An interesting concept that has been around since the 1950’s is that of a person’s ’ body burden’. This is the amount of harmful chemicals, either of a certain type, or more generally, that a person has in the ‘long term storage areas’ of their body- mostly in their fat and bones. I think it is important for this idea to be given a name because giving things names allows us to talk about them and generate interest in them. It also allows organizations like governments to get a handle on them, and take action.
Also, on a smaller scale, personal level, it helps us to understand
that some substances move through our bodies relatively quickly, whereas
other substances tend to stick around. This is relevant when we are trying
to make informed choices about exposures to various substances (both good
and bad) in our environment.
posted at 16:08 on Tue, 28 Mar, 2006 |
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All material copyrighted by Jen Schellinck. All rights reserved.