Sharyle Patton, Director, CBRC
The mission of the Commonweal Biomonitoring Resource Center (CBRC) is to reduce toxic chemical exposures by people and all life. CBRC was founded by Sharyle Patton, a citizen-scientist who has co-authored more than a dozen scientific papers, initiated nearly 20 scientific studies, and co-chaired the International Pollution Elimination Network (IPEN), the global NGO network that facilitated the the Stockholm Convention, which was the first global treaty banning some of the world's most toxic chemicals. Since attending the Global Forum at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992, Patton has participated in numerous UN convenings concerning toxic chemical regulation.
Tens of thousands of synthetic chemicals migrate from industrial processes and consumer products to become part of the dust in air currents, the sediments in watersheds, and the particles in soil. They move into our bodies as we inhale, drink, or touch. There is no part of the biosphere where toxic chemicals have not penetrated all forms of life.
Body burden assessments, or biomonitoring, involves measuring the presence of synthetic chemicals in blood, urine, breastmilk, adipose tissue, hair, and saliva. When people know that that they carry chemicals that reduce fertility, increase learning disabilities, cause cancer, contribute to obesity, disrupt the immune system, and much more, this knowledge becomes a potent force for chemical policy reform.
For more than 20 years, Commonweal's Biomonitoring Resource Center has been engaged in projects that further the understanding of toxic chemicals in the human body and in the environment. By documenting the ubiquity and complexity of exposures in human bodies, air, water, and consumer products, we shine a spotlight on the failures of current chemical regulations. Moving toward green chemistry and ensuring that harmful chemicals are managed throughout their lifecycle in ways that truly protect the environment and the health of all living beings is central to creating a healthy and sustainable world.