Doctor Of Oriental Medicine and Homeopathic Physician Robin Falkov discussed the toxins and pollutants remaining from the Gulf oil spill, both in the environment and the fish. She detailed the wave of health problems developing from exposure to the toxins. BP's spraying of the chemical Corexit to disperse the massive oil spill just cosmetically broke the oil down into smaller globules rather than removed it, and also caused its own set of health problems, she detailed.
Exposure to Corexit (which also got in the air) can cause lacerations on the skin, sore thoats, headaches, lung infections, bleeding, and thinking & coordination problems, she noted. There are also similar symptoms from eating contaminated fish from the region, Falkov added.
The extent of illnesses in the region are not yet known, but during the third hour, two people directly affected by the toxins, Paul Doomm and Denise Rednour shared their stories. Doomm, a 22 year old, living in the Gulf region of Florida, said he was enjoying the beach and eating fresh seafood before heading off to Marine boot camp. Though the BP spill had happened, there were no caution signs on the beach. One day while surfing, he felt the sting of the Corexit in the water. Over the course of a summer, he began to suffer from internal bleeding and severe headaches, and was eventually diagnosed with lesions on the brain, and chemically induced seizures. He came to believe that it was the toxins in the air rather than exposure from the water that brought on his illness.
Rednour was working as an animal rescuer, and took photos as the oil arrived on the beach near where she lived in Long Beach, Mississippi. Within 30 days of exposure, she suffered from blurred vision, bleeding, and lung infections. She also believed the bulk of the exposure came from inhalation of the Corexit in the air, and compared the effects to what workers in the 9-11 clean-up went through.
GM Foods Update
First hour guest, author and filmmaker Jeffrey Smith shared an update on the dangers of genetically modified (GM) foods. He reported that in one study, the Bt-toxin from GM corn showed up in the blood of women and fetuses, putting in doubt Monsanto's health safety claims. In regards to proposed "frankenfish," there's an amendment in a House bill that would prohibit the FDA from approving genetically engineered salmon, he announced.
News segment guest: Douglas Hagmann