Toxic Chemicals Found in Doctors and Nurses

New Biomonitoring Study Detects Four Chemicals from EPA's Recently-Announced
Top Priority List

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Physicians for Social
Responsibility (PSR), American Nurses Association (ANA) and Health Care
Without Harm (HCWH) released "Hazardous Chemicals In Health Care," the first
investigation of chemicals found in bodies of health care professionals.

Today's announcement was made on a national teleconference with Kristen
Welker-Hood, ScD, MSN, RN, Director of Environment and Health Programs,
Physicians for Social Responsibility, report co-author and principal
investigator, Rebecca M. Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR, president of the American
Nurses Association, Bobbi Chase-Wilding, report co-author and Organizing
Director of Clean New York, and study participants.

-- 20 study participants had toxic chemicals associated with health care
in
their bodies
-- Each had at least 24 individual chemicals present
-- Four chemicals are on recently released EPA list of priority chemicals
-- All participants had bisphenol A, phthalates, PBDEs and PFCs,
associated
with chronic illness such as cancer and endocrine malfunction

-- Twelve doctors and eight nurses, two in each of 10 states - Alaska,
California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota,
New
York, Oregon, and Washington - were tested

"Nurses and doctors volunteered for this study because they believe it is
their responsibility to better understand how chemicals impact human health,"
explained Kristen Welker-Hood, ScD, MSN, RN.

This report offers preliminary indicators of what may impact the broader
health care community. 62 distinct chemicals were tested: bisphenol A,
mercury, perflourinated compounds, phthalates, polybrominated dipheynl ethers,
and triclosan. They're used in products, from baby bottles, hand sanitizers,
and medical gauges, to industrial paints, IV bags and tubes and
stain-resistant clothing.

Dr. Sean Palfrey, professor of pediatrics and public health at Boston
University School of Medicine, and medical director of Boston's Lead Poisoning
Prevention Program says, "I was tested for chemicals that have been associated
with certain diseases whose incidences are on the rise. If we as physicians
are to understand our patients' health problems - from cancer to neurological
harm to reproductive dysfunctions - we need to take a look at chemical
exposure in our bodies."

For experts, contact info: http://www.psr.org/chemicalreport

PSR, ANA and HCWH have joined the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families campaign
to reform the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA). For information on Chemicals
Policy www.saferchemicals.org.

SOURCE Physicians For Social Responsibility

Stephenie Hendricks, +1-415-258-9151, stephdh@earthlink.net; or Margie Kelly.
+1-541-344-2282, margiek@efn.org, both for Physicians For Social
Responsibility