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You're child goes to school and catches a cold from the student across the room. What's interesting.... none of the other 25 students got sick. It may not be coincidence..... Over the weekend you installed new carpeting in your child's bedroom, you also setup a new mattress for his bed (containing flame retardants), along with that you painted his room (vinyl compounds) and installed a plug-in fragrance in his wall (containing dozens of chemicals including phthalates). Your neighbor had their lawn sprayed Sunday afternoon for weeds with the chemical 2-4D. On Sunday evening, you also drove the family 100 miles in rush hour traffic to visit grandma (car exhaust contains the immuno-toxic chemicals benzene and dioxin).

It is well documented that many of these chemicals alone can negatively impair immune function. Simultaneous exposure can be dramatically worse. This situation happens everyday across the country and not much thought is given to it. It is typically blamed on non-washing of hands etc. The chemicals didn't cause the "cold," however, they did set up a situation in which the immune system was not able to rid the virus faster than its growth rate., which resulting in the child catching the cold. For example, if a single virus cell is inhaled (from the sick child's cough at school), and in turn, entered a lung cell and began replicating, in approximately 20 minutes, a group of 100 new viruses are born and are into the blood stream. However, when working properly, when a lung cell is invaded, it produces a chemical known as "interferon" (to interfere with virus growth), that warns other lung cells in the area to close up and literally prevent the virus from entering. Unfortuntely, some petroleum based chemicals impairs the ability of infected cells to make interferon... The consequences would then be obvious.

The field that studies the ability of compounds in the environment to weaken the immune system is known as "immunotoxicology." How serious a problem this is today depends on who you talk to. Companies that manufacture products that contain immunotoxic compounds will most likely tell you different that scientists who study this.

Currently, chemical companies such as DOW, DUPONT, UNION CARBIDE, MONSANTO and others are not required by the EPA to test their chemical products for subtle or gradual harmful effects upon the immune system.  However, independent research has found immune system problem can occur from exposure to home and lawn/garden pesticides, disinfectants, cosmetic product chemicals, plastics, vinyl copounds, alcohol, car exhaust, electro-magnetic radiation (EMR), mercury (as in mercury/silver amalgam fillings and other sources.  What is very worrisome is the fact that when an individual receives exposure to many of these sources simultaneously, the harmful effects upon the immune system are sometimes far greater (1 + 1 = 3).

Health effects resulting from a weakened immune system have now been found to include - increased frequency of colds and flu, allergies, asthma, autoimmune disorders such as diabetes, arthritis, lupus and others.  Of particular concern is new research showing how children with low function in parts of their immune system are contracting cancer (and dying of cancer) at much higher rates than children with higher functioning immune systems.  This fact provides some of the strongest logic to date on the importance of identifying and removing all environmental sources with a potential for suppressing a child's immune system.

For the average person, one cubic millimeter of blood contains about 7,000 white blood cells. This can range between 4,000 and 10,000 for 95% of the population who are given the label of "normal," although it has been found that people in the low-normal range have increased infections.

LEARN ABOUT IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTION

Personal Care Products Contain Immune System Weakening Phthalates
Source: Journal of Exposure Scientific Environmental Epidemiology, Vol. 20(7):625-33, November, 2010

Phthalates are a chemical added to perfume and personal care products as a solvent or to prevent the product from becoming brittle. It has been found to weaken the immune system (see below) and has been banned in some European countries (but not the U.S.) Scientists examined phthalate levels in 48 diferent personal care products purchased stores in Washington, DC. This included perfume, deodorant, hair spray, hair gel, nail polish and remover, body wash, and lotions. The following table summarizes their findings regarding the presence of phthalates:

Two types of phthalates, diethyl phthalate (DEP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), were found at higher concentrations than other phthalates. All perfumes and one nail polish had the highest concentrations of phthalates . Unfortunately, phthalates are exempt from being listed under ingredients which prevents the consumer from knowing whether the chemical has been added.

Scientists studied the air and urine concentration of phthalates in 186 inner-city women during pregnancy. Women reporting perfume use had 2.3 times higher livels of a urine metabolite formed after phthalate exposure. The scientists conclued their study with the statement, "Results suggest that perfume use is a significant source of DEP (Diethyl Phthalate) exposure."

Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health
Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA

How Paints & Plastics Weaken the Immune System