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OU Researcher Says Pollutants May Cause Heart Disease
By: WOUB Staff Writer
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Recent studies by an Ohio University researcher suggests that certain pollutants may be causing heart disease.
Alexander Sergeev says his studies show that POP's, persistent organic pollutants, such as pesticides, insecticides, and unintentional by-products from chemical reactions in factories, can cause heart disease to those in close proximity to them.
"Most people come into contact because they live in proximity to sites where the pollutants are located. Many of them have been banned from production about 30 years ago. But, because they have a very long half-life, something which was manufactured 20 years ago will still be around here 100 years from now," says Sergeev.
Sergeev says the results were clear after animal testing.
"Animals who were artificially exposed to high levels of POP's were producing faster, much higher rates of development of testosterosis, which is hardening and narrowing of the arteries."
Sergeev says that living near POP sources increases the statistics of being hospitalized from heart disease and strokes anywhere from 10 to 17 percent.