[Pharmwaste] A bad mix: exposure may be "safe" only with one chemical at a time

[Tenace, Laurie]

http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/bad-mix-exposures-safe-
only-one-chemical-at-a-time/ - more at the web site.

A bad mix: exposure may be "safe" only with one chemical at a time. 
Sep 01, 2009 

Exposure to a mixture of pollutants found in food, water and air have more
severe effects than each chemical alone. 
 
Exposure to a mixture of environmental chemicals is far more harmful to male
rats than exposure to the individual chemicals would predict, even when the
level of each contaminant in the mixture causes no effect by itself. The
results indicate that assessing the risk of chemicals one-compound-at-a-time
will underestimate potential harm. People are exposed to hundreds of
chemicals at a time, if not more.  People could be affected by mixtures of
chemicals that are currently considered "safe" based on their individual
toxicities. 

 


Laurie Tenace
Environmental Specialist
Waste Reduction Section
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
2600 Blair Stone Rd., MS 4555
Tallahassee FL 32399-2400
P: 850.245.8759
F: 850.245.8811
Laurie.Tenace at dep.state.fl.us 

Mercury: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/mercury/default.htm 

Unwanted Medicine:
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/medications/default.htm



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