COMMON TOXINS HINDERING LYME TREATMENT
TBRF, BARTONELLA, AND BABESIA RECOVERY.

Another Grouping of Common Toxins Hindering Possible Herbal Success.

APPENDIX

here is a practical framework for the 50 environmental toxicants. The ratings are comparative—not diagnostic thresholds—and “autoimmune” is deliberately separated from general immune effects because evidence for direct causation of autoimmune disease is much weaker for many chemicals.

Key: ★★★★★ = very high/strong; ★ = relatively low/limited. Testing: A = well-established clinical/validated testing; B = useful in selected settings; C = primarily specialized/research biomonitoring.

Toxicant/group	1 Exposure	2 Persistence	3 Human toxicity evidence	4 Neuro	5 Endocrine	6 Immune/autoimmune	7 Cancer	8 Testing
Lead	★★★★★	★★★★★*	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★	★★	★★	A
Mercury	★★★★	★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★	★★★	★	A
Methylmercury	★★★	★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★	★★	★	A
Arsenic	★★★★	★★	★★★★★	★★★★	★★★	★★★	★★★★★	A
Cadmium	★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★	★★★	★★★	★★★★★	A
Chromium VI	★★	★★	★★★★★	★★	★	★★★	★★★★★	A/B
Nickel	★★★★	★★	★★★★	★★	★★	★★★★★†	★★★★	B
Manganese	★★★	★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★	★★	★	A
BPA	★★★★★	★	★★★	★★	★★★★★	★★★	★★	C
BPS	★★★★	★	★★	★★	★★★★	★★	★	C
BPF	★★★★	★	★★	★★	★★★★	★★	★	C
DEHP	★★★★★	★	★★★★	★★	★★★★★	★★★	★★	C
DBP	★★★★	★	★★★★	★★	★★★★★	★★	★	C
DiBP	★★★★	★	★★★	★★	★★★★	★★	★	C
BBP	★★★	★	★★★	★★	★★★★	★★	★★	C
DINP	★★★★	★	★★★	★★	★★★	★★	★★	C
PFOA	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★	★★★★	★★★★★‡	★★★★★	A/B
PFOS	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★	★★★★	★★★★★‡	★★★★	A/B
PFHxS	★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★	★★	★★★	★★★★	★★	B/C
PFNA	★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★	★★	★★★	★★★★	★★★	B/C
PCBs	★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★	★★★★★	B
Dioxins/TCDD	★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	C
PBDEs	★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★	★★★★	★★★★★	★★★	★★★	C
DDT/DDE	★★★	★★★★★	★★★★	★★★	★★★★★	★★★	★★★★★	B/C
Glyphosate	★★★★	★	★★★	★★	★★	★★	★★★§	C
Atrazine	★★★	★★	★★★	★★	★★★★	★★	★★	C
Chlorpyrifos	★★★	★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★	★★★	★★	B/C
Organophosphates	★★★★	★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★	★★★	★★	A/B
Pyrethroids	★★★★	★	★★★★	★★★★	★★	★★	★★	B/C
2,4-D	★★★	★	★★★	★★★	★★	★★	★★★	B/C
Benzene	★★★★★	★	★★★★★	★★★	★	★★★★★¶	★★★★★	A/B
Toluene	★★★★	★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★	★★	★	A/B
Xylenes	★★★★	★	★★★★	★★★★	★	★★	★	A/B
Ethylbenzene	★★★	★	★★★★	★★★	★	★★	★★★★	B
Formaldehyde	★★★★★	★	★★★★★	★★	★	★★★★	★★★★★	C
Styrene	★★★	★	★★★★	★★★★	★★	★★	★★★★	B
TCE	★★★	★★	★★★★★	★★★★	★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	B
PCE	★★★	★★	★★★★★	★★★★	★★	★★★	★★★★★	B
Methylene chloride	★★★	★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★	★★	★★★★★	B
Vinyl chloride	★★	★	★★★★★	★★★	★	★★	★★★★★	B
1,4-Dichlorobenzene	★★★	★★	★★★★	★★★	★★	★★	★★★	B
Chloroform	★★★★	★	★★★★	★★★	★★	★★	★★★★	B/C
Acrolein	★★★★	★	★★★★★	★★	★	★★★★	★★	C
Carbon monoxide	★★★	—	★★★★★	★★★★★	—	—	—	A
Benzo[a]pyrene	★★★★	★★★	★★★★★	★★★	★★★	★★★★	★★★★★	C
PAHs	★★★★★	★★	★★★★★	★★★	★★★	★★★★	★★★★★	B/C
PM2.5	★★★★★	—	★★★★★	★★★★	★★★	★★★★★	★★★★	Exposure monitoring
Asbestos	★★**	★★★★★	★★★★★	★	—	★★★★	★★★★★	Exposure/pathology
Radon	★★★	—	★★★★★	—	—	—	★★★★★	Home/workplace test
Perchlorate	★★★★	★	★★★★	★★	★★★★★	★★	★	C

