With another Earth Day now behind us, it is evident that more people are becoming increasingly aware of environmental pollution and toxins. Chemicals have found their way into everyday products used by millions of Americans and toxic-related illnesses are on the rise. The alarming truth, now surfacing, indicates that you don’t even have to come in direct contact with these pollutants to be adversely impacted.
Take, for instance, the nearly 200,000 aircraft and helicopters in the United States that are powered by fuel that contains toxic lead. This presents a tremendous environmental hazard to anyone breathing below where these airplanes and helicopters are flying.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there is no safe level of lead. Any lead is toxic and ingesting even a small amount of this metal can cause tremendous damage to a child’s brain. Lead, unlike some other substances, does not dissipate in the air. It hits the ground and it accumulates. This poses increased health risks for all those who come in contact with it.
Generational Sickness
The collection of environmental toxicants is growing with great speed as researchers discover more damaging pollutants that present potential health risks not only for our generation but for generations to come.
Researchers from Washington State University have found that rats exposed to BPA (bisphenol A) and phthalates(compounds found in plastics), have a high rate of reproductive disease and obesity.
In another alarming report found in the Reproductive Toxicology journal, researchers found cross-generation disease caused by a popular jet fuel mixture known as JP8.
Turning Genes On and Off
When we turn a light switch off, we stop the current of electricity to the light bulb and the light goes out. Similarly, when a gene switch flips to the off position, something changes in the body. Genetic inheritances can cause genes to be turned on or off.
The process of “epigenetic transgenerational inheritance” is a fancy label for how environmental toxins can cause disease abnormalities generationally. Such toxins as plastics, pesticides, dioxins, hydrocarbons and fungicides have been found to cause epigenetic changes.
Disease and Plastic
The Washington State study noted a remarkable increase in the number of diseases and malformations in generation one and generation three of male and female descendants of animals that were exposed to plastics.
Both kidney and prostate diseases were found in first generation animals whose mother was exposed to plastics during pregnancy. Animals in the third generation developed ovarian disease, obesity, abnormalities in puberty and disease of the testis. Researchers note that findings such as these may help with early diagnosis and treatment of a variety of health conditions.
Direct Exposure Not Necessary
The scary findings of this recent research strongly suggest that while you may not have personally been exposed to harmful toxins, your health may still be at risk. If, for instance, your grandmother had direct exposure to a harmful chemical, this can be enough to leave you vulnerable to disease caused by non-genetic impacts of chemicals on the DNA.
While you may get your grandmothers beautiful blue eyes, you may also get a predisposition to obesity. But don’t let that stop your efforts of eating right and sticking to an exercise routine. Even if you have a predisposition, you can do your best to stay as healthy as possible. Making poor lifestyle choices will only exacerbate the epigenetic effects.
-The Alternative Daily
Sources:
http://wsutoday.wsu.edu/pages/publications.asp?Action=Detail&PublicationID=34689&TypeID=1
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/12/lead-emissions-children-aviation-fuel_n_1338131.html
