Take action to help ban the worst toxic chemicals!

We have a serious problem on our hands. We are all exposed to hundreds of toxic chemicals in our everyday lives, including ones that are harmful to our health in really small amounts, like lead, PCBs, DDT, toxic flame retardants, and mercury. Most disturbing is that these chemicals are found in children and pregnant women like Seattle mom Molly Gray.  Molly found out that while she was pregnant she had toxic mercury and many other chemicals in her body. 

Like any mom, Molly was shocked and angry but she also was ready to put up a fight. A few weeks ago, Molly flew to Washington, D.C. and testified before a Senate committee to urge Congress to take immediate action on the most harmful chemicals, including chemicals like mercury found in her body while she was pregnant. Molly's testimony was inspiring, but one voice is not enough! If we all stand with Molly, we can give our leaders the courage they need to stand up to the powerful chemical industry and put children's health first.  

Molly was one of nine pregnant women tested for toxic chemicals as part of a Washington Toxics Coalition study called Earliest Exposures. Molly found out that while she was pregnant she had the highest levels of mercury of anyone in the study and had higher then the national average for a number of others.

Molly describes the experience of finding out her body was contaminated with toxic chemicals: 

 "I will admit - I assumed I would test chemical-free. After all, for the last five years I had done everything I could to reduce my exposure to toxic chemicals. I ate organic food, chose low-mercury seafood and used personal care products without phthalates and fragrances. Despite my efforts, my results were higher than the national average…. As clean as I tried to be, it was not enough to protect my baby boy." 

Mothers like Molly and their children don't get to choose whether they are exposed to inherently dangerous chemicals. Persistent toxic chemicals pose a triple threat to health and the environment because they take a long time to break down, are highly toxic, and rapidly increase in concentration as they move up the food chain. A growing body of scientific evidence links persistent toxic chemicals like lead, PCBs, DDT, dioxin and mercury to a wide range of serious human health problems, including infertility, learning disabilities, behavioral disorders, and certain cancers.