Toxin exposure – what it REALLY means
The problem is global. Environmental pesticides and toxic chemicals continue to increase while fertility rates steadily decline. Scientists argue that correlation does not equal causation – but can we really afford to ignore what is happening?
Let me begin with sharing a few excerpts from the most recent edition of The Pesticide Atlas.
Pesticide use in Australia (data includes all Oceania countries) has increased by over 88% between 1999 and 2020. The above figure shows the only region decreasing use of toxic sprays in Europe.
If we know about the toxic risks associated with pesticides, why is their use increasing so dramatically? The answer is money. The handful of companies sharing the multi-million dollar market would be highly reluctant to change.
Note that two companies openly acknowledge the adverse effects on fertility and reproduction.
Have I got your attention?
Let’s look at some of the specific areas of health that are affected – especially the health outcomes of our children.
In my book I devote an entire chapter on the topic of environmental toxins and how important it is to avoid as many as possible in the lead up to conception. The preparation phase is the time when both parents have the opportunity to clean up their body and fill up on the nutrients needed to ensure optimal health of both egg and sperm. After all, it is the health and integrity of these two cells that will create your baby.
Sources of contamination
These pesticides and other environmental chemicals are all around us – in the air we breathe, in the water we drink, in soils and, therefore, in foods we consume – both plant and animal. Our pets play in pesticide-treated parks and we chemically treat them for fleas and other parasites. Rural residents, especially farmers and anyone living on or near farmlands, as well as on golf courses are more exposed to organophosphate pesticides.
Widely used in agriculture since 1946 for weed control is 2,4-D (Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) sprayed on wheat and small grains, sorghum, corn, rice, sugar cane, soybeans, coffee, pastureland, roadways, in forestry, on lawns, parks, turf, golf courses and to kill aquatic weeds. It is also widely used in Australia.
Food sources of 2,4-D include gluten free foods – bread, pasta, crackers, snacks, flour, dessert mixed and chips? [https://www.momsacrossamerica.com/glutenfree_food_test_results]
Why are they so dangerous?
The chemicals involved are pesticides, fungicides, herbicides and insecticides. The main chemicals are toxic either directly or indirectly to our health, but other ingredients or adjuvants have been identified to be even more dangerous. For example:
- the product Roundup was found to be 125 times more toxic than its main ingredient glyphosate.
- Fungicides were the most toxic with concentrations 300-600 times lower than currently applied agricultural dilutions, followed by herbicides and insecticides.
- Eight formulations out of nine were up to 1000 TIMES more toxic than their active principle ingredients.
Surveys found that almost three-quarters of the pesticide products contained at least 95% of “inert” ingredients. These are ingredients that are not disclosed because the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) only considers carcinogenicity, adverse reproductive effects, neurotoxicity, developmental toxicity, documented ecological effects and the potential for bioaccumulation.
The EPA does not consider such effects as endocrine disruption, allergenic effects and chemical sensitization despite pesticide products containing a variety of ingredients known to be toxic yet the public is denied knowledge of their presence. [Attorney General of New York State / environmental Protection Bureau May 2000, www.oag.state.ny.us]
Organophosphate pesticides have been linked to:
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Leukaemia
- Glioma
- Lung, pancreatic, colon and rectal, breast, bladder, prostate, brain, skin and childhood cancers, leukaemia, multiple myeloma
- Cardiotoxicity
- Paediatric ADHD, lowered IQ, pervasive developmental disorder, impaired social functioning
- Delayed polyneuropathy
- Depression
- Impaired neurobehavioural function – psychomotor speed, executive function, working and visual memory
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Hyopthyroidism
[Environ Res. 2018;160:132-139./Environ Health Perspect 2006;114:691-6. Environ. Health Perspect. 2010:118, 1117-1125./PLoS ONE 10(9): e0137632. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0137632/ Toxicol Indust Health 2015;32(8):1527-1536./ Int J Occ Environ Health. 2016;22(1):68-79./ Cancer Causes Control 2001 Aug;12(6):509-17./Cancer Res 1992 May 1;52(9):2447-55./Toxicology2007,229:194-205.]
Pesticides contain heavy metals, mostly arsenic, chromium, cobalt, lead and nickel which are known to be toxic and endocrine disrupters.
Pesticides also contain solvents including benzene, toluene, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, and more.
