01/02/2005 No matter
if you are an actor, a politician, or a
journalist, chemical contamination in your
body is the same. New data from WWF-Italy
reveals a high level of blood contamination
after carrying out blood tests on a number
of Italian celebrities.
Following recent blood tests carried out
by WWF in Brussels, Belgium, on EU parliamentarians
and ministers as part of its international
DetoX Campaign, a total of 65 contaminants
(out of 111 searched for) were found in
the blood of 18 Italian celebrities — 6
women and 12 men coming from politics and
show business.
On average, each person test had 47 polluting
agents in their blood. The most contaminated
had 59, while 40 hazardous chemicals were
found in 17 people.
Blood test results also showed that everyone
test was contaminated with heavy metals,
including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs),
and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
The highest quantity of chemicals found
were of fenantrene (one of the most toxic
components of PAHs) and DDE, a metabolite
of DDT, a pesticide banned in Europe 30
years ago.
"Whatever goes on in the environment,
sooner or later reaches humans," said
Professor Silvano Focardi, Dean of the Faculty
of Physics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences
at the University of Siena and a member
of WWF-Italy's Scientific Committee.
"We must stress the impact of chemicals
on the hormone and immune systems and the
fact that the synergies among substances
are still unknown."
"All the people tested, regardless
of where they live or what they do are contaminated
with chemicals," added Maria Grazia
Midulla, responsible for WWF International
campaigns in Italy. "There is no time
for delaying the adoption of a chemical
regulation at the European level that puts
environment protection and citizens' health
as a top priority."
Through its DetoX Campaign, WWF aims to
achieve the phasing out hazardous chemicals
through the adoption of the new EU legislation
known as REACH (Registration, Evaluation,
and Authorisation of Chemicals).
Notes:
• 94.4 per cent of the people tested were
contaminated with PCBs which are ‘likely
carcinogenic for humans’ according to the
International Agency for Research on Cancer
(IARC).
• 91.6 per cent showed traces of organo-chlorine
pesticides, which are responsible for fertility
mutation and birth defects.
• 72.2 per cent had Polycyclic Aromatic
Hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are carcinogenic
and mutagenic substances.
• 66.6 per cent were contaminated with
dioxins, recognized by IARC as carcinogenic
and hormone disruptors.
