As time goes on, it appears increasingly apparent that in news reports around the country more and more hazardous substances are being found in food, household products, and in the environment in general. Cancer rates have soared in recent years. Unfortunately, in a recent story, individuals with a fear of toxicity or detrimental health consequences for occurrences out of their immediate control will not be relieved. In a recent report, St. Louis County in Missouri has been deemed a “cancer cluster”. Radium was discovered in the groundwater, largely due to the fact that world war two era bombs and radioactive waste drums related to the Manhattan project have been left to rot in landfills. These products were illegally dumped in the mid-1970s in the West Lake Landfill- cancer cases for those living in close proximity to the facility have soared.
Radioactive waste is not the only external man-made health risk one may face. It appears that chemicals that could be hazardous to the health of humans are being discovered in food. According to new research from consumer reports, phthalates and bisphenols (two chemicals with strong ties to diabetes and hormone issues) are heavily present in grocery store packaging in items. These chemicals are often present no matter the food- organic or otherwise. Researchers tested a wide variety of products in fast food restaurants and grocery stores and found that a staggering 99% of items tested contained the chemicals.
In a related study, high levels of phthalates were also discovered in the backpacks of school children. The study also found that nearly 75% of school supplies related to usage by children contained hazardous and toxic levels of chemicals. Phthalates are a class of chemicals that have strong links to birth defects, infertility, asthma, obesity and diabetes. Scientists randomly purchased 20 back to school items in New York State. Many of these items came from many New York City area dollar stores.
