http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/epigenetics-workshop
Think of all the untested decisions that are made on a whole for the general population of the earth and the consequences that now must be paid the price of for generations to come by those who were never even consulted as to whether they wish to pay them at all. Inherited only by the stupidity and greed of those who came before them though the lack of personal responsibility to ensure that future generations would remain safe under the watch of corporate greed.
A National Academies workshop examined the evidence of epigenetic effects and considered whether the thousands of chemicals in use today should be tested for them. Some pollutants and chemicals don't kill cells or mutate DNA. Instead, they may be more subtle, muting genes or turning them on at the wrong time, which can lead to diseases that are passed on for generations. Asthma in New York City children exposed to traffic exhaust is an example, experts say
Last week, several dozen researchers and experts convened by the National Academies tackled this complicated topic, called epigenetics, at a two-day workshop in Washington, D.C. They discussed new findings that suggest chemicals in our environment and in our food can alter genes, leaving people vulnerable to a variety of diseases and disorders, including diabetes, asthma, cancer and obesity. They also considered whether regulatory agencies and industry should start testing the thousands of chemicals in use today for these effects.
“There is little doubt these epigenetic effects are important. The next question is how we test for effects," said William H. Farland, professor of environmental and radiological health sciences at Colorado State University. "We don’t need to abandon current approaches to chemical testing. When testing chemicals in animals, we may just need to add some new endpoints."
Linda S. Birnbaum, Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Exposure to gene-altering substances, particularly in the womb and shortly after birth, “can lead to increased susceptibility to disease
