By Jolie Price

There is a link between the chemicals we put in the environment and health problems, particularly cancer among women, according to cancer survivor Sandra Steingraber.

Steingraber spoke at the Arts and Lectures convocation Thursday afternoon about her reasons why there is a dramatic increase in cancer.

She was introduced to environmental studies on a trip to Africa where she and an Ethiopian man discussed the situation of rivers back in her home town. While explaining to him how dirty the rivers in Central Illinois were he replied, "You must go home and take arms against those who are hurting your river."

She decided to return home and "deal with the destruction in my own backyard."

Steingraber's main focus was her book "Living Downstream" in which she discusses the link between cancer and chemicals. She sites four areas to back up her thesis linking cancer and the environment.

The first area is cancer registry data. Each state is required to keep track of the reported cases of cancer. Excluding cancers related to tobacco, the occurrances of cancer have risen in all age groups, sexes and ethnic groups.

The second area is computer mapping. This is when cancer cases are mapped out on a map of the United States. According to Steingraber, "These maps show cancer is not random."

The third area Steingraber sited was our own bodies. There are already chemicals in our body that cause cancer she said. Chemicals like dry cleaning fluid, solvents and the remains from garbage incineration accumulate over time and are harmful. These chemicals are especially harmful to adolescents or infants.

Animals were the fourth and the "most surprising" area Steingraber examined, she said. Just as there is a cancer registry for humans, there is also one for animals. The registry indicates there is an increase in animal cancer. The advantage to studying animals is they don't smoke, have jobs, experience stress and most don't move great distances she said.

According to Steingraber all of this evidence together points to one consistent answer. Pesticides.

"We have enough information to act now. Saying we need more data now is not an excuse," Steingraber said. Steingraber is part of the National Action Plan for Cancer and was "Ms. Magazine's" Woman of the Year in 1997

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