California could be on the forefront of a new scientific approach that tests people for pollution. A measure in the state legislature would require the state to monitor mothers’ breast milk for dangerous toxins, such as pesticides or PCBs. Supporters of the legislation are hoping “biomonitoring” will catch on in other states too. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Erin Toner reports:
Transcript
California could be on the forefront of a new scientific
approach that tests people for pollution. A measure in the state
Legislature would require the state to monitor mothers’ breast
milk for dangerous toxins, such as pesticides or PCBs.
Supporters of the legislation are hoping “biomonitoring” will
catch on in other states too. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Erin Toner reports:
Biomonitoring is based on the suspicion that environmental
pollutants play a part in many cancers and other diseases. The
California program would focus on women’s breast milk, since
many chemicals can be found in fat cells located in the breasts.
The Breast Cancer Fund is a major backer of the California
biomonitoring effort.
Jeanne Rizzo is the group’s executive director.
“We’ve spent 30 billion dollars to look at treatment and
to look at a cure for breast cancer. We have spent very
little, a very small amount of money to look at what could
be contributing to the causes. Biomonitoring will give us
an opportunity to measure the synthetic chemicals, the
pollution in people, in the target organ for breast cancer.”
Some critics of biomonitoring fear it could cause women to
stop breast feeding. Or that insurance companies or employers
might use the information against people.
For the Great Lakes Radio Consoritum, I’m Erin Toner.