Snow Atop the Andes Mountains No Longer Pure

                                      Snow Atop the Andes Mountains No Longer Pure
                                                        Why Should This Concern You?
                                                                by www.SixWise.com

Even though the traces of PCB found in the Andes snow samples were low, researchers expressed serious concerns because:

These contaminants found their way through the atmosphere to these very remote areas of 20,340 feet elevation
A change in climate -- such as a warm spell that would cause glaciers to melt -- would lead to pollutants finding their way into the meltwater that is used for agriculture and drinking

"The shrinking of glaciers could lead to the pollutants stored in the glacier snow being carried down with the meltwater," Roberto Quiroz, now at the EULA Chile Environmental Sciences Center, told LiveScience.com.
Other concerns raised from the study findings include:

PCBs break down slowly and can linger in the environment for many years.
PCBs can be transported through the air long distances, and have been found in mountain ranges in Europe and Canada, as well as the Arctic.
Research in animals has shown PCB exposure can raise the risk of various health problems, including cancer, decreased immune responses, neurological problems, and offspring with low birth weights.
Studies on humans further support the view that PCBs are dangerous.

Closer to home in the United States research is showing that children exposed to low levels of PCBs in the womb are experiencing mental deficiencies later in life, such as poor reading comprehension, low IQs and memory problems.

PCBs are just one of the 85,000 industrial chemicals that have found their way into the environment of the United States over the last 50 years.

And more disturbing is that it is becoming more commonplace that environmental toxins such as lead and mercury are entering human bodies -- and most of its dangerous effects are on children.

This is due to their small size and bodies, higher metabolic rate and the fact that they breathe in more oxygen, drink more fluids, spend more time on the floor and carpet, put non-food potentially toxic items in their mouth and have key organs still developing such as the brain and nervous system, lungs, reproductive organs, kidney and liver.

All of these factors make children especially susceptible to interference from toxic chemicals.

Neurological Effects of Lead and Mercury

The heavy metal toxin and poor school performance connection has been under close scrutiny by researchers. For example, studies have shown that children with high levels of lead in their body do not perform as well in school and have lower IQs, shorter attention spans, more trouble with concentrating and following directions and tendencies toward impulsive, antisocial, violent behavior.

Humans are exposed to lead primarily through drinking water from lead-based plumbing materials, airborne lead-containing particles and lead-based paints.

Mercury exposure in adults causes nausea, vomiting and other gastrointestinal problems and at toxic levels has been linked to pain in the hands and feet, kidney disease and an overall negative effect on the central nervous system, causing tremors and behavioral abnormalities.

The most serious effects of mercury exposure impact the neurological functioning of children by impairing:

Memory
Attention and language abilities
Fine motor and visual spatial skills

Higher levels of autism were reported in a study of school districts in Texas that were shown to have elevated levels of mercury in the environment. A lot of debate continues on whether or not the use of mercury as a preservative in children’s vaccinations is contributing to the rise of autism cases as well.

Mercury exposure comes in two different forms: inorganic and organic. Examples of inorganic are the kind of mercury used in thermometers, barometers, dental fillings, batteries, electrical wiring and switches, fluorescent light bulbs, pesticides, fungicides, vaccines, paint, skin-tightening creams, antiseptic creams, pharmaceutical drugs, and other ointments.

The other kind, organic mercury, tends to bio-accumulate in humans due to the body’s inability to process and get rid of it. Although people are primarily exposed from eating contaminated fish and other seafood, it is also often found in other food sources such as produce, farm animals, processed grains, dairy products and surface water sources.

The Guides.

Sadly, even remote parts of the world like this -- long considered to be among the purest forms of nature -- have been tainted by environmental pollutants. In a recent study researchers tested snow samples from Aconcagua Mountain in Argentina, which is considered the highest peak in the Andes at 22,834 feet high, and found traces of a toxic pollutant called PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls).

How PCBS are Making Their Way Into the Environment

PCBs are a mixture of 209 man-made chlorinated chemicals. They can enter the environment through air, water, and soil during their manufacture, use, and disposal; from accidental spills and leaks during their transport; and from leaks or fires in products containing PCBs.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), before being banned in the United States in 1979, PCBs were found in various products such as old fluorescent lighting fixtures and electrical devices containing PCB capacitors, old microscope and hydraulic oils, paints and carbonless copy paper.