The CDC found that:

• Children often have higher concentrations of pollutants than adults, especially in the case of many heavy metals, pesticides and a group of chemicals called “phthalates” used to improve plastic.

• Children show traces of secondhand tobacco smoke at levels twice as high as adults, and nonsmoking African Americans have concentrations double that of white or Latino nonsmokers.

Two groups of products developed by E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Co. — fluorotelomers and fluoropolymers — are used to make products like nonstick cookware, grease-resistant food packaging (microwave popcorn and pizza boxes), stain-resistant fabrics and carpets, shampoos, conditioners, cleaning products, electronic components, paints, and firefighting foams.

Scientists are now showing those and related compounds in people and animals all over the planet. The properties that make them useful in industry also make them almost indestructible.

Industrial chemicals are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. Its staff has only 90 days to review any scientific data bearing on a new chemical’s toxicity or persistence in the environment.

Dr. James Madison, a specialist in nephrology and hypertension who practices at Tahlequah City Hospital, said avoiding hazardous chemicals is one part of a larger picture of staying healthy.

“What is accepted in medical community is that there is not enough effort to impress on our patients the importance of lifestyle,” he said.

Madison said his work has made him aware of one particular group of potentially dangerous chemicals.

“There is a huge body of work regarding advanced glycosylation end-products,” he said. “They are used in food processing and sodas. There is good evidence they are toxic. I suspect that over time we will see that these particular products are contributing to some of the changes we are seeing in older patients.”

Madison said the public’s first line of defense against toxic substances is the federal government.

“If it’s going to be something that ends up in the food supply, then that’s the whole purpose of the Food and Drug Administration,” he said.

Madison said he would support any patient who expresses an interest in avoiding sources of potentially toxic chemicals.

“I would endorse any patient’s efforts to truly commit to leading a healthier lifestyle,” he said.

Reach Keith Purtell at 684-2925 or kpurtell@muskogeephoenix.com.