Should we be concerned about this?

Awhile back, Marvelle proposed that the evening news should have a segment called "Holy shit, America!" which would report on the outrageous things that for whatever reasons pass without notice in our country. I submit this new report as a story idea.

Presence of Harmful Chemicals
In Humans Is Broad, Common

Legal restrictions have lowered Americans' exposure to certain toxic substances such as lead and cigarette smoke, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But dozens of other potentially dangerous chemicals -- from pesticides to the fragrances in cosmetics -- appear to be nearly ubiquitous in Americans' bloodstreams, the agency found.

Nearly ubiquitous. That can't be good.

The agency reported widespread exposures to dozens of different pesticides, with the highest levels generally reported in children. Among the 38 new chemicals tested in the latest survey, the CDC looked at exposures to a class of common pesticides called pyrethroids -- used in Raid roach killer, among others -- and found that 76% of the population sampled had the chemical in their bodies.

According to preliminary calculations by Margaret Reeves, senior scientist with the advocacy group Pesticide Action Network, children ages 6 to 11 had metabolites of one pesticide in their blood, called chlorpyrifos, that were more than four times as high as the Environmental Protection Agency's safe level for that age group.

For three types of phthalates, a class of chemicals used in various products including cosmetics, pills and plastics, 5% of the population had levels exceeding levels recently associated with genital abnormalities in boys.

Genital abnormalities. That's not good either.

With so many different chemicals in the body, said Johns Hopkins's Dr. Burke, the cocktail effect is still far from understood.

Our bodies are filling with toxic chemicals and it's just a short story on B2 of the WSJ? Holy shit, America. Enjoy your "cocktail."