Via CNN:

Unborn babies carry pollutants, study finds

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Unborn U.S. babies are soaking in a stew of chemicals, including mercury, gasoline byproducts and pesticides, according to a report released on Thursday.

Although the effects on the babies are not clear, the survey prompted several members of Congress to press for legislation that would strengthen controls on chemicals in the environment.

The report by the Environmental Working Group is based on tests of 10 samples of umbilical-cord blood taken by the American Red Cross. They found an average of 287 contaminants in the blood, including mercury, fire retardants, pesticides and the Teflon chemical PFOA.

"These 10 newborn babies ... were born polluted," said New York Rep. Louise Slaughter, who spoke a news conference about the findings on Thursday.

But is there anything wrong with them? Are they sick? As far as I can tell, the answer is no. As far as I can tell, the lifespan of these polluted babies will probably be about average for polluted Americans, living in our polluted industrial society with its polluted medical and pharmaceutical industries - a girl born now can expect to live to age 79- a boy to age 73.

That's in contrast to the bucolic, non-polluted lifespan of a farmer in the early 20th century - about 47 years. Of course, that bucolic lifestyle also included the early death of some or most of the farmer's children.

I'm not saying that we should let PCBs and mercury flow freely through our drinking water. Industry needs to be regulated but boneheaded fearmongering like this is more annoying than convincing.

The same group analyzed the breast milk of mothers across the United States in 2003 and found varying levels of chemicals, including flame retardants known as PBDEs. This latest analysis also found PBDEs in cord blood.

Slaughter had similar tests done on her own blood.

"The stunning results show chemicals daily pumping through my vital organs that include PCBs that were banned decades ago as well as chemicals like Teflon that are currently under federal investigation," she said in remarks prepared for the news conference.

"I have auto exhaust fumes, flame retardant chemicals, and in all, some 271 harmful substances pulsing through my veins. That's hardly the picture of health I had hoped for, but I've been living in an industrial society for over 70 years."

Yes, Slaughter has been alive, swimming in industrial-society pollutants for 70 years. If she wasn't living in an industrial society, she probably wouldn't be here right now. She wouldn't be here to harangue us. Hmm...