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Biomonitoring Resource Center

Overview | Profiles | Presentations | Tool Kit | Report: Taking It All In | NewsHour Transcript

Two Participants from Biomonitoring Studies

Teresa lives in a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood of modest homes in Anniston, Alabama. Once targeted to become a manufacturing center for the US Southeast, Anniston now carries a toxic chemical burden in its soil, water and air as a result of the kind of industrial development common to the mid 20th century, a development that felt free to toss production waste into the rivers and onto the soil of the surrounding area. Teresa's body also carries evidence of the history of Anniston. Teresa like many citizens of Anniston, volunteered blood to be tested by the US ATSDR for the presence of toxic chemicals produced by Anniston factories.

Teresa: The best use of biomonitoring was educating our community about the kinds of exposures we've been enduring. It was a long- drawn out process but we were able to use the data to take our case to the court. Our case was based on the fact that most of us are carrying pollution within our bodies. And our chemical body burden numbers proved it. Monsanto was ordered to build a health clinic for our community, to buy out some of the homes where it's now just too contaminated to live, and to give cash settlements to members of the community. But the most important award was long- term health care for community members.

For more information about communities against pollution visit the website at www.communityagainstpollution.org.
Click here to view a PowerPoint presentation of "PCB Pollution in Anniston, Alabama".

Terry's home is situated in Southeastern Arizona, near the mountainous last refuge of Geronimo and his people. The desert here is spectacularly beautiful, especially where the San Carlos River encourages the growth of bright green among the subtle colors of the desert valley. Terry lives near the Huachuca air force base, an economic mainstay of the small town, Sierra Vista, and near old tungsten and other mines. Twelve children in Sierra Vista have been diagnosed with leukemia, and two have died. This is over three times the national rate for a small town. Terry's whole family is being tested by the Centers for Disease Control for 150 chemicals, including those kinds of chemicals that can take up residence in the fatty tissue of the body, and stay there for decades. The CDC is trying to understand if there is any linkage between the chemicals the residents of the valley carry in their bodies and the cluster of leukemia cases appearing in this small town.

Terry: We offered to be part of the quality control measure because we wanted to do anything we could to help get the bio-sampling started," said Terry Nordborck, whose son, Linus, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2001. "Linus was only 2 when he was diagnosed. I think all parents of a child with cancer ask a lot of questions: What caused this? What can I do to keep my child safe? What about the possibility of a relapse "I'm hopeful that by contributing to this research effort, science will be able to figure out some of the mysteries of cancer."

Read more about Terry and her family in the article "Families Against Cancer & Toxics" at www.familiesagainstcancer.org/.