10,000 Toxic Chemicals Need to Be Retested for Human Safety

Approximately 10,000 chemicals currently on the market need to be retested for possible toxicity, according to a study published in the journal Science.

The study authors warn that approximately one-third of carbon-based chemicals currently in commercial use may need to be retested, based on limitations of the tests previously used to determine toxicity.

The danger rests on a class of chemicals referred to as "bio-accumulative," or "persistent organic pollutants," which concentrate in the bodies of animals. The concentrations of these pollutants tend to increase higher up in the food chain, as animals absorb the toxins stored in the body of their prey. Because of the health and ecological danger posed by persistent organic pollutants, 12 varieties have been globally banned under the Stockholm Convention, including DDT, dioxins and PCBs.

In the current study, researchers warn that many chemicals currently classified as safe may actually be persistent organic pollutants.

Steve - while we cannot control all the toxins in our environment, there are many aspects of our lifestyle that we can control. Don't add to your toxic burden...lessen the load.