embedded in the floating world
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nmazca.blog embedded in the floating world |
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Calming Parents' Fears About Environmental Hazards "Dr. Robert L. Brent has been studying environmental toxicology for nearly half a century." (Ah, and so right at the top, we're supposed to believe that because he's been doing this for a long time, he must be right) "A distinguished professor at Thomas Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, he specializes in the effects of environmental factors like radiation, drugs and chemicals on the developing embryo and child. "But Dr. Brent, who is also the head of a birth defects research laboratory at the Alfred I. duPont (Yes, DuPont) Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del., said he often found himself defending the safety of such environmental agents in the face of misinformation that ignites the fears of parents and causes confusion. "Too often, Dr. Brent says, many millions of dollars are spent to clean up substances that actually present little or no risk to anyone's health. "To clarify what is known and what is not about environmental hazards, Dr. Brent, whose research has been financed by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy (ahem), was a co-author of a printed symposium that appeared as a supplement to a recent issue of the journal Pediatrics." Q. Claims of harm from environmental exposures attract a lot of media attention and arouse intense parental concern. How justified are they? A. There's a lot of misinformation out there scaring parents. Just because you have trichloroethylene* in your well doesn't tell you what your exposure is and whether there's any risk. I wish there wasn't one chemical in the environment. But they're there, and we have to deal with them scientifically -- find out if they're at a dangerous level. Q. You and your co-authors say our knowledge of toxic effects -- particularly for low-level exposures experienced by embryos and fetuses -- is very limited, which in itself can be a source of anxiety for parents. Can you offer any reassurances? A. We know the threshold dose -- the level above which harm can be done -- for most of these substances (which substances?) from animal studies. We also know that their mechanisms of action are not the same in every species. We can use animal data to allay anxiety in certain instances. (This guy played up animal testing in every other paragraph) When the levels in humans are close to what we see causes harm in animals, then we're concerned. This is easy to do with drugs: if you take a drug I know what your exposure is. But I can't say the same for environmental chemicals. "Environmental chemicals?" Q. How can parents best protect their children from possible harm from environmental agents, short of raising them in a bubble? A. Many women do limit the medications they take during pregnancy to only what is necessary. They should stay away from all herbal medications, which are not well controlled. A pregnant woman shouldn't put anything in her body that is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. :-0 As for environmental agents, city water is as safe if not safer than what most people drink. (Isn't it the case that most people drink city water? So what's he sayin'?) Wells can get contaminated. For city water supplied from a large reservoir, dilution is the best safety factor. We don't always know what's in bottled water. Perrier had benzene in its water a couple of years ago (Yes, and so did Cincinnati's water supply when I was in junior high school). And you've got to be sensible about foods you eat. I don't know what's in food made in a restaurant. I do know what's in food my wife makes. You're better off eating at home, especially if you're raising children. (OK, OK, I actually agree with that. It's just the Father Knows Best/Chemicals are Our Friends tone in this...) Q. Can you give any examples of false claims from animal studies of potential toxins? * A. Most agents that cause birth defects have not been discovered through animal studies, which are helpful primarily to corroborate risks. There was a claim that trichloroethylene produces cardiac malformations in the fetus, but scores of studies say it doesn't. There was another claim that Retin-A, used to treat acne and wrinkles, caused birth defects. But you don't get enough into the body when it's put on skin to affect the embryo... Alright, that's enough. The irony was the text ad on the page that linked to this article: Click here for great deals on Salvia divinorum from IamShaman "Dr. Brent, smoke these leaves and call me in the morning." The problems of science need |
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