Endosulfan Pesticide Banned in New Zealand: Endometriosis, Infertility, Breast Cancer & Pesticides...

Do you have endometriosis, infertility, or breast cancer? Then this post may be of interest to you.

I am currently reading a book called Silent Spring (for information regarding this book, please see the environmental section of the right sidebar of this blog).

It talks about a number of things including pesticides. I am about 2/3 of the way finished with this book and I look forward to telling you more about it in a future post.

Interestingly, I just last night received a Google alert for endometriosis regarding a pesticide called endosulfan that has been banned in New Zealand.

Here is the Google alert I got that was flagged for the key word "endometriosis":

The New Zealand Herald: Cancer group delighted with ban

The reason this is particularly interesting to me is that the Silent Spring book I'm currently reading was written decades ago and covers the dangerous effects of pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides.

ALL THESE YEARS LATER, SUCH TOXIC CHEMICALS AS THOSE WRITTEN ABOUT IN SILENT SPRING ARE STILL IN USED IN SOME PARTS OF THE WORLD.

It is alarming that the warning bells of Silent Spring were not heeded and that chemical companies' profits appear to have won out over public health, the well being of the planet itself, and common sense. Rachel Carson's prescient story of the profound impact of such toxins is mind-boggling to me.

Endosulfan has been banned in many countries as per the preceding wikipedia link.

Per the wikipedia entry on endosulfan, it is registered for agricultural use in the United States.

Here is an excerpt from the endosulfan wikipedia entry:

Health effects

Endosulfan is one of the more toxic pesticides on the market today, responsible for many fatal pesticide poisoning incidents around the world [see the wikipedia entry for footnotes]. Endosulfan is also a xenoestrogen — a synthetic substance that imitates or enhances the effect of estrogen — and it can act as an endocrine disruptor, causing reproductive and developmental damage in both animals and humans. Whether endosulfan can cause cancer is debated.

For more information on endocrine disruptors, see the "Our Stolen Future" website.

This book is next on my reading list and I plan to review it in the future.

After numerous quotes from and references to this book on this blog, I am finally going to read it in its entirety! (See book info in right sidebar of this blog).

First, I need to finish reading "Silent Spring"!

Related articles:

There are numerous articles that have talked about some of the topics mentioned in this post. For more info from past posts, please use the search engine located in the top left corner of this homepage. Type in your search word and then just click search to be routed to previous articles.

This article was posted by Jeanne via "Jeanne's Endo Blog" at www.endendoat.blogspot.com.

Endometriosis Blog: Environment And Endometriosis... What Can We Do To Minimize Symptoms And/Or Possibly Prevent Endometriosis In Our Loved Ones??

Below is a follow-up to two previous posts:

From the Monday August 25 post: “Endometriosis Blog: What Is Epigenetics?? Can Environment Become Heredity”??

From the Tuesday August 26 post: “Endometriosis Blog: Are There Environmental Factors that We Can Control”??

Are you feeling overwhelmed with the problems associated with environmentally harmful products and ingredients??

Here are some websites that may help you to make safer choices for your health & the health of your loved ones!!

Personal Care Product/Cosmetic Safety:

http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/index.php?nothanks=1 (This is an EXCELLENT database I’ve had listed in my favorites for some time now. I highly recommend it. It has an enormous amount of information and you can search for specific products and compare their safety to other products)!!

http://www.safecosmetics.org/ (The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a coalition working to protect your health by calling for the elimination of chemicals used in the cosmetics industry linked to cancer, birth defects, and other health problems).

Is there triclosan in your soap or other personal care products? You may want to read this...

http://www.ewg.org/node/26701

You may also be interested in this...

Environmental Working Group’s Report on Pesticide in Soap, Toothpaste and Breast Milk:

http://www.ewg.org/reports/triclosan

Here are some more resources:

Health Care Without Harm

http://www.noharm.org/us

Women’s Voice for the Earth:

http://www.womenandenvironment.org/newsreports/media/News%20Item%202008/Postarticle

In addition to the above sites, you may wish to do more reading on the topic of environment and endometriosis...

Here are a couple of books that I have been really wanting to read for some time but have not gotten to as of yet. (Maybe an endo blog reader out there may read one or both of these books and let me know what they think!!! I’d be happy to post your thoughts on one or both of these books here in this blog).

Unfortunately, there don’t seem to be enough hours in the day for me to read all of the books I’d like to read (!!) but I’ve wanted to read these two for awhile:

1 - Our Stolen Future by Theo Colborn, Dianne Dumanoski, and John Peterson Myers

See website associated with the above book at---

http://www.endometriosisassn.org/environment.html

2 - Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

If you look through the following website:

http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/Sources/recentbooks.htm, you’ll see a list of books about endocrine disruption.

Endocrine disruption is an important topic for endometriosis patients and changing the personal care products you use can make a huge difference!! (See the Skin Deep website above on how to find safer products to use).

Maybe you have some insights on the environment and endometriosis??? Do you have information on products that are safer than those mass marketed???

This blog doesn’t normally get into specific brands but this is one area where specific brands may be extremely helpful to assist endometriosis patients to know what to look for or what to avoid!

For example, companies like Natracare sell pads and tampons that are made using organic materials. Since the chemicals used to bleach the mass marketed products can actually harm women with endometriosis, it’s good to know there are alternative products available!

Maybe you know of website links or books that provide information on how to reduce or minimize harmful chemical exposures for endometriosis patients?

If so, PLEASE provide this information in your comments to the environmental articles here on this endometriosis and chronic illness blog. You could be helping other patients make healthier choices!!

Some of the best information I have become aware of over the years came from fellow chronically ill patients! So please keep those comments coming!! You may very well have information that can help fellow endometriosis and chronic illness patients tremendously!!

Thank you in advance for your feedback and valuable information. I know there are readers out there with useful information to offer to fellow patients! I have learned over the years that fellow patients can provide incredible amounts of information to assist others who are suffering. Let’s work together to get that helpful information flowing freely!

Finally, I'd like to end with some good news regarding the preventability of many illnesses that ties together much of what has been covered in this post and the two preceding it. Check out this portion of the "Our Stolen Future" website:

http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/Commentary/JPM/2006-0401goodgenesgonebad.html

So don't feel helpless. Information is power. Using the above information to alter your lifestyle choices can help you personally to be healthier and, yes, to possibly prevent loved ones from experiencing the challenges of endometriosis (and other illnesses)!!

This article was posted by Jeanne via "Jeanne's Endo Blog" at www.endendoat.blogspot.com.