--- The Fool wrote: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/environment/story.jsp?story=344178 > > Gender-bending risk to children By Geoffrey Lean > Environmental Editor / 20 October 2002 > Minute amounts of ''gender bender'' chemicals found > in food and the > environment are affecting the behaviour of > pre-school children, new research shows... <snip> > It follows a host of studies > showing that gender-benders can turn wildlife > species, from gulls and > alligators to fish and turtles, into hermaphrodites.
Mammals also (polar bears), from a 1998 article: http://www.chem.unep.ch/pops/POPs_Inc/press_releases/ottawa-1.htm "...But the maktaaq [blubber, eaten raw] from today�s marine mammals threatens to impair the development of Inuit children. Every mouthful now comes laced with alarming levels of PCBs, DDT, mercury and other toxic chemical pollutants that originate in the south... ...Studies conducted by Canadian scientists show the Inuit in traditional hunting communities like Pond Inlet now have PCB levels as high as any on Earth. The chemicals are passed to babies through placenta and breast milk...studies in the Great Lakes, where PCB levels are lower than in the Arctic, suggest chemical accumulation in humans can damage the neurological development of children, leading to memory, learning and attention-span difficulties... Meanwhile, the recent [1997] discovery of hermaphrodite polar bear cubs in Svalbard, Norway, has heightened concern that the chemicals may also be disrupting hormonal development. For his part, Ootoovak says he�s aware of the poisonous additives in maktaaq, but shrugs at the potential consequences. "You worry about it, but there�s nothing you can do," he says. A piece of maktaaq no larger than a sugar cube contains more than Health Canada�s maximum recommended intake of PCBs for an entire week." <snip> > The girls exposed to higher levels of PCBs were more > likely to engage in > masculine play, while similarly exposed boys were > more likely to enjoy > feminine play. Dioxins produced more feminine play > in boys and girls. > The most disturbing aspect of the study is that the > mothers were exposed > to routine amounts of the chemicals � probably from > eating normal food, experts believe... These and/or other fat-soluble chemicals will likely turn out to be responsible for several other disturbing health trends, such as the increase in breast cancer and male infertility, IMO. Talk about reaping what you sow... Debbi __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Y! Web Hosting - Let the expert host your web site http://webhosting.yahoo.com/ _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
