In a bold and encouraging move for American consumers, the President's Cancer Panel has made a concrete statement that chemicals in our environment and food contribute to increased cancer risk.

Their 200-page report defies food industry lobbyists who defend the current use of pesticides and other chemicals in our food and many products. The report not only recommends greater regulation of chemicals, but a variety of measures that average consumers can take to reduce their risk.

It does not come as a surprise to most people that chemicals in the environment contribute to increased risk and incidence of cancer in the public. Unfortunately, this common knowledge has not prevented the use of thousands of unregulated chemicals. One such example is the widespread use of BPA in plastics used in food preparation and storage, despite strong evidence that BPA is linked to several diseases, including cancer. Although awareness of the dangers of BPA has spread due to media attention, Americans are still exposed to many other unregulated and potentially toxic substances on a daily basis. The report strongly emphasized that young children, and even babies before they are born, are particularly susceptible to environmental pollution. Many children, in fact, are born with unhealthy levels of chemicals already in their bodies.

In addition to many policy recommendations, the President's Cancer Panel had many recommendations for what individuals can do to decrease their risk:

• Pregnant women, nursing women, children, and women who may become pregnant should avoid eating fish that is high in methylmercury, including swordfish, king mackerel, shark, and tilefish. Fish that are higher up in the food chain (larger fish) tend to have higher accumulation of methylmercury in their tissues.
   
• Children are especially susceptible to toxins in the environment, so choose toys, food, dishes, and other products that do not have BPAs and phthalates, known endocrine disruptors that may cause cancer.
   
• Drink filtered tap water. Unless your tap water is known to be contaminated, filtered tap water is healthier than bottled water. Filtering decreases your exposure to carcinogens and toxins that may be present in your water.
   
• Store and heat food and water in glass, ceramic, BPA-free and phthalate-free containers.
   
• Choose food grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides (organic) as much as possible. Choose organic free-range meat to avoid exposure to antibiotics, growtg hormones, and other toxins from conventionally grown feed-lot livestock.
   
• Avoid charred, burned or well-done meat. When heated to a certain point, overdone meat can create carcinogens.
   
• Quit smoking.
   
• Properly dispose of toxic waste (paints, batteries, etc.).
   
• Check radon levels in your home and take appropriate measures to reduce radon exposure. Radon is a natural form of background radiation that can seep into homes and cause cancer.
   
• Use a headset when you use your cellphone, and/or keep calls brief.
   
• When getting medical tests and other procedures done, ask about medical procedures that minimize your exposure to harmful chemicals and radiation.
   
• Wear sunscreen and avoid too much exposure to ultraviolet light (particularly important for children).

The full report can be found at the President's Cancer Panel website.

This post was included in All Things Eco Blog Carnival #101.