Toxic Inequities: Chemical Exposures and Indigenous Communities in Canada and the United States.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals have permeated global ecosystems, crossing international boundaries to contaminate people far from initial sources of production and consumption. Not only do toxic residues complicate political boundaries, they also confuse temporal distinctions, for their legacies persist long after they have been banned. Moreover, the risks of exposure to these chemicals are rarely equitably distributed in a human population. This article examines chemical exposures in four indigenous communities in the United States and Canada, arguing that quantitative risk assessment protocols have failed to protect these communities from harm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]