Biomonitoring + Body Burden

After watching CNN's special on "Body Burdens" with Anderson Cooper, I was shocked to learn about the numbers of toxic chemicals that could potentially be in our bodies. I was even more surprised that babies and children are more vulnerable to acquiring these toxic chemicals in their bodies. What interested me the most was the maternal/fetal burdens because I was always focused on the idea that the umbilical cord transferred nutrients from mother to baby rather than pollute and expose the baby with toxic chemicals. I would definitely incorporate this knowledge into my practice by educating pregnant women and parents in family planning about the risk of toxic chemicals that could potentially harm their baby and/children in order to prevent and reduce that risk. 

Lab Results

Chemical(s)	Potential Health Effects
Dioxins	Carcinogen, endocrine disruptor, cognitive dysfunction
DDT	Reproductive toxicant
Organophosphate	(pesticide) neurotoxicant, Parkinson’s
Lead	Neurotoxicant, kidney toxicant, insomnia, impotence
Solvent	Liver toxicant, neurotoxicant
PCBs	Carcinogen, toxic to immune, neuro, and repro systems
Phthalates	Repro toxicant (infertility), testicular damage, endometriosis, endocrine disruptor

These lab results are concerning and I would tell my patients about them by educating them on what the chemicals are and how they might have been exposed. It all comes down to education and providing resources to prevent or reduce the risk for further exposure. I was surprised to hear about chemicals being in the body that do not have "safe levels," because it can potentially cause serious health effects. 

One's Zip Code Matters More than Our Genetic Code

It is important to consider and assess the environmental health of my patients when collecting their health history. As a nurse with a medical-surgical background, I rarely have the opportunity to assess the environmental health of my patients aside from asking them about their allergies. I guess I never really thought about questioning my patients' air and drinking water quality of the location they live in. From a personal perspective of a patient being seen in a primary care setting, I do not recall being asked about my environmental health. The only time I was asked about my environment was from my asthma and allergy doctor. But hey, that is literally their job. Overall, I think it is crucial to consider the environmental aspects of health to see and understand the bigger picture of my patients' health.

The Developing Baby 

I was not aware of how sensitive the developing brain is to maternal exposures. In an article on the Washington Post, it states that doctors do not often educate pregnant woman about chemical exposures and pollutants that can affect the fetal brain and body. As a nurse, I would change that and make it one of the priorities when it comes to pre- and peri-natal education. From the article, I came across this quote that stuck with me and I find it very true:

"Fetal development is a critical window of human development, and so any toxic exposure during that time, during pregnancy, doesn't only have a short-term effect at that moment, but really an effect that lasts the entire lifetime." - Nathaniel DeNicola, the committee that reaffirmed the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) opinion

After putting some thought into that quote, I might want to consider or assess the number of toxic chemicals in maternity patients to understand what are the potential risks for their developing baby.

BPA

I have heard of BPA prior to reading the articles and my knowledge about BPA mainly came from reading labels on products that say, "BPA-free." Knowing the health risks of BPA, I will educate my patients by informing them about BPA, asking if they use BPA-containing products then making recommendations to replace BPA-containing products. Understanding that there might be social disparities between BPA exposures and low-income communities, I would work with community resources or social workers to assist those that lack access or financial means to BPA-free products. It would make a great impact if BPA-free products were made more affordable for the public and if companies eliminate the use of BPA in their products.

Cernansky, R. (2018, August 04). Environmental toxins are seen as posing risks during pregnancy. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/environmental-toxins-are-seen-as-posing-risks-during-pregnancy/2018/08/03/770fab98-7643-11e8-9780-b1dd6a09b549_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.356ccdcc9f24