Environmental Hazards

20 teen age girls were tested for chemicals found in cosmetics…they provided blood and urine on one day that were sent for analysis

16 chemicals were found

6 preservatives …parabins - are estragenic and have been found in breast tumor tissue

7 plasticizers called pthalates, - fragrance/nailpolish linked to reproductive problems1 antimicrobial – pesticide in liquid hand soap2 fragrances in musk family – neurotoxic and carcinogenic and are bioaccumulative

All 16 chemicals alter hormone levels

Girls are developing breast years earlier than they used

to; average of age 9 for black and 10 for white.

White girls age of puberty, defined by beginning breast

buds begins at 7, black girls at 6.

Girls starting their period before age 12 have a 50%

increased risk of developing breast cancer than

someone who develops their period after 16.

Part of your health assessment is to determine client exposures. What types of exposures do you ask your

clients about?

http://sonfaculty.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/prenatal-exposure-questionnaire-

ehec.pdf

A cohort of 10 people were tested for 486 pollutants – the results yielded 287 industrial pollutants, pesticides and chemicals that did not come from food, exposures where they lived, or outdoor air exposure.

When they were exposed, they were exposed in the womb.

They were chemicals that crossed the placenta. 134 were linked to cancer, 131 were linked to birth defects, 154 were linked to hormones, 130 were toxic to the immune system, and1 38 were neurotoxic.

These were umbilical cord blood samples; 300 quarts of blood circulate every day. The placenta does not sieve these out and the blood brain barrier has not been developed yet.