Effects of Environmental Toxicants Reach Down Through Generations

Previous studies and research have shown that pesticides and fungicides have negative side effects on an exposed animal and its next three generations.  However, recent studies have shown that a greater variety of toxicants can affect the exposed animals next three generations.  According to the article, these new toxicants include: "jet fuel, dioxin, plastics, DEET, and permethrin."  When the animal is exposed to such harmful toxins, its DNA sequence remains the same, but instead they change the way its genes turn off and on.

This study was carried out to study pollutants that U.S. troops may be surrounded by.  Scientists exposed pregnant female rats to relatively high, but non-fatal, amounts of the toxins.  They then tracked any changes in the three generations of offspring.  The results showed that "females reached puberty earlier, increased rates in he decay and death of sperm cells, and lower numbers of ovarian follicles that later become eggs."  Its interesting to see how these pollutants have such an effect on animals such as rats.  These toxicants are obviously not good for humans to be around as well, but I wonder if they could have similar effects in humans like they do in rats.