Persistent, bioaccumulative toxics, commonly known as PBTs, are a group of toxic chemicals that are joined together by some common features. Common PBTs in our lives include mercury, DDT, cadmium, lead, and several groups of chemicals including PCBs, toxic flame retardants (PBDEs) and dioxins. While these chemicals have many different uses in our lives, and different effects on our health, they are joined together by the following facts:

1. PBTs are persistent. These chemicals are often used in manufacturing because of the exact features that cause great, great trouble in our environment: they don't break down, and they stay in the environment for a very long time. PCBs, for instance, are man-made mixtures of chlorinated compounds that are used in manufacturing because they are non-flammable, have a high boiling point, and are insoluble in water: all features that make them very difficult to dispose of.
2. PBTs are bioaccumulative. Once these chemicals are ingested by living creatures, they build up in fatty tissue, and move up the food chain as they are consumed by bigger creatures, eventually making their way into our diets.
3. PBTs are toxic. These chemicals have been associated with all manner of health effects: mercury affects the nervous system of developing fetuses, chronic exposure to DDT affects the liver and kidneys among other parts of the body, cadmium has been labeled by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a probable carcinogen, lead exposure in adults results in neurological effects like seizures, PCBs pose a cancer risk, PBDEs have been found to be endocrine disruptors, and dioxins cause reproductive and developmental problems.

When the President's Cancer Panel released a report in May 2010 advising Americans to take specific steps to reduce environmental toxins in their lives and thus reduce cancer risk, it was a watershed moment. The report recommended that Americans drink filtered water, avoid bisphenol-A (BPA), eat food grown without pesticides, and carefully choose the household products they use.

In an interview with the Breast Cancer Fund, Dr. Margaret Kripke, member of the President's Cancer Panel, commented on the creation of the report: "This was an enormously eye-opening experience for me." The panel decided to focus on cancer-causing environmental toxins because they are of concern to many Americans, and because 6% of cancers are thought to be caused by environmental carcinogens – this means that about 20,000 Americans are dying each year due to cancer caused by their environment.

It's election season. And you know what that means: phone calls, door knocks, commercials and pieces of mail requesting your support for a particular candidate. How do you know which candidate should receive your vote?

Our candidates need to hear that toxics legislation is important, and that you will be taking that into consideration when you cast your ballot. One of the most important things that a candidate can do is commit to protecting our families from harmful chemicals.

And here's a great secret: new research has shown that there is overwhelming support for toxic chemical reform across the aisle. In a Mellman Group study shows that 74% of the public supports stronger controls on toxic chemicals. This issue clearly crosses political party lines.

Here are a few questions to consider asking this fall.

The Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health (MNCEH) and the Ecology Center this week released a report (PDF) estimating the cost of environment-related childhood disease in Michigan called "The Price of Pollution."

The report finds that the state of Michigan could save up to 1.5% of its Gross Domestic Product each year by protecting children from environmental exposures. The report estimated the cost of asthma, lead poisoning, pediatric cancer and neurodevelopmental disorders in the state of Michigan to be $5.85 billion annually.

There has been a lot of toxics news coming from the states lately. The Safer States organizations have been doing an amazing job of protecting their state's citizens through legislation restricting toxic chemicals. Moreover, elected officials have been hearing the message from their voters: we deserve to be protected from toxic chemicals in our lives.

Here's what's happening, state by state:

Alaska

This year's legislative calendar included a ban on Deca-BDE in mattresses and electronics. The bill ultimately failed, but the momentum for the bill was encouraging.

Michigan is starting the new year with an aggressive agenda for protecting residents—adults and children alike—from toxic chemicals in the state. The toxics policy approach going into the 2010 legislative session will focus on 1) protecting children from toxic toys and 2) protecting all residents from toxic flame retardants.

The Children’s Safe Products Act

This law would require manufacturers to disclose the ingredients used in toys. As an editorial in The Oakland Press states,

“It sounds like a simple request. And while we’re not excited about more legislative regulations, these seem to be needed."

Officials from thirteen states joined forces today to dictate a set of eight guiding principles to be used for reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act, or TSCA -- a law from 1976 which provides the EPA with the authority to regulate toxic chemicals.

The Obama Administration and Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the EPA, recently acknowledged that a major overhaul of this decades-old law is imperative for public safety.

There is concern, however, about the way that the Administration is setting out to reform TSCA. As Laurie Valeriano, policy director of the Washington Toxics Coalition wrote recently, "the changes are modeled after an approach that will result in endless government studies and gridlock when what we really need is action."

This letter was written by Sarah Barba, a mother in Harper Woods, MI. Barba is encouraging other parents to speak out about toxic chemicals in toys:

Dear fellow parents and other concerned citizens:

I am the mother of two wonderful girls, a 2 year-old and a 3 1/2 year-old. The girls love playing in the play kitchen and preparing recipes for me. One dish that has been served many times is corn on the cob. I would order a corn on the cob and the girls would get it for me. They would of course try some themselves first.  Being young children their mouths were always on the play corn even though I urged them to "just pretend."

Michigan legislators introduced a package of bills called the Safe Children's Products Act, which is intended to help parents protect their children from toxic chemicals found in toys and other children's products.

A giant 25 foot inflatable duck was at the public launch event in Lansing, which featured a number of state representatives who support the legislation and members of the Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health.

The bills would require the state's health department to identify a list of chemicals of concern and would require manufacturers to report harmful substances found in products, according to an article in the Detroit News. The state attorney general would administer the new rules and would be empowered to issue fines for non-compliance from $5,000 to $150,000.

Two new studies released this week raise concerns about the widespread contamination of the environment and human health from brominated flame retardants.  Flame retardants are found in every day items from sofas to televisions and computers to mattresses. 

Yet the Bromine Science and Environmental Forum (BSEF), an industry front group spawned by PR firm Burson Marsteller, insists flame retardants are safe, despite growing scientific evidence to the contrary.  MSNBC's Rachel Maddow nailed it when she said on a recent show "When evil needs public relations, evil has Burson Marsteller on speed dial."