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OPEDCOLUMNI ST

ThisIsYourBrainonToxins

NicholasKristofOCT.16,2013
OCT.16,2013

NicholasKristof

Leadhelpstoguardyourhealth.
ThatwasthemarketinglinethattheformerNationalLeadCompanyused
decadesagotosellleadbasedhouseholdpaints.Yetwenowknowthatlead
waspoisoningmillionsofchildrenandpermanentlydamagingtheirbrains.
Tensofthousandsofchildrendied,andcountlessmillionswereleftmentally
impaired.
Oneboy,Sam,borninMilwaukeein1990,thrivedasababy,according

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tohismedicalrecord.Butthen,asatoddler,hebegantochewonleadpaintor
suckonfingerswithleaddust,andhisbloodshowedsoaringleadlevels.
Samsfamilymovedhomes,butitwasnouse.Atage3,hewas
hospitalizedforfivedaysbecauseofleadpoisoning,andinkindergartenhis
teachersnoticedthathehadspeechproblems.Hestruggledthroughschool,
anddoctorsconcludedthathehadpermanentandirreversibledeficiencies
inbrainfunction.
SamsstoryappearsinLeadWars,abookbyGeraldMarkowitzand
DavidRosnerpublishedthisyearthatchroniclesthemonstrous
irresponsibilityofcompaniesintheleadindustryoverthecourseofthe20th
century.Eventually,overindustryprotests,cameregulationandtheremoval
ofleadfromgasoline.Asaresult,leadlevelsofAmericanchildrenhave
declined90percentinthelastfewdecades,andscholarshaveestimatedthat,
asaresult,childrensI.Q.sonaveragehaverisenatleasttwopointsand
perhapsmorethanfour.
Sowhatarethelessonsfromthehumancatastropheofleadpoisoning
oversomanydecades?Tome,todaysversionoftheleadindustryisthe
chemicalindustrycompanieslikeExxonMobil,DuPont,BASFandDow
Chemicalovertheyearschurningoutendocrinedisruptorchemicalsthat
mimicthebodyshormones.Endocrinedisruptorsarefoundineverything
fromplasticstopesticides,toystocosmetics,andtherearegrowingconcerns
abouttheirsafety.
TheEndocrineSociety,thePediatricEndocrineSociety,theEuropean
SocietyofPediatricEndocrinologyandthePresidentsCancerPanelhaveall
warnedaboutendocrinedisruptorsalsoreferredtoasE.D.C.s,for
endocrinedisruptingchemicals.TheWorldHealthOrganizationandUnited
Nationsthisyearconcluded:ExposuretoE.D.C.sduringfetaldevelopment
andpubertyplaysaroleintheincreasedincidencesofreproductivediseases,
endocrinerelatedcancers,behavioralandlearningproblems,including

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A.D.H.D.,infections,asthma,andperhapsobesityanddiabetesinhumans.
Alarmaboutendocrinedisruptorsoncewasafringescientificconcernbut
increasinglyhasmovedmainstream.Thereisstilluncertaintyanddebate
abouttheriskposedbyindividualchemicals,butthereisgrowingconcern
abouttheriskofendocrinedisruptorsingeneralparticularlytofetusesand
children.Thereislessconcernaboutadults.
Scientistsarealsodebatingwhethertheoldtoxicologicalmodelsare
appropriateforchemicalsthatmimichormonesandthusmaytriggerbodily
changes,especiallyinfetusesandchildren.
Thesearethekindsofthreatsthatweinjournalismarenotverygoodat
covering.Wedidawretchedjobcoveringrisksfromleadandtobaccointhe
earlyyearsinsteadofwatchdogs,wewerelapdogs.
Onecommonthreadisindustrysgreed,duplicityandpowerfullobbying
inWashingtonandaroundthecountry.Thechemicalindustryspent$55
millionlobbyinglastyear,twicethefigureadecadeearlier,accordingtothe
CenterforResponsivePolitics.
TheChicagoTribunelastyeardocumentedhowthechemicalindustry
createdafakemovementforflameretardantsinfurniture,supposedlyto
preventfiresinfact,flameretardantsdontreducefiresbutdocontain
endocrinedisruptorsthatmaybeharmfultoourchildren.
Thissummer18scientistswroteascathingletterrailingagainstEuropean
Unionregulationsofendocrinedisruptors.Thatunderscoredthegenuine
scientificuncertaintyaboutrisksuntilEnvironmentalHealthNewsshowed
that17ofthe18haveconflictsofinterest,suchasreceivingmoneyfromthe
chemicalindustry.Meanwhile,morethan140otherscientistsfollowedup
withtheirownopenlettersdenouncingtheoriginal18andwarningthat
endocrinedisruptorsdoindeedconstitutearisk.

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AndreaC.Gore,theeditorofEndocrinology,publishedaneditorial
assertingthatcorporateinterestsareabusingsciencetodaywithendocrine
disruptorsthewaytheyoncedidwithlead:fortheproductionof
uncertainty.
Sheaddedthattheevidenceisundeniable:thatendocrinedisrupting
chemicalsposeathreattohumanhealth.
Whenscientistsfeud,itshardfortherestofustoknowwhattodo.But
Imstruckthatmanyexpertsinendocrinology,toxicologyorpediatricsarent
waitingforregulatorychanges.Theydontheatfoodinplasticcontainers,they
reducetheiruseofplasticwaterbottles,andtheytrytogivetheirkidsorganic
foodtoreduceexposuretopesticides.
Soaquestionforbigchemicalcompanies:Areyoureallygoingtofollow
themodeloftobaccoandleadandfightregulationeverystepoftheway,once
moreriskingourchildrensfutures?
AversionofthisopedappearsinprintonOctober17,2013,onpageA33oftheNewYorkedition
withtheheadline:ThisIsYourBrainOnToxins.

2015TheNewYorkTimesCompany

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