What kind of legacy do we want to leave our children? A legacy of fresh air, clean water and healthy bodies or a legacy of chemical-laden air, unsafe drinking water, and health threats from the moment of conception? It's our choice.

Dioxin, mercury, toxic flame retardants (PBDEs), and PCBs are part of a class of chemicals called persistent toxic chemicals. These chemicals build up in food, animals, and people. They are toxic in small amounts and are long lasting in the environment. 

Persistent toxic chemicals are passed to children in the womb and through breastfeeding, impacting them at the most vulnerable time of their lives.

Health impacts of persistent toxic chemicals include reproductive disorders, cancer, birth defects, declines in wildlife populations, hormone disruption, and learning disabilities. 

We are working with a wide array of environmental, public health, faith, and civic groups as part of the Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition to create healthy future for our children.

We are using a technique known as body burden testing, or biomonitoring, to study the levels of toxic chemicals in ten Washingtonians, who range from a breast cancer surgeon to legislators to a Spokane tribal member. We will be looking for chemicals long known to build up in our bodies, such as mercury and PCBs, as well as some that are relative newcomers, such as perfluorinated compounds (used in non-stick cookware) and the toxic flame retardants PBDEs. See the Pollution in People website for details, a list of study participants, and fact sheets on some of the chemicals. Other related information on the Washington Toxics Coalition website is link below.

Read the October 2006 National Geographic article on our "body burden" of toxic chemicals: