Condors + DDT= Thin Eggs?

In reading the news today- I stumbled across this article about Condors being harmed by DDT. Two things about this caught my attention 1- what in the world is a condor? and 2- DDT? I just learned about DDT, what's going on with it now?

This article : http://news.msn.com/science-technology/rare-condors-harmed-by-ddt-study-finds was found on MSN's website and the writer is a Mr. Jason Dearen of the Associated Press.

 What Mr. Dearen states in his article is that in a 6 year study, the levels of DDT in condor birds (a huge bird residing in central California) has risen so much, that their egg shells are becoming too thin and only 20%- 30% of the birds are actually hatching and surviving. They're absorbing this DDT through the dead sea lions they're eating off the shore line.

I believe this to be an accurate source of information. I have heard of the associated press before and believe they typically know what they're talking about. I always get my news from MSN source, so I may be a little bias about that. This 6 year study mentioned specifically studied the DDT effects on the eggs, and this study was done by 10 condor experts, which makes this article seem pretty reliable.

In the article, it talks about how California sea lions spend a majority of their lives swimming in southern California waters, where a majority of DDT contaminated waters are, and then migrate north to spread the DDT up along the coast. I wonder, where are the numbers on this? I don't disagree that it's a total possibility that California has the highest DDT infected waters, but there is absolutely no mention of where this information comes from. Until you show me where this information is coming from regarding the DDT in costal California waters, I'm just going to assume you made that information up.

 In reading this information, I started off interested, and quickly was disappointed by the article itself. It doesn't seem to have enough proof of the information it's telling me. Now,  I still believe that DDT is probably the main cause of the egg shells being so thin because there are multiple experts on the case; however, I do not believe that California costal waters are where a majority of this toxin is coming from.

Chemicals taking over your home...

I've always wondered what happens to my cleaning chemicals when I'm done cleaning my bath tub, laundry or even washing my face. Where do all of those substances go? What happens to them? Oh, and what happens when I keep smelling these and am exposed to them. Well- I did a little research on some of those chemicals and this is what I've found.  

 

Alkylphenols- these were found in both of my hairsprays, and can also be found in detergents and plastics. This chemical is directly linked to Breast Cancer. Alkylphenols are Endocrine-Disrupting compounds- which pretty much block your hormones from getting where they need to be. This blockage or disrupting is what causes the cancer because you become completely imbalanced.

alkylphenol ethoxylate  (a compound of this chemical = APE) does not break down well in the environment. It sits in water ways and slowly breaks down while contaminating the water.

So- what can we do to take this chemical out of the water and everywhere? The problem is that it seems to be pretty important to the Laundry world. We would need to find them an alternative to stop this in its tracks. The replacement would be alcohol based, which would definitely reduce the amount in the oceans.  

 

 

 

Flame Retardants is the other thing I was interested in. Flame Retardants= Polybrominated DIphenyl Ethers (PBDEs). A PBDE retardant is anything that allows the temperature of a product to get hotter before it melts or burns. This includes electronics and textiles in your house. PBDE's are found all over the world and found in every human at this point. They can cause neural damage and have been linked to having serious effects on the thyroid and liver.

How can you prevent yourself from getting too sick from PBDE's (since they're literally unavoidable):

Maintain a healthy diet- if you're healthy you can help fight toxins. It's also shown that eating a low amount of animal fat can help prevent your PBDE levels from getting any higher. When it's time to purchase a new mattress- check to see if it's made with any PBDE's.

I know my mattress is very old and has PBDE's, so I would love to look into changing that out, along with my bedsheets.

OH HEY! What do you know?! Mattress companies are on the ball and have full lines of mattresses (And sheets) free of PBDE's!

They seem to be a little more expensive, (Ranging from $900- $6000 for top of the line) but in my eyes- it may very well be worth the extra cash for your liver's sake.