PBS : Trade Secrets : Chemical Body Burden

As part of a study of pollutant loads in the human body sponsored by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, samples of Bill Moyers' blood and urine were analyzed. Eighty-four distinct chemicals were found.

His test results – much like a chemical fingerprint – revealed evidence of hazardous chemicals in common use – as well as compounds banned for more than a quarter century – and others so obscure that almost no public information is available to identify what products might have resulted in Moyers' exposure.

The results are not unusual. Each of us has some load of industrial chemicals stored in or passing through our bodies. These chemical residues – termed the "chemical body burden" – can be detected in blood, urine and breast milk. Most people are unaware that they carry chemical compounds in their bodies.

The health effects of chronic exposure to low levels of chemicals are only beginning to be studied. In addition, scientists have never assessed the effects of exposures to the endless combinations of chemicals found in people.

The chart below lists the broad groups of chemicals detected in Bill Moyers' blood and urine tests. The potential health effects discussed are based on persuasive evidence from studies of laboratory animals and wildlife, as well as some evidence from human studies. More

Roll over group for info, click for detailed description