We live in a world filled with all sorts of chemicals. Nearly everything we touch in our daily routines has some sort of tie to the chemical industry, from the plastic cutting board in the kitchen to the soles of your shoes.
Advances in the chemical field have allowed for the creation of many products that make our lives easier. Where would we be without the various plastics and synthetic materials that make up the cars, buses, and planes we use to get from place to place?
The downside to some of these ubiquitous chemicals, of course, is that a good number of them pose real health risks to consumers. What's worse, the chemical industry actively lobbies the government to keep these chemicals from being labeled as toxic, which severely impedes efforts to curb potential illnesses resulting from these chemicals.
This scenario has most recently played out in relation to formaldehyde, a popular compound found in everything from plywood and automobiles to insulation and many plastics.
According to The New York Times, the government's National Toxicology Program has listed the chemical as a known carcinogen, advising consumers to minimize exposure to products made with the chemical.
The article states that “studies of workers...exposed to high levels of formaldehyde have found increased incidences of myeloid leukemia and rare cancers of the nasal passages and upper mouth.”
What is disturbing in light of these health risks is how tenaciously the chemical industry fought to delay the release of this report. The article cites numerous efforts on behalf of the government to accommodate the complaints of industry, leading to the report being delayed a reprehensible four years.
According to Jennifer Sass of the non-governmental Natural Resources Defense Council, “[industry has] tried to create the impression that there was real scientific uncertainty here, but there’s not.”
Ultimately, that's what is most troublesome about this tale. It's not terribly surprising that another chemical found in various consumer products has been found to have adverse health effects.
However, the willingness of industry to put their bottom lines ahead of people's safety is absolutely reprehensible. The fact that people with a vested interest in seeing a chemical not listed as hazardous were able to delay this report for so long indicates a severe problem with our government's state of affairs.
Of course, politicians found themselves fighting on the side of industry as well. According to the non-profit journalist organization ProPublica, Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) was able to convince the EPA to submit the report to another review before it was published.
It's no surprise, sadly, to read that Vitter received over $35,000 from companies and lobbyists that have an interest in seeing formaldehyde unregulated. It's clear whose interests this senator has at heart.
One thing to take away from this, of course, is to try to steer clear of products made with formaldehyde whenever possible. As frequently as the green movement is maligned in some circles, this is one instance where searching out those products could have a tangible benefit for your health.
But the more important message lies in how strong the influence of the chemical industry is in the affairs of our government. They can claim that the science is shaky all they want, but in truth, these are powers with a monetary interest in seeing that nothing they produce is labeled cancerous, regardless of the findings.
It's a despicable position to take, and we should demand that our government stand up to such low-handed maneuvers instead of blithely complying.
Reach the columnist at tjgreene@asu.edu
