Growing Impact of Chemical Toxicity Generations Later by Oonjerah

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Growing Impact of Chemical Toxicity Generations Later

POSTED BY: OONJERAH
UPDATED: Tuesday, June 5, 2012 13:56
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Tuesday, June 05, 2012 10:59 AM

WWII Chemical Exposure May Pass Down Disease, Study Finds (21 May 2012) => http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-21/wwii-chemical-exposure-may-pa
ss-down-disease-study-finds.html

The World War II generation may have passed down to their grandchildren the effects of chemical exposure in the 1940s, possibly explaining current rates of obesity, autism and mental illness, according to one researcher.

David Crews, professor of psychology and zoology at the University of Texas at Austin, theorized that the rise in these diseases may be linked to environmental effects passed on through generations. His research showed that descendants of rats exposed to a crop fungicide were less sociable, more obese and more anxious than offspring of the unexposed.

The results, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are part of a growing field of study that suggests environmental damage to cells can cause inherited changes and susceptibility to disease. Crews said his findings are applicable to humans.

“This, I think, is the first causal demonstration that environmental contamination may be the root cause of the great increase in obesity and the great increase in mental disorders,” Crews said in a telephone interview. “It’s as if the exposure three generations before has reprogrammed the brain so it responds in a different way to a life challenge.”

In the study, a group of rats were exposed once to vinclozolin a common fungicide used to protect fruits and vegetables. This single contact altered how their genes were activated, and future generations also carried this change, though they never had been exposed to the chemical, Crews said.

Stress Reactions

When these descendants were then restrained as adolescents, causing stress, their reactions differed from relatives of unexposed rats. The affected rats also showed less interest in new companions and spent more time in the corners of an open field rather than the middle than rats whose ancestors weren’t exposed. Rats related to the exposed animals that weren’t stressed were obese, Crews said.

Crews tested the reactions of rats three generations after exposure because humans are that far removed from the debut of new chemicals seven decades ago, he said. During the 1940s, powerful agricultural chemicals including DDT, the first synthetic pesticide, and new types of plastics were introduced. “The chemical revolution started in the 1940s, with World War II and the development of organic chemistry, plastics, detergents, fertilizers,” Crews said.

Andrew Feinberg, director of Johns Hopkins University’s Epigenetics Center in Baltimore, said Crew’s theory may be premature, after reading the paper.

Evidence ‘Not Clear’

“We should be very careful about overstating what looks like basic science with public health implications,” Feinberg said in an interview. “Currently we don’t have enough evidence showing that these fungicides are causing common human disease through an epigenetic mechanism. It’s research that’s well worth doing, but it’s clear that that hasn’t been shown.”

Other studies in epigenetics, a field that investigates the inheritance of cellular changes outside the realm of DNA, have shown chemical exposure can affect fertility. A project by researchers at Washington State University published in PLoS One in February found that when pregnant rats are injected with common environmental toxins, such as chem- icals used in insect repellents, plastics and jet fuel, offspring for three generations have reproductive problems.

Japanese scientists are studying whether descendants of atomic bomb survivors have in- herited epigenetic changes that make them more susceptible to cancer and heart disease.

“Diseases like autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder are not single gene, or even a few genes, they’re complex of genes,” Crews said. “It also turns out a lot of these genes that we have identified are epigenetically modified.”

Oonj: I've been sitting on this story for a while . . . am loathe to create new threads. The older we are, the more perspective we have on these trends. I don't know if mental illness rates are higher; autism AND birth defects are much higher I've been told. Obesity? That one is obvious, incredible; I see it whenever I go out in public.

In the 40's, if something was Great, like aspirin or penicillin, it was applied with very little caution. That I remember well.

In addition, common sense appears to be in decline: being forgotten like an ancient art.

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Tuesday, June 05, 2012 11:41 AM

CHRISISALL

Down the centuries you have slurred the meaning of the words, WE THE PEOPLE...

Quote:
Originally posted by Oonjerah: In addition, common sense appears to be in decline: being forgotten like an ancient art.

I'll do a focus group on that & tell you how it tracks...:evil:

You must have some common (now: uncommon) sense, otherwise you'd not see the widespread lack.

The study regarding passed on gene s**t from the first synthetic garbage in our environment rings true IMO.

Chrisisall, wearing a frilly Mal thing on his head, and ready to shoot unarmed, full-body armoured Operatives

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Tuesday, June 05, 2012 12:26 PM

FREMDFIRMA

Oh and that's not all, folks...

The Ethyl-Poisoned Earth http://www.damninteresting.com/the-ethyl-poisoned-earth/

Also ironic is the big blowout brawl I had over MBTE with would-be environmentalists on another forum. They of course dismissed and ignored every bloody thing I said, in hopes of reducing airborne pollutants from exhaust emissions... Worked out real well, didn't it ?

-F

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Tuesday, June 05, 2012 1:56 PM

RIONAEIRE

Beir bua agus beannacht

That's a really interesting article and an interesting theory, it would explain some things, maybe its more than personal environmental exposure and crappy genetics getting crappier as people make babies who grow up and make more babies.

I assume you're my pal until you let me know otherwise.

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya.

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