Adults Group Results
A cocktail of harmful toxic chemicals has been detected in every person tested in a cross-Canada study of pollution in people.
Environmental Defence tested 11 people from across the country for the presence of 88 chemicals in their blood and urine.
Test Results
- 60 of 88 chemicals tested for were detected, including 18 heavy metals, five PBDEs, 14 PCBs, one perfluorinated chemical, 10 organochlorine pesticides, five organophosphate insecticide metabolites, and seven VOCs.
- Of the 60 chemicals detected:
- 41 are suspected cancer-causing substances,
- 53 are chemicals that can cause reproductive disorders and harm the development of children,
- 27 are chemicals that can disrupt the hormone system, and
- 21 are chemicals associated with respiratory illnesses.
For more details read our Toxic Nation Report.
Summary: Number of chemicals detected in the Toxic Nation volunteers
|
Chemical Group |
Total number of chemicals tested |
Total number of Chemicals detected |
Average number of chemicals detected in a volunteer |
|
Heavy metals |
19 |
18 |
17 |
|
PBDEs |
5 |
5 |
3 |
|
PCBs |
16 |
14 |
10 |
|
PFOS |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Organochlorine pesticides |
13 |
10 |
8 |
|
Organophosphate insecticide metabolites |
6 |
5 |
4 |
|
VOCs |
28 |
7 |
1 |
|
Total |
88 |
60 |
44 |
Summary: Health effects of chemicals found in volunteers
|
Chemicals' Effect on Health |
Number of chemicals detected in volunteers that are linked to listed health effect |
||
|
Total |
Average |
Range |
|
|
Carcinogen |
41 |
28 |
18-36 |
|
Hormone disruptor |
27 |
18 |
13-24 |
|
Respiratory toxicant |
21 |
15 |
12-18 |
|
Reproductive/developmental toxicant |
53 |
38 |
28-46 |
* Includes both recognized and suspected health effects for each chemical as identified on Scorecard.org Chemical Profiles in August 2005. The sum of health effects is greater than the total number of chemicals because a chemical may have multiple health effects
Summary: Chemical concentrations detected in the Toxic Nation volunteers
|
Chemical Group |
Chemical concentrations in all volunteers |
||
|
Median |
Minimum |
Maximum |
|
|
Heavy metals (umol/L in whole blood) Beryllium, copper, lithium, lead, zinc, selenium |
2.7 |
< 0.05 |
160 |
|
Heavy metals (nmol/L in whole blood) |
7 |
< 0.07 |
220 |
|
PBDEs (ug/L in plasma) |
0.011 |
< 0.01 |
0.43 |
|
PCBs (ug/L in plasma) |
0.018 |
< 0.01 |
19 |
|
PFOS (ug/L in plasma) |
10 |
6.9 |
30 |
|
Organochlorinated pesticides |
0.0098 |
< 0.005 |
8.2 |
|
Organophosphate insecticide metabolites (ug/g cre in urine) |
1.9 |
< 0.67 |
61 |
|
VOCs (ng/mL in whole blood) |
< 0.5 |
< 0.5 |
1.9 |
* Values of less than (<) = not detected at the lowest level of detection
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