In this document you will find more detailed information about the project and some background information on the monitoring of toxic chemicals in our bodies, or biomonitoring as it is commonly called.  We hope this information will be helpful to you.  Feel free to contact Dr. Mark Mitchell with any questions or concerns at (860) 548-1133.

I.              Background Information on Biomonitoring Projects

Several national studies have been conducted to gauge the extent to which toxic chemicals are present in human tissues.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its most recent National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals in 2005. This publication reported on levels of 148 chemicals measured in blood and urine of the U.S. population, including metals, pesticides, dioxins and furans, PCBs, and phthalates.

We all have industrial chemicals stored in or passing through our bodies, the result of over five decades of intensive and continuing chemical use in industrialized nations. Most chemical exposures occur without our knowledge, from low-level contamination in our food, air, water, and the things we touch.  Increasingly, biomonitoring is being conducted by national and state agencies and by public interest organizations to assess trends in chemical use and exposure, to identify population-wide variability and populations with higher exposures, to assess the effectiveness of current chemical regulations and to provide support for chemical policy reform.

This Connecticut project will test six individuals for a series of toxic chemicals, including phthalates, chemicals commonly used in cosmetics and plastics, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which are used as flame retardants on furniture, electronics and some clothing.

II.                Goals of the Connecticut Project

The primary goals are 1) to raise awareness of increasing chemical contamination of our bodies and 2) to aid in statewide and national advocacy efforts aimed at reducing toxic chemical use and protecting public health.  We are not doing this project as a “scientific study” to draw any statistical conclusions. Our goal is to demonstrate with “real life” local people that everyone has toxic chemicals in our bodies. Participants will not be chosen based on any expectation of high or low exposure, and their chemical levels may not represent the chemical levels of others in their community.

We will not predict or diagnose illnesses or disorders that participants may incur due to their chemical body burden nor will we speculate about events or times in participants’ lives when exposures may have occurred.  While there is a substantial and growing body of evidence indicating that exposures to certain toxic chemicals and hormone-mimicking compounds contribute to the development of cancers, learning disabilities, Parkinson’s disease, endometriosis and other diseases, current science cannot predict health effects from the levels of detected chemicals.  Biomonitoring research has detected synthetic and toxic chemicals including flame retardants, dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDT, and other pesticides in breast milk, urine, and blood, but scientists cannot say for sure what health problems these may lead to in any of the participants.  The health effects of chronic exposure to low levels of chemicals are only beginning to be studied.

Many of the effects of these toxic chemicals manifest themselves as subtle changes in our ability to learn and remember, or in our fertility. Other effects are more apparent, such as developing cancer, but symptoms may take years to appear and even then each person can have an increased statistical probability rather than an absolute certainty of contracting the disease.

Our sample size is small, but we expect that the results will be consistent with other larger studies and support the conclusion that most likely all of us have chemicals in our bodies that could potentially cause serious health problems. 

III.             Pros and Cons of Participation

The only direct benefit of participating in this project is gaining knowledge of your own chemical body burdens.  However, the project has several public benefits.  This project will help inform public discussion about our chemical body burdens, and help Connecticut residents understand the extent with which chemicals permeate our lives. 

But the greatest public benefit will stem from the advocacy efforts that this project supports, and the much needed reforms that will replace chemicals with their safer alternatives. Ultimately the project will help educate and persuade decision-makers of the importance of pollution prevention and toxic chemical reduction policies.  Such policies would reduce our exposure to dangerous chemicals and help reduce everyone’s body burden.  

The withdrawal of blood involves some physical risk to the subjects. Those risks will be minimized to the maximum extent possible by using professional phlebotomists.  Knowledge that industrial chemicals are in one’s body can be unsettling, particularly given one’s current powerlessness to do much about many exposures and the frustrating lack of understanding about exposure pathways and sources.  The coalition staff can provide more background information on these chemicals, but will not be able to explain with certainty why particular chemicals are in the bodies of the project participants, why levels of particular chemicals differ, or what it could mean for your health.

