In Milwaukee, Pollution Seen as Cause of Illness

PCBs, lead, mercury and other industrial pollutants may be the cause of high rates of poor birth outcomes, colon cancer – even heart disease and stroke, according to a federal study that was six years in the making, but kept under wraps.

The report was requested in 2001 by the International Joint Commission, which advises the U.S. and Canada on Great Lakes issues, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

While the study included 9 million people, the questions it raises don't stop at the Milwaukee border. Toxic waste sites and contaminated waterways are common throughout the United States, and indeed the industrialized world. While the study is no smoking gun, it points again to the insidious risks that unchecked use of toxic substances may have.

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