Why did the author have trace amounts of banned chemicals in his body?

• A. He used cosmetics with banned chemicals.
• B. He was exposed to polluted areas, contaminated water, and air, and also received some chemicals at birth through breastfeeding.
• C. The chemicals were natural compounds.
• D. There was a laboratory error.

Answer: (B)

Trace amounts show up in the body because many banned chemicals persist in the environment and reach us through multiple routes, not just direct use of a product. Environmental persistence means these substances remain in air, water, soil, and on foods, leading to ongoing exposure. In addition, some of these chemicals can pass from mother to child during pregnancy and can be transferred through breastfeeding after birth, delivering them to the developing infant and contributing to the body’s overall chemical burden. This combination of environmental exposure and prenatal/postnatal transfer best explains why trace levels appear in the body. Options relying on a single source like cosmetics or claiming substances are natural don’t capture the widespread, ongoing exposure, and a lab error would not account for real, persistent contamination.