Deidre Fulton at Common Dreams writes—Landmark Study Shows Our Bodies are Rife with Cancer-Causing Chemicals:
The first inventory of its kind has found that hundreds of cancer-causing chemicals are building up in the bodies of Americans.
The analysis from Environmental Working Group (EWG), based on more than 1,000 biomonitoring studies—which measure the burden of certain chemicals present in the human body—and other research by government agencies and independent scientists, found that up to 420 chemicals known or likely to cause cancer have been detected in blood, urine, hair, and other human samples.
"The presence of a toxic chemical in our bodies does not necessarily mean it will cause harm, but this report details the astounding number of carcinogens we are exposed to in almost every part of life that are building up in our systems," said Curt DellaValle, author of the report and a senior scientist at EWG.
According to the report, Pollution in People, carcinogens detected in biomonitoring studies come from diverse sources, including:
- Industrial chemicals
- Commercial products including flame retardants in furniture and other items; dry cleaning chemicals; styrene in plastics; nonstick, waterproof and grease-resistant chemicals in cookware, clothing and food wrappers; other chemicals in paints and hair coloring; and flavoring and fragrance ingredients
- Pesticides
- Heavy metals
- Byproducts of combustion, heating and disinfection
- Solvents
"Many of the carcinogens this study documents in people find their way into our bodies through food, air, water, and consumer products every day," added EWG president Ken Cook. "Dozens of them show up in human umbilical cord blood—which means Americans are exposed to carcinogens before they've left the womb." [...]
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At Daily Kos on this date in 2003—McKiernan's dilemma
Lt. Gen David McKiernan faces a problem as old as Iraq: how to keep the tribes and various factions under control.
His methods have involved sweeps and nightly patrols in a war which may go on as long as Americans are in Iraq.
The White House and Defense Department are using loaded words like terrorists and Baathists, which may sound nice on Fox News, but does little to explain how complex the politics of Iraq are.
One must keep in mind Saddam used a complex series of bribes and a secret police establishment to work his magic. He rarely acted overtly, except when needed. But even he couldn't prevent a full-scale Shia uprising and many of the secret dead come from that period.
The US faces a grim series of realities and some military choices.
On today’s Kagro in the Morning show, GOP tires of answering for Trump. Greg Dworkin straightens out Orlando’s “HIPAA waiver” story. Gun nut says Obama “endangers” us, happily sells shooter his AR-15. Purity politics remains complicated. Bathroom “protector” found with 13-year-old chained in his basement.
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