Pratap Chatterjee

Toxic chemicals are being found in the environment, in animals, and in humans far from where the chemicals originated, contends Pratap Chatterjee in the following viewpoint. These chemicals are hazardous to human health because studies have linked the pollutants to cancer, birth defects, and other health problems. Chatterjee argues that the only way to ensure the health and survival of humans is to ban all chemicals whose safety has not been proved. Chatterjee is the global environment editor for Inter Press Service based in California.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. Why are humans particularly vulnerable to the effects of toxic chemicals, in the author’s opinion?
2. Why are some chemicals with weak endocrine disrupting abilities particularly dangerous, according to research cited by Chatterjee?
3. In the author’s...