Four top Canadian politicians have a combined cocktail of toxic chemicals in their bodies that would make a smokestack shudder.
The group Environmental Defence released results Wednesday of laboratory testing done on Environment Minister Rona Ambrose, NDP Leader Jack Layton, Health Minister Tony Clement and Liberal environment critic John Godfrey.
The study found that Ambrose had fewer flame-retardants in her blood than Layton, but had a higher level of arsenic than the New Democrat leader.
Clement's blood, meanwhile, contains polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, despite the fact they have been banned for years. But Clement's blood was lower in neurotoxic mercury than Godfrey's.
The results are part of the report Toxic Nation on Parliament Hill: A Report on Pollution in Four Canadian Politicians, which is intended to serve as a wake-up call for leaders about the state of pollution in Canada.
Godfrey, the report found, had the highest number of pollutants in his blood, at 55. Clement and Layton followed with 54 toxic contaminants each and Ambrose had the cleanest blood with 49 contaminants.
Of the 103 pollutants tested for, 61 were detected in the four politicians.
Combined, their blood contained a chilling mix of nasty substances, including 54 carcinogens, 37 hormone disruptors, 16 respiratory toxins, 54 reproductive or developmental toxins and 33 neurotoxins,
Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence, told 麻豆影视net it's almost impossible to determine the exact cause of the contaminants in their bodies because "(pollution) levels are so high in the environment that our bodies are literally bathed in the stuff like a soup."
"The conclusion we draw is that is doesn't matter where you live in Canada, it doesn't matter what you do for a living, it doesn't matter how old you are, and in the case of these four politicians, it doesn't matter how powerful you are," Smith told 麻豆影视net.
"Even if you're the people running the country your body is polluted, your family is polluted with these known toxic pollutants and the government of Canada, by allowing this to happen, is letting Canadians down."
Smith said the timing of the study's release was strategic. The federal government is set to review the Environmental Protection Act in 2007 -- legislation Smith described as flawed and feeble.
"Its application is the reason pollution levels are so high, so what we're doing is asking all federal parties to work together to make an improvement on this flawed law."
Each of the politicians used the report's findings to back up their own position.
Ambrose said the findings are evidence the federal government is moving in the right direction with "groundbreaking action against harmful pollutants."
Clement said "the need to measure what substances are accumulating inside Canadians is why the Chemical Management Plan announced Dec. 8 includes a Biomonitoring component."
Godfrey said the report shows more needs to be done to "get harmful substances out of the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the products we use and dispose of."
And Layton said he has worked for years to have pesticides and other toxics banned or reduced, and intends to step up efforts.
"In light of these recent results, our party will redouble its efforts because this toxic shocker reinforces our commitment to be tough on companies that pollute and governments that don't act," Layton said.