Subjects will not be paid for participation in the project.  No costs are anticipated other than for transportation to the sampling site and to any events at which the subject discusses the project.

IV.              Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

The Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut has developed a set of criteria to identify and select representative individuals for participation in the project. These may include, but are not limited to:

• Recognized leadership or celebrity in participant's field.

• Reputation for being credible.

• Articulate, thoughtful, objective, and at ease as a public speaker. Comfortable with and willing to participate in media events and in public discussions.

• Interest in environmental health and justice.

• Within the limits of a 6-person sample, we want diversity by geographic region, occupation, and other factors.

This project excludes children, minors, incarcerated individuals, mentally incompetent individuals, or other special populations from testing. The project will test only healthy adults, none of whom have health conditions that might be compromised by the withdrawal of blood.

V.                 Timeline

To obtain informed consent, each participant will meet with a coalition representative to hear a description of the project and ask any questions.  Then each participant will be given 2 copies of a Consent Form to read and sign.  A signed copy of the Consent Form will be given to the participant.

Until we determine the final list of chemicals for which we will test, we do not know how much blood, urine or hair each participant will need to donate.  However, from looking at tests done in other states, we can safely say that participants will be asked to donate no more than 125 mL of blood, no more than 100 mL of urine, and no more than 200mg of hair (a clump of hair 0.3 cm in diameter by 7 cm long). 

Data results will be communicated only to an overseeing physician, who will then communicate individual data results to participants. Individual data will not be released without the participant’s permission. Pooled data from the project will be communicated to all participants.

Participants will be informed of their right to withdraw from the project at any time. They will also be informed about confidentiality measures being taken to protect their privacy. We will be collaborating with other states in a coordinated process, collecting the samples this fall (2006). The results will be released in spring 2007.

VI.              Information on Chemicals to be Tested

Phthalates

Phthalates are common industrial chemicals with a wide range of chemical and health-related characteristics.  They are primarily added as a softening agent in flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products such as children’s toys, shower curtains, hospital IV tubing, and garden hoses.  They are also found in lubricating oils and solvents, which leads to their inclusion in numerous products from cosmetics to wood finishes. 

Because phthalates are used in so many kinds of products, they are widely distributed in the environment. Human exposure can occur via air, water, and food. Once they are in the body, phthalates are quickly broken down into compounds excreted in the urine and feces. Human exposure occurs throughout life. Of particular concern is the exposure of babies in the womb, because the developing human reproductive system is so vulnerable.

The health effects of phthalates are well studied in animals.  Their impacts on humans are controversial.  Several phthalates – such as DEHP, DBP and BzBP – interfere with fetal development in animal studies.  DBP harms the male sex organs in certain animals and the administration of DBP and DEHP to pregnant rats interferes with normal fetal development in male offspring.

PBDEs

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are widely used as flame retardants in many products such as mattresses, furniture, electronics, automobiles, and computers. These toxic flame retardants persist in the environment, build up in the food chain and in our bodies, and are toxic at low levels. There is strong scientific evidence that levels of PBDEs are rising rapidly in the environment and in human bodies. 

For example:

·        PBDEs are likely found in the breast milk of all women. Levels found in the breast milk of women in Washington State were 20 to 40 times higher than levels found in Europe and Japan.

·        Studies in wildlife have shown that PBDE levels are rising at alarming rates, in some cases doubling every one to five years. In the Columbia River system, levels in fish doubled in a mere 1.6 years. High levels have also been documented in studies of orca whales, salmon, peregrine falcons, terns, osprey, and other wildlife.

·        PBDEs contaminate everyday foods bought at the supermarket, including certain meat, dairy, and fish products. Levels found in U.S. foods are higher than levels found in Spain and Japan.

PBDEs affect memory, learning, and behavior in laboratory animals at very low levels. They also affect thyroid hormones and other bodily functions. Those at highest risk include developing fetuses, infants, and young children.

The primary source of human exposures to PBDEs is unknown, although house dust and food are likely to be major sources.  These fat-soluble chemicals build up in the body, are stored within breast milk, blood, and adipose (fat) tissue.

HOME