Event 2

Last week I was able to attend the keynote address for the Chemical Entanglements: Gender and Exposure Conference.  The keynote speaker was Florence Williams, a writer and editor of various newspapers, and her presentation focused on the topic “The Burden of Breasts: Gender, Chemical Exposures, and Changing Bodies”.

While there were some artistic elements to her address, it largely centered on the chemical effects (which lead to medical issues) that many everyday products have on the human body, specifically women’s breasts.  After hearing of studies into the alarmingly high amounts of PBDEs, compounds found in flame retardants, found in breast feeding moms in Europe, Ms. Williams decided to send in her own breast milk sample to a European lab to see how her levels compared to those of European moms.  What she, and other Americans found out, was that levels of PBDE found in the breast milk of breastfeeding American moms was ten times higher than that of the average European.  Californians have it particularly bad, averaging ten times more PBDE in their breast milk than the average American.  This is problematic due to the toxicity of PBDE.

PBDE, however, wasn’t the only hazardous chemical in high dosage that Ms. Williams mentioned in the female breast.  The lab that she sent her sample to also reported seeing large traces of perchlorate and DDT in female breast milk.  Perchlorate is a chemical found in rocket fuel that is both toxic in water and harmful to the environment, while DDT is an insecticide that was commonly used until Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring published its hazardous effects on the environment and links to cancer in 1962.  In bringing the hazards of such chemicals to light, Ms. Williams stressed the importance for women to be aware of the dangers that many women’s products are placing on the female body.

With the topic being breasts, Ms. Williams did touch on how the depiction of breasts has changed in the media over time.  Long ago, people were fascinated with smaller breasts, and artists depicted the ideal woman as someone with small breasts.  The dawn of the television age, however, largely changed this perception.  All of a sudden, popular culture was fascinated in large breasts, and artistic works began to connect sexuality with them.  While this artistic element was mentioned, the focus of Ms. Williams’ presentation was on the harmful chemicals that female breasts (in comparison to male breasts) are, and have been, subjected to.

It was a fascinating presentation, and one that I certainly did not know what to expect going into.  Ms. Williams was a captivating speaker and I would highly recommend attending one of her presentations.



Florence Williams Background
Me with a member of the hospitality staff

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