Tyrone Hayes: Environmental health is public health. If you’re altering the environment in such a way that wildlife can’t live in it anymore, that amphibians are declining globally, for example, then you’re creating an environment that we won’t be able to live in, either.
That’s biologist Tyrone Hayes, of the University of California at Berkeley. He sees a close connection between the health of frogs and the health of humans. Hayes studies how pesticides interact with hormones.
Tyrone Hayes: The hormones are the same. So the same chemical that will cause a male frog to make estrogen, and become a hermaphrodite, can cause excess estrogen production in humans, which can lead to breast cancer.
Hayes’ research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. His study showed that these chemicals originate in agricultural pesticides, which run off into the water supply.
Tyrone Hayes: So the frog is getting it because of swimming, drinking, living in the water. A human would get it by being exposed as an agriculture worker or factory worker, but also by drinking the water in the home.
Hayes is concerned that people at high risk for exposure to chemicals may be the least aware of the health impacts.
Tyrone Hayes: The people who are most impacted – the workers, agricultural workers and factory workers – are less likely to have access to information and health care. So it’s really important that we get that information out.
Our thanks to:
Tyrone Hayes
Department of Integrative Biology
University of California
Berkeley, CA
I am for the foresight to look at unintended consequences. One should always think of the consequences of one’s actions. However, we should realize that amphibians are extremely susceptable to a myriad of environmental factors. In fact, if any group of animals can be said to have evolved during human existence, it would be the amphibian.
We need to look at the reality of human life and health in real terms. We live longer and healthier now than at any time in human history. Period. Our environment is not becoming hazardous to our health, by any cause. Human or not.
We need to worry about real problems, such as sources of energy so we can continue to grow, process and transport food. Like ensuring a supply of electricity and water to our cities. Real problems like an imploding economy due to government excess in taxing and spending. We need to worry about the liberty and rights of the individual.
I agree that we need to be concerned with the liberty and the rights of the individuals which is why it is important that people be made aware of the real and lasting health threats of being exposed to harmful chemicals such as many of the pesticides commonly used. It is true that people are living longer now than any previous period in history but the majority of the worlds human population lives in developing countries where it would be difficult to say that these people are living “healthier” than ever before as asserted… The link between wildlife health and human health is worth paying attention to. For example, the most common pediatric cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma are linked to pesticide use. I think it is a childs right not to be exposed to these chemicals and increase their risk for deadly cancers. Therefore I agree that environmental health is indeed central to public health.