By now, more than 75000 synthetic chemicals are registered for commercial use in the USA (the vast majority of them did not exist until World War II). Their physical and mental effect are object of countless scientific studies. In our daily lives, many of us are exposed to one ore more of these synthetic chemicals at varying doses. It is this daily low level exposure that is of current interest to researchers.

How do these chemicals in human tissues and body fluids interact with each other? What is their impact on cellular oxidation, genetic expression, or on human immune system? Lots of open-end questions remain to be solved. However, the sheer number of chemicals we are exposed impedes the proof of each substance's effect.
There is evidence that many synthetic chemicals are correlated with increased appearance of chronic diseases such as asthma, learning and behavioural disorders, chronic leukaemias, infertility, endometriosis, as well as cancers.

For further information visit:
U.S. Department of health and human services: Cancer and the environment
U.S. National Toxicology Program, NIH



Toxins from Nature: Mycotoxins

Mycotoxins can be present in livestock feed, reducing productivity in meat and dairy farming. If these toxins find their way from feed into milk or meat, they become biohazardous for men, too. Such toxins are aflatoxins, deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisins, ochratoxins and ergot alkaloids. Some are synthesised by the fungi before harvest (DON, ergot); some during and immediately following harvest (fumonisin, ochratoxin); and a few predominantly during storage (aflatoxin).

For further information visit:
The European Mycotoxins Awareness Network