The Deadly Reach of Environmental Toxins Across Generations

[Guest guest]

http://www.mercola.com/2005/jul/23/water_toxins.htm

 

 

 

 

The Deadly Reach of Environmental Toxins Across Generations

 

 

By Richard Mesquita, AquaMD

 

(AquaMD is the water testing division of the American Water

Council, a nationally respected provider of water education and

testing services. AquaMD has teamed with Dr. Mercola to provide you

with diagnostic services and the Dr. Mercola water testing packages at

http://www.aquamd.com/mercola/labtests.cfm.)

 

Did you catch the recent findings coming out of Washington State

University and published in Science magazine? It showed how exposure

to environmental toxins affects your health more than anyone ever

imagined. Researchers found exposure to toxins in the environment by

your parents or grandparents may have caused you to inherit some of

your ailments.

 

And, if you are exposed to environmental contaminants, you could pass

on your exposure to generation after generation of your offspring.

 

For 60 years, scientists have known parents pass on genes to their

children and grandchildren. Science has known, if parents passed on

bad genes, their children and grandchildren would be more likely to

suffer from diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

 

Now, scientists have found that disease may be caused not only because

of your parents or grandparents passing on bad genes, but also because

they were exposed to toxins 70 years earlier. And even though their

cells weren't affected by that exposure, yours are.

 

In fact, Dr. Michael Skinner, one of the researchers involved with the

study at Washington State University, said toxins may even chemically

modify the person's DNA!

 

The Experiment

 

The experiment started four years ago by accident when one scientist

was studying testes development in rats when they come into contact

with environmental toxins. Hence, he exposed them to a common

fungicide and a common pesticide. Another researcher accidentally

allowed two of the exposed rats to breed. But instead of restarting

the experiment, the scientists decided to let some time pass to see

what happened.

 

They found the male developed genetic disorders, because of his

exposure to the pesticide and fungicide, which was no big surprise.

What did shock them: The next three generations of male rats also had

the same ailment as the very first one who was exposed to these

toxins. The study proved the toxins the rats were exposed to in the

first generation were still detected four generations later.

 

Just as shocking was that the impact was not reduced in each of the

four following generations, even though only the first generation was

exposed to the contaminants.

 

The scientists didn't tell anyone about their findings and continued

their study for the next two years to confirm their findings. They

eventually came to the conclusion the evidence was irrefutable. And,

Dr. Skinner also believed the study implies cancer and other diseases

can be passed on in the same way -- from generation-to-generation.

 

What Does This Mean For You?

 

It means that it is more important than ever to guard against exposure

to environmental toxins.

 

There are 6 million to 7 million chemical substances known in industry

and scientific research, and close to 70,000 of them are regularly

used in the industrial, agriculture and service sectors. The EPA also

reports that 4.3 billion pounds of toxic substances are legally dumped

annually into our nation's environment.

 

Recent studies have shown that even low doses of toxins have a much

greater impact than was once thought.

 

This study also suggests that even those studies underestimated the

impact. Why? Because the way in which damage caused by exposure to

toxins has been measured may be wrong. As Dr. Skinner said, they

didn't find " a change in the DNA sequence, " but a " chemical

modification of the DNA. "

 

That's why it is so important to find out if your water supply

contains even low levels of toxins that you are exposed to when doing

things you'd typically take for granted, like showering, bathing and

cleaning dishes. If it does, you can install the right treatment

system to remove those contaminants. And you can also get help from

your health practitioner to treat the damage done to your body.

 

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

 

Water Testing

Water Tests & Water Diagnostic Services

 

Mercola Recommended

 

Please don't fool yourself into thinking that you can tell your water

is safe by the way it looks, tastes, or smells.

 

Some contaminants in water are so harmful that they are measured in

" parts per million " or " parts per billion. " In other words, just a

drop of these poisons added to gallons and gallons of water can be

very harmful.

 

Just installing a filter to purify your drinking water may not be

enough. You could still be exposed to contaminated water when you:

 

1. Shower or bathe

2. Wash your hands

3. Wash laundry

4. Rinse fruits and vegetables

5. Wash dishes, glasses, and other utensils

 

If you are unsure if your water is safe, I recommend you find out by

taking advantage of AquaMD's Diagnostic Service or their Direct

Laboratory Testing Services.