Edouard Bastarache on wed 16 jul 03
cancer, pregnant women
George,
1-We must never exposed a working pregnant or breast-feeding woman to heavy
metals.
In Quebec, we have a special governmental program for working and
breast-feeding
women exposed different types of hazards, among which chemicals.
In the case of heavy metals, they are usually removed from exposure and get
a full
compensation.
I work on this program 2 mornings a week and I am always on call with a
beeper
so there is no time lost in taking action when it comes to these chemicals,
and other
hazards.
As for Biological Exposure Indices, the Germans have the least stringent,
which are
urinary and blood cadmium mesurements.ACGIH and the French have the most
stringent.
At present time, on a free of charge basis, I am helping a group of French
workers,
who have been exposed for 30 years to cadmium in a cadmium-zinc battery
factory
without any sort of medico-environmental surveillance, to get justice.
Right now, I have just received an e-mail from them requesting more
information.
2-Thanks for the information on cadmium and breast cancer in the rat.
A-But, I had already mentionned the following in my bilingual article on
cadmium for
ceramicists posted on many web sites.:
Carcinogenesis and mutagenesis :
Several inorganic cadmium compounds cause malignant tumors in animals.
Occupational exposure to cadmium has been implicated in a significant
increase of lung and prostate cancer. The IARC has determined that there is
sufficient evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of cadmium and cadmium
compounds. It also appears that cadmium has the capability to alter genetic
materials, particularly chromosomes.
B-The problem with the article in Nature Medicine is that it was conducted
on rats.
It is a great step forward but, how do we extrapolate this to humans without
appopriate
studies on them.
C-Rats are very small mammals, the levels to which the animals were exposed
to cadmium
were comparable to the provisional tolerable weekly dietary intake
recommended by the World Health Organization; I do not know if these levels
really apply to rats while they were defined
for humans weighing a hell of a lot more.
D-Rats are more susceptible to carcinogens than humans, for genetic reasons.
E-It opens the way to more research.
Thanks again,
"Ils sont fous ces Quebecois"
Edouard Bastarache
Irreductible Quebecois
Indomitable Quebeker
Sorel-Tracy
Quebec
edouardb@sorel-tracy.qc.ca
http://sorel-tracy.qc.ca/~edouardb/
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/smart2000/index.htm
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