Polluted Children, Toxic Nation
The Sarnia Family

 
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Jessie: polluted with 20 of 68 chemicals
Wilson Jr.: polluted with 36 of 68 chemicals
Wilson Sr.: polluted with 32 of 68 chemicals

The Plain family is from the Aamjiwnaang First Nation Community in Sarnia, Ontario. Wilson Sr., now retired, spent his working life in various industrial factories in the Sarnia area. Of all the volunteers in the study, Wilson Sr. had the highest concentration of PFOS, at 35.8 ng/mL, as well as the highest total concentrations for PCBs and organochlorine pesticides.

Wilson Jr. has also worked in various industrial facilities in the Sarnia area and is now a truck driver. Along with one other volunteer, Wilson Jr. had the highest total number of chemicals detected in a volunteer (36 of 68), as well as the highest total concentrations for PBDEs and PFCs. For individual chemicals, Wilson Jr. had by far the highest level of PFOS detected at a concentration of 76.4 ng/mL, and the highest concentration of cadmium at 36 nmol/L.

 

From left to right: Wilson Sr. (grandfather, age 66), Jessie (daughter, age 14), and Wilson Jr. (father, age 44)
Jessie, the daughter, had a lower than average number of chemicals detected in her samples, as well as the least number of PCBs and organochlorine pesticides of any volunteer in the study. A relatively high level of manganese was detected in Jessie’s sample. Jessie was the only child in the study that did not have any chemicals detected in her samples at higher concentrations than her parent.

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Number of chemicals detected in the Sarnia family that are linked to a listed health effect

Chemicals Effect on Health

Number of Chemicals Detected that are
Linked to a Listed Health Effect

Grandfather

Father

Daughter

Carcinogen

25
29
16

Hormone disruptor

16
21
12

Respiratory toxin

6
9
7
Reproductive/
developmental toxin
25
29
17
Neurotoxin
13
17
10

No data on health effects

2
2
1

* Includes both recognized and suspected health effects for each chemical as identified on Scorecard.org Chemical Profiles in April 2006.

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Number and concentration of chemicals detected in the Sarnia family

Chemical Group

Number of compounds detected
Total Concentration

Grandfather

Father

Daughter

Grandfather

Father

Daughter

PBDEs (ug/L in plasma)

0 of 5
4 of 5
2 of 5
nd

0.941

0.116

PCBs (ug/L in plasma)

12 of 16
9 of 16
4 of 16
3.775
1.214
0.239

PFCs(ng/mL in serum)

4 of 13
4 of 13
3 of 13
45.03
86.93
23.49

Organochlorine pesticides
(ug/L in plasma)

8 of 13
9 of 13
2 of 13
1.9053
0.7869
0.151

Organophosphate insecticide metabolites
(ug/L in urine)

3 of 6
3 of 6
2 of 6
47
25.5
4.3
PAHs (ug/L)
0 of 10
2 of 10
2 of 10
nd
0.5
0.273
Mercury (nmol/L in whole blood)
1 of 1
1 of 1
1 of 1
1.6
7.1
0.86
Lead (umol/L in whole blood)
1 of 1
1 of 1
1 of 1
0.052
0.033
0.026
Arsenic (nmol/L in whole blood)
1 of 1
1 of 1
1 of 1
12
8.1
12
Cadmium (nmol/L in whole blood)
1 of 1
1 of 1
1 of 1
4.6
36
2.2

Manganese(nmol/L in whole blood)

1 of 1
1 of 1
1 of 1
230
120
300
Total number of chemicals detected
32 of 68
36 of 68
20 of 68

* nd = not detected

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