* Lead persists particularly in bone, producing a long-term internal reservoir.
† Nickel’s strongest immune evidence concerns allergic sensitization/contact dermatitis, not systemic autoimmune disease.
‡ For PFAS, evidence for immune-system effects, including reduced antibody response, is stronger than evidence that PFAS directly causes a particular autoimmune disease.
§ Glyphosate’s carcinogenicity remains an area of differing regulatory evaluations.
¶ Benzene’s strongest immune/hematologic evidence involves bone-marrow and hematopoietic toxicity, rather than classic autoimmunity.
** Asbestos exposure is much higher in particular occupations/buildings than in the general population.

What the eight categories actually mean

1. Prevalence of exposure. How commonly Americans/Europeans encounter or have measurable exposure to the substance. CDC’s biomonitoring program measures hundreds of environmental chemicals in representative U.S. populations. CDC National Exposure Report

2. Persistence/bioaccumulation. This is particularly important for PFAS, PCBs, dioxins, DDE, PBDEs, cadmium and lead. Persistent chemicals can remain in the environment or human body long after the original exposure.

3. Strength of demonstrated human toxicity. Lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, benzene, carbon monoxide, TCE, asbestos and several others have exceptionally well-established human toxicology. ATSDR provides detailed toxicological profiles for many of these chemicals. ATSDR Toxicological Profiles

4. Neurological effects. The most important members of this list include lead, mercury/methylmercury, manganese, organophosphates, chlorpyrifos, solvents and carbon monoxide. Neurotoxicity may manifest differently according to dose and whether exposure occurs prenatally, during childhood or in adulthood.

5. Endocrine effects. Particularly noteworthy groups include bisphenols, phthalates, PFAS, PCBs, PBDEs, DDT/DDE and perchlorate. The Endocrine Society’s scientific statements review the evidence surrounding endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Endocrine Society scientific statement

6. Immune and autoimmune effects. This category needs the most caution. Evidence that a chemical modifies immune function is not equivalent to evidence that it causes autoimmune disease. Particularly important immunotoxicants/exposures include PFAS, dioxins, PCBs, benzene, silica (which I would add to an expanded list), TCE and air pollution/PM2.5. TCE is particularly interesting in experimental and epidemiologic research concerning immune dysregulation and autoimmunity.

7. Carcinogenicity. Among the strongest concerns on this list are arsenic, cadmium, Cr(VI), benzene, formaldehyde, vinyl chloride, TCE, asbestos, radon, dioxin and several PAHs. IARC’s Monographs are the major international resource for determining carcinogenic hazards. IARC Monographs

8. Clinically validated testing. This is perhaps the most important practical distinction. Blood lead, blood/urine mercury, urine arsenic with speciation when appropriate, blood cadmium, carboxyhemoglobin for CO, and cholinesterase testing for significant organophosphate exposure have established clinical applications. In contrast, measuring dozens or hundreds of environmental chemicals through broad commercial urine panels often has uncertain clinical interpretation.

Core full references

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals. National Center for Environmental Health, Division of Laboratory Sciences, Atlanta, GA. CDC National Exposure Report

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profiles. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Atlanta, GA. These profiles provide detailed toxicokinetic and human-health information for arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, benzene, TCE, PCBs and many other chemicals above. ATSDR Toxicological Profiles

International Agency for