Women Demonstrate Against Dow

An ounce of prevention beats a pound of dioxin

(ENS)-Women from across the country demonstrated at the Dow ChemicalCompany’s shareholder meeting recently, demanding the company changeits products and operations to prevent environmental chemicalcontamination. All Americans carry a burden of industrial chemicals intheir bodies, including dioxin, solvents, plastic additives andpesticides. “We are demanding that the chemical industry get thesecontaminants out of our bodies,” said Monica Rohde, director of theNational Stop Dioxin Exposure Campaign. “It is unacceptable that weare exposed to chemicals that threaten our health and the health ofour children. We are demanding today that Dow Chemical get theirproducts out of our children and our communities.” Dioxin is acarcinogen, and can also disrupt the immune, hormone and reproductivesystems even in small amounts. Through food alone, Americans aregetting 22 times the maximum dioxin exposure suggested by theEnvironmental Protection Agency, the Campaign charged. Among nursinginfants, the exposure is 35 to 65 times the recommendeddosage.