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by rapjr9 1622 days ago
True, but probably not something your doctor would tell you to do, and those tests don't even begin to address all the environmental factors that could be tested for that could affect health. One thought I've had is that everywhere in America with old industry should be tested for toxins, for example all of Eastern Massachusetts. In the old days bad stuff was just poured out in the woods and is probably still sitting there today. Waiting till it shows up as increased health problems in a particular geographic location doesn't seem proactive enough. Your doctor should ask for a PM2.5 count from your home, as well as a measure of organic volatiles, noise levels, allergens, CO2 levels, an air sample to put into a gas chromatograph, a soil sample to analyze, and more to know how your environment could be affecting your health. It wouldn't have be done often, but as a new patient it should be one of the first things done. Hell, even when geographically located disease is obvious like near the chemical refineries in Texas little is being done by the medical community and they certainly are not asking for environmental tests for industrial byproducts.

Rules requiring better informing citizens are good. I'd like the warnings to be proportional to the risk though, and I'd rather see the risks studied and reduced rather than just a warning meant to alter human behavior. Medical warnings often seem like EULA's, everyone pays no attention to them and clicks through. If there was instead a warning that described how to reduce risk, and where the worst risks are, and how to mitigate some of the risk, maybe people would pay more attention.