Toxic Chemicals found in bodies of Connecticut Nurse and Doctor

Earlier this year, physician Carrie Redlich and nurse Timothy Squires did a bold thing: they both volunteered to have their blood and urine tested for the presence of toxic chemicals.

Carrie is the director of the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program at Yale University School of Medicine. Timothy works as a Clinical Professional Development Consultant at MidState Medical Center in Meriden. Both of them joined 18 colleagues from around the country and became participants in the first ever biomonitoring project of health care professionals, conducted by Physicians for Social Responsibility.

Each of the twenty doctors and nurses were tested for 62 distinct chemicals in six categories: bisphenol-A, mercury, perflourinated compounds, phthalates, polybrominated dipheynl ethers, and triclosan.  These chemicals are used in products common to the health care setting, from baby bottles, hand sanitizer, and medical gauges, to industrial paints, IV bags and tubes and stain-resistant clothing.

It was unsettling to realize how many different chemicals were circulating in my body, but also empowering to collaborate with other health care professionals from around the country in an effort designed to raise awareness about the problem of hazardous environmental exposures. Hopefully our state and federal legislators and policy makers will take notice of the importance of regulations of toxic and workplace chemicals and the role that limiting such exposures can have in disease prevention. -Dr. Carrie Redlich

Read more in our press release.