humans

Everyone knows about pollution in the environment. Water, air, and land are all polluted. This means that pollution is everywhere. Now, scientists are looking inside our bodies to find out about internal pollution.
    In 2003, the Environmental Working Group studied nine people to measure the chemicals in their bodies. These nine people had an average of 53 cancer-causing chemicals in their bodies. They also had an average of 62 chemicals that can damage the brain, and 55 that can harm babies in pregnant women. Even though a lot of chemicals were found in human bodies, the chemicals were found in small amounts. The amounts were small enough that they were probably not hurting the people. However, scientists are worried because most of these chemicals were created by humans. Most of these chemicals did not exist 75 years ago. This proves that we have not only polluted the world—we have polluted our own bodies!
    How does this pollution get into our bodies? We come into contact with many chemicals every day. For example, everyone uses soap, skin lotion, and shampoo. However, few people know that these products contain harmful chemicals, some of which may cause memory loss. Chemicals known as DEA (diethanolamine) and TEA (triethanolamine) may seep into the skin and stop us from absorbing a helpful nutrient called "choline. " Choline is a nutrient that plays a crucial role in the memory cell making process in the developing brain. Some people worry that every time we wash our hair, we are decreasing our memories.
    Everyone knows they should brush their teeth regularly, but recent research has shown that some toothpastes can cause cancer. Fluoride is a key ingredient in many toothpastes. However, studies show that fluoride does not really protect our teeth. In fact, fluoride has been connected with bone cancer and other diseases. While we are trying to save our smiles, we could be damaging our health.
    Women are probably exposed to more chemicals than men because they use more beauty products. Recently, harmful chemicals have been found in nail polish, hair spray, deodorant, and perfume. The chemicals are called "phthalates. " Studies on animals have shown that phthalates can damage the liver, the kidneys, and the lungs. Cosmetic companies say the amounts of phthalates in their products are safe, but consumer protection groups disagree. They say some women use so many products that the levels are actually high. So, the more women try to look beautiful, the more they could be harming their health.
    In a futuristic story by Ray Bradbury, a man found a pristine stream on a new planet. When he drank from the stream, he died! Why? His body was so polluted that pure water was a poison to him! Perhaps that is only science fiction, but it reminds us to take care of our bodies. We must find ways to reduce the pollution we absorb.