'Quiet killers' claim 25,000 lives a year

'Quiet killers' claim 25,000 lives a year

 Glenda Luymes, CanWest News Service

Published: Tuesday, October 09, 2007

VANCOUVER - Day-to-day life might be killing us, according to a recent Canadian study on toxins in the environment.

UBC scholar David Boyd has laboured more than a year to determine just how many Canadians die each year from pollution and household toxins.

The disturbing results, published in an online journal last week, show that as many as 25,000 deaths, 24,000 new cases of cancer and the birth of 2,500 low-birth-weight babies can be linked to environmental hazards each year.

A new study blames environmental toxins for as many as 25,000 deaths, 24,000 new cases of cancer and the birth of 2,500 low-birth-weight babies in Canada each year.

A new study blames environmental toxins for as many as 25,000 deaths, 24,000 new cases of cancer and the birth of 2,500 low-birth-weight babies in Canada each year.

By living a "normal" life, many Canadians are being exposed to hundreds of quiet, chemical killers.

"I was definitely surprised," Boyd said Friday. "Surprised and quite disturbed by it."

Disturbed, but not paranoid.

"I see it from another light. I look at all these deaths and I see that they are almost all preventable. We just need to educate people," he said.

Using Canadian public health data, Boyd and University of Alberta co-author Stephen Genuis focused on the environmental burden of disease -- death and illness caused by exposure to environmental hazards -- in four categories: respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer and congenital afflictions.

Boyd and Genuis combined and tabulated the results of previous scientific studies estimating the number of people who contract diseases linked to pollution, and established their total numbers based on a method designed by the World Health Organization.

Although a first for Canada, many European countries have done similar studies, subsequently taking action to tighten controls on the chemical industry.

In Sweden, government legislation enforces the "substitution principle," meaning if a safer chemical is available for use in a product, there is a legal obligation to use it.

Boyd said Canada is "lagging behind" by putting the needs of industry before the health of Canadians.

Boyd has identified more than 50 different chemical ingredients present in pesticides alone that are banned in other counties, including 2,4-D, which is used in lawn and garden products, and Atrazine, a pesticide used on corn.

Canada also allows many dangerous plastic softeners and fragrances called Phthalates that are banned in Europe.

"People just aren't aware," said Boyd.

"But we have to remember we're not just consumers, we're citizens, and we need to have the voice to change this."

Protect Yourself

Practical things you can do to protect your health from environmental threats:

- Shop smart: Avoid products that contain dangerous chemicals. For cleaning, use baking soda, vinegar and "green" soaps. Try natural cosmetics and skin-care products. Avoid materials containing VOCs and carcinogens.

- Bug off: There are safer alternatives to pesticides for your lawn and garden. Try using good bugs that eat bad bugs or mixing crops to minimize the use of chemicals.

- Keep clean: Remove your shoes at the door. Hard flooring is easier to keep clean than carpet. Be sure your vacuum has a HEPA filter, which catches small particles. Maintain your furnace and gas stove.

- Air it out: Minimize outdoor activity on poor air quality days. Don't smoke, avoid open burning of garbage and yard waste, and drive less.

- Healthy habits: Eat local, so your food has to travel less, and consume more organic fruits and vegetables.

Health hazards

The four major sources of our contact with toxic chemicals:

- Air: The air we breathe contains the biggest threat, from outdoor pollutants such as smog and combustion byproducts to indoor pollutants called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which can be found in paint, carpet and plywood, eventually breaking down into a fine dust that is inhaled. VOCs are identifiable by their distinct smell, obvious in a freshly painted room or wet nail polish.

- Food: Apart from the chemicals in processed food, fruits and vegetables can also contain pesticide residue and traces of heavy metals.

- Water: Water quality varies between communities, but some tests have revealed miniscule amounts of lead and arsenic.

- Skin: From insect repellent to shampoos and cosmetics, the products we put on our skin remain with us.