Guest guest Posted January 4, 2003 Report Share Posted January 4, 2003 Gender-bending risk to children By Geoffrey Lean Environmental Editor http://news.independent.co.uk/world/environment/story.jsp?story=344178 Minute amounts of ''gender bender'' chemicals found in food and theenvironment are affecting the behaviour of pre-school children, newresearch shows. The Environment minister Michael Meacher said yesterday the research wasvery disturbing and he would ask his officials to "urgently'' examine itsimplications tomorrow morning. The study - carried out by doctors and scientists at the ErasmusUniversityin Rotterdam - is the first in the world to show that normal levels of thechemicals affect humans. It follows a host of studies showing thatgender-benders can turn wildlife species, from gulls and alligators tofishand turtles, into hermaphrodites. In the case of the children in thestudy,the chemicals caused girls to play with guns and pretend to be soldiers,and boys to play with dolls and tea sets and dress up in female clothes. The research, published in the scientific journal Environmental HealthPerspectives, is part of a long-term study into the effects of PCBs anddioxins on children. The researchers measured levels of the chemicals inthe blood of 207 mothers in their final month of pregnancy, in umbilicalblood at birth, and in breast milk two weeks after birth, to determineexposure in the womb. They later asked the parents of the children, now aged seven, to recordtheir patterns of play. The girls exposed to higher levels of PCBs were more likely to engage inmasculine play, while similarly exposed boys were more likely to enjoyfeminine play. Dioxins produced more feminine play in boys and girls. The most disturbing aspect of the study is that the mothers were exposedtoroutine amounts of the chemicals - probably from eating normal food,experts believe. Previous studies have found that the chemicals damage theimmune systems, neurological development and intelligence of children. Nearly one and a half million tons of PCBs have been spread around theworld in materials such as paint and plastic. They have been banned inindustrialised countries but persist in the environment and in body fat.Dioxins and PCBs both contaminate food at low levels. [Forwarded For Information Purposes Only - NotNecessarily Endorsed By The Sender - A. K. Pritchard] ------------------------------ A. K. Pritchard The Republican Web pages and email list"And to the Republic for which it stands"http://members.ll.net/chiliast/God, Guns, Government & Historyhttp://members.ll.net/chiliast/GGGH/index2.html Republic USAhttp://www.republicusa.org/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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