Biomonitoring

After watching the CNN News Special on "Body Burden" and reviewing the hypothetical lab results of chemicals found in me, I am feeling concerned, failed, and hopeless. I am concerned because the chemicals on the hypothetical lab report, for the most part, are foreign to me. I could not begin to think where or how I was exposed to most of the chemicals on the list. Could I possibly avoid or remove something in my life that would reduce my exposure to these or is the exposure not something I could personally control? I am also concerned because the potential health effects are very serious. As a woman who would like to have children in the future, the potential for infertility and reproductive issues as a result of chemical exposures is scary. One thing I found very concerning in the video was Anderson Cooper's blood test coming back positive for PCBs, which was banned in the 1970s, and a chemical he was likely exposed to from fish that he ate as a child. PCBs, then, are persistent. Do we know if or how this will affect his health? The video also mentioned that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not require manufacturers to study, and therefore report, the effects of chemicals in their products on human health. Hearing this, I feel failed by government. I also feel hopeless and confused. If the EPA is responsible for regulating chemicals, it is ridiculous and mind boggling to me why testing the safety of chemicals is not required.