down" in a matter of hours.
What they didn't tell them is that malathion can actually break down into
compounds which are more poisonous than the malathion itself. This is also
the conclusion of a research conducted by the Department of Biology at
the Hacetepe University in Turkey:
-
- "The disappearance of pesticide residues at a given
location does not mean the end of the problem. Pesticides can be
translocated,
bioconcentrated or converted into more dangerous chemicals."
-
- Once malathion enters the body, it needs to be disposed
of in order to minimize damage. This job is performed in part by enzymes
in the liver. However, research has shown that the malathion impurities
- "diminish the activities of the enzymes involved in the malathion
detoxification." In other words, the impurities damage the body's
natural way of detoxifying the poison. The end result is that the chemical
stays in the body for longer periods of time, especially if subjected to
heat and long duration storage.
-
- The Journal of Immunology reported the following on the
dangers of malathion:
-
- "Technical grade malathion contains chemical
impurities
which have been found to weaken immune system function, including a
weakening
of a type of white blood cell called "cytotoxic lymphocytes"
(which attack cancer cells and virus infected cells). The picture at right
shows six of these white cytotoxic lymphocytes (let's call them CTL's for
short) successfully attacking a cancer cell (National Geographic). These
lymphocytes can also attack viruses in the body. Malathion has now been
shown to significantly weaken the CTL's ability to perform their job
effectively."
-
- Physicians at Travis Air Force Base Medical Center in
California have observed seven children with bone marrow disorders over
the past eight years. The physicians believe organophosphate pesticides
caused the blood disorders, in all cases. All blood disorders occurred
shortly after exposure to the pesticides DDVP/propoxur and malathion. The
duration of inhaling insecticides ranged from 2 minutes in a patient
enveloped
in a thick insecticide fog in a small shed to 2 days in other patients
whose homes were fumigated by their parents. Six patients had aplastic
anemia and one had acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The physicians also cited
research showing leukemia in farmers has significantly increased during
the period of 1964 to 1976 (Mayo Clinic Proc, 53:714-18, 1978). Apple
growers
exposed to organophosphates had a higher incidence of leukopenia (very
low white blood count) than a control population.
-
- According to a report by the Washington, D.C. based
group,
World Resources Institute (WRI), many pesticides appear to be increasing
the incidence of infections, pneumonia, ear infections, and tuberculosis.
The three pesticides listed as causing this problem were DDT, malathion,
and aldicarb. A summary of the report, appearing in the March 9, 1996 issue
of Science News, outlined many of the studies linking pesticides with
weakening
of the immune system.
-
- Perhaps what is most disturbing about malathion (and
other chemicals) is not what is actually known about its ill effects on
our health, but what is not yet known. It is important for the public to
understand that although chemical companies spend millions of dollars and
several years testing their chemicals, the testing protocols they use are
dangerously incomplete.
-
- Here are some examples of possible side effects occurring
from exposure to malathion and other pesticides:
-
- * Learning Disabilities in math, reading, etc.
- * Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.)
- * Hyperactivity
- * Mild mental retardation
- * Lower IQ
- * Language or speech delays (found highly vulnerable
to low level chemical exposure)
- * Short term memory damage
- * Aggression
- * Irritability
- * Depression
- * Increased emotionality
- * Decreased head circumference in offspring (suggesting
reduced brain cell growth)
- * Damage to the blood brain barrier (which functions
to block toxic chemicals from entering the brain and has been found weaker
in psychiatric and Alzheimer's patients)
- * Increased infertility or miscarriage
- * Altered hormones involved in defining sexuality (as
occurs with pesticide chlordane)
- * Lower sperm count (linked to increases in genetic
flaws in sperm DNA)
- * Slower sperm movement
- * Autoimmunity - renegade immune cells which attack
the body by mistake causing rheumatoid arthritis and over 40 other diseases
- * Lower number of immune system cells - thereby
increasing
risk of infection
- * Slower movement of immune system cells - thereby
increasing
risk of infection
- * Weakened ability of immune system cells to locate
bacteria, viruses, etc. -thereby increasing risk of infection
- * Weakened ability of immune system cells to produce
interferon, interleukins and other natural compounds essential to stimulate
the body's infection fighting capability - thereby increasing risk of
infection
- * Weakened ability of immune system cells (such as
natural
killer cells) to locate cancer cells and efficiently remove them
- * Increased risk of asthma - as has been found to occur
with other pesticides
- * Increased risk of allergies
- * Reduced efficiency of the DNA repair process - thereby
accelerating aging
-
- It is only when we start recognizing these symptoms in
second-generation offsprings that we truly see the long-term subtle genetic
effects of indiscriminate pesticide use.
