Human guinea pigs need better protection
by Nick Nance, reporter

    As a college student, I’ve suffered the pain of having little to no money.

   Never, however, have I become desperate enough to become a human guinea pig.

   It has been common practice over time to test the effect of chemicals on the human body. We’ve all seen the catchy ads “Earn Money Now!!!” and might have even pondered the idea.

   However, the idea quickly diminishes for those in their right mind when they read they are going to be ingesting rat poison for six months.

   That’s not always the case for college students suffering the desperate trials when strapped for cash.

   The most recent Time tells what happened to dozens of college Nebraskans in 1998 after they read a school newspaper advertisement urging students to “earn extra money.”

   They were directed to call the number listed, sign consent forms and begin popping a pill loaded with chlorpyrifos, the active ingredient in Raid roach spray.

   Chemical companies like Dow began clinical trials after Congress passed the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act, which tightened safety standards on thousands of pesticides.

   Probably, the most important aspect of what was covered in the article is the human risk. The risk to these college students in Nebraska is frighteningly not something restricted to just the study participants.

   The EPA sets acceptable exposure levels for humans by determining the lowest level that is harmful to lab animals and then reducing that amount by a series of factors.

   The way this is done is completely outrageous.

   Companies get into these studies and try and cover themselves with the endless mounds of paper they have participants sign.

   These companies believe that once they obtain their information, they are no longer liable to these people for the health problems they may have down the line.

   I am not against the use of humans for testing. I am angered by the companies that say, “Well, you signed the waiver” as people’s health begins to deteriorate.

   A local company, Lockheed Martin, was funding a study that had patients exposed to a form of rocket fuel. The exposure resulted in the shut down of the thyroid.

   This effect was discovered after more than 800 lawsuits against the company charging it leaked the chemical into the water supply making hundreds sick.

   Research is needed to ensure we know what health risks we face from certain chemicals. However, these companies conducting the study must be held more accountable for their research.