Areas of health that have been shown correlate with exposure to pesticides include:
- Mast cell activation [MCAS];
- Increased risk for pancreatic, liver, lung and prostate cancers; glioma
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Birth defects (in particular cryptorchidism]
- Parkinson’s disease
- Cardiovascular disease
- Lowered immunity increasing risk for herpes zoster
- Endocrine disruption
- Lowered IQ
- ADHD
- Mitochondrial toxicity leading to neuronal damage
- Inflammatory changes
- Oxidative stress
- Immunotoxicity
- Asthma, eczema, allergies
- Thyroid function
[Toxicology (2012), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tox.2012.09.011]
Toxicity of 2,4-D includes cancer, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Large B-cell lymphoma, thyroid and kidney damage, increased levels of triglycerides, insulin resistance, increased total cholesterol, oxidative stress, impaired liver function, impaired cognition and lower testosterone in adult males.
Chlorpyrifos has been shown to be toxic to the gastrointestinal tract causing leaky gut, lowered insulin sensitivity and promoting obesity. Together with atrazine, they have a strong synergistic effect and increase susceptibility to viral infections.
Interestingly exposure can result in flu-like symptoms often resulting in misdiagnosis. Symptoms include:
- Fatigue, myalgia, memory loss, headaches, dizziness
- Upper and lower respiratory symptoms
- Joint and muscle pain
- Gut symptoms
[PMID: 7682805/12507170]
Fertility & Reproduction
Prenatal exposure, that is exposure of either parent to these highly toxic substances BEFORE they conceive has been linked to the baby being born with reduced birth weight, head circumference and gestational length.
Prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides has been linked to lowered IQ in 7-year-old children, structural brain changes, and sexual dimorphism. Proximity to organophosphates at some point during gestation was associated with a 60% increased risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder, and even higher for third-trimester exposure.
Exposure by the mother pre- and postnatally has been linked with altered reflexes, inattention, behaviour problems, lowered IQ, developmental disorders in infants and toddlers, and potential associations with paediatric asthma, cancer and birth defects.
[Environ Health Perspect 2011;119:1182-8./Neurotoxicology. 2013;39: 158–168. Environ Health Perspect 2010;118:1768-74.]
Lifetime consequences of these chemicals begin in utero. Prenatal exposure in greenhouse workers was shown to affect both genders:
- Boys – decreased penile length and reduced testicular volume and lower serum testosterone;
- Girls – earlier breast development, increased androstenedione levels which has been linked to PCOS and other hormone imbalances
When it comes to pesticides, our children are the most vulnerable. The reason for this is that babies and toddlers in particular are not able to clear toxins as efficiently as adults. Analysis of over 1000 children aged between 8-15 years showed higher metabolic levels were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD.
The modern DDT is the chemical Chlorpyrifos which is a pesticide used widely on corn, soybeans, asparagus, citrus, peaches, strawberries, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, walnuts, wheat, cranberries, and apples.
In children aged 1-2 years, dietary exposure can be as high as 140 times higher than EPA’s level of concern. Pediatrics 2006, PMID 17116700 found that highly exposed children were significantly more likely to experience Psychomotor Development Index and Mental development Index delays, attention problems, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder problems and pervasive developmental disorder problems at 3 years of age.
Exposure in utero to pyrethroid pesticides alters cognitive development [PMID: 26057254]. JAMA International medicine 2019 stated that environmental pyrethroid exposure may impair neurodevelopment, interfere with reproductive health, and increase the risk of major chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and Parkinson disease.
Children with a polymorphism on the PON1 gene are particularly affected, which is another reason why I strongly urge parents to undertake a quality DNA test prior to conception.
[https://www.regulations.gov/document/EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0653-0437; https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/updated-human-health-risk-analyses-chlorpyrifos]
Chlorpyrifos us also used on corn livestock feed and has been found in milk, eggs and meat, as well as in drinking water and air.
How can you protect yourself and your family?
Avoidance, Avoidance, Avoidance
Air filtration
Water filtration
Organic, locally grown food
No carpets/take shoes off at the door
Choose organically grown and raised produce. This includes all fruit and vegetables, dairy, eggs, meats, poultry and fish. Locally grown products have been shown to have even lower contamination, especially moulds and fungus.
Install a quality water filter in your home for clean water out of every tap. You can add a further filtration system to purify drinking water.
Home air purifiers / dehumidifiers are recommended to keep the air inside your homes as clean as possible.
Should you suspect or wish to identify any possible exposure, contact True Medicine for functional testing. We recommend ToxDetect from Mosaic Diagnostics.