-
- Pesticides can affect every living organism, with
children
and the elderly being especially vulnerable. Children's bodies are smaller
and they receive proportionally higher dose of toxins per body weight.
Their organs can be damaged more easily because they are not fully
developed.
Many of the most frequently used pesticides affect the nervous systems
and children are more susceptible to neurotoxins than adults.
-
- The more detrimental effects of pesticide, herbicide,
and fungicide use include: cancer, nervous system disorders, birth defects,
alterations of DNA, liver, kidney, lung, reproductive problems, and an
overall disruption of the ecological cycles on the planet. According to
Dr. David Pimentel, an entomologist at Cornell University, "pesticides
cost the nation more than $6 billion annually in public health costs,
ground
water decontamination, and fish, bird, and domestic animal
deaths."
-
- I guess the most mind-boggling aspect of such a blatant
poisoning of our environment is that there ARE other healthier
alternatives.
Yet we continue to spray crops with toxins and turn our farmlands into
wastelands. We continue to use synthetic chemicals, preservatives,
artificial
flavors and colors in our foods, even though we're destroying our immune
and digestive systems. We add more fluoride to our water, in spite of
countless
studies that show that it does nothing to reduce cavities, while
fluoridated
communities have as much as 10% higher incidence of cancer. We release
tons of chlorofluorocarbons into our air, even though it destroys our
protective
ozone layer. We inject our children with vaccines that contain formaldehyde
and phenol (both carcinogens), heavy metals such as aluminum and mercury,
as well as numerous other deadly ingredients. Where is this going to end?
The future sure doesn't look so bright.
-
- What can we do to protect our
families?
-
- I do what I can to keep our immediate environment as
pure and chemical-free as possible. That includes using air and water
filters,
natural cleaning and personal hygiene products, organic pesticides, and
non-aerosol sprays. We don't own a microwave oven, we don't turn on the
air conditioner unless the heat is unbearable, and we eat only organic
foods and no meat whatsoever. We take some powerful immune protecting
natural
supplements on a regular basis to maintain a strong immune system,
including
antioxidants, colloidal silver, echinacea, bee pollen, Ester C (a form
of vitamin C), multi vitamin/mineral complex, acidophilus, and golden seal.
We also use homeopathic medicine and other natural remedies to detoxify
and cleanse our bodies on a regular basis.
-
- Despite all the precautions, it breaks my heart to know
that my little one is subjected to harsh chemicals and environmental
pollutants
in school, at the playground, at friends' houses, and basically everywhere
he goes. It angers me to live in an ignorant society that would allow us
to poison our children in such an inauspicious way. I am beginning to
understand
why certain people just leave civilization behind and move into the
mountains
and choose to live sheltered from the whole world. Unfortunately, there
aren 't too many places left on this planet that haven't been touched by
the "marvels" of modern society.
-
- With so many hazards threatening our health and the
myriad
toxins surrounding us, our only hope is vigilantly maintaining a strong
immune system and detoxification our bodies on a regular basis.
Unfortunately,
the number of chemicals we're subjected to will continue to increase. Our
environment will grow more toxic and lethal with each coming decade, unless
man smartens up and stops implementing this "mass suicide" on
our planet. I have considerable fear for the next generations to follow
and feel that sacrificing our health and lives for modern day conveniences
is a very high price to pay. Especially when there are safer and possibly
more economical ways of achieving the same results. No, we can't change
the world overnight, but we can definitely improve our own surroundings
and give our children a fighting chance at reforming our deplorable
future.
-
-
- Dr. Lynn Hardy, N.D., C.N.C.
- Director of the Global Institute For Alternative
Medicine
www.gifam.org
-
-
- Resources
-
- Pesticide Health Effects Research,
www.chem-tox.com
-
- Pest Control Technology Magazine, pg. 44, August
1987
-
- Peter Drury (M.S.) Pesticide Telecommunication Network,
Dallas, Texas
- 1-800-858-7378
-
- The Journal of Immunology, 140(2):564-570
-
- Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 49, 107-112
(1979)
- www.worldwildlife.org. 1250 24th St. NW, P.O. Box 97180,
Washington, DC
- 20077
-
- www.citizens.org. P.O. Box 2260, Boulder, CO 80306.
Tel: 800-357-2211.
-
- New Frontier Magazine, Dr. Gabriel Gousens M.D., 1st.
issue
-
- The Lancet, pg.300, August 8, 1981
-
- Canadian Medical Association Journal, 92:597-602,
1965
-
- SCIENCE NEWS, March 9, 1996
-
- American Cancer Society
-
- Environmental Working Group- www.bandursban.com
-
-
- MainPage
http://www.rense.com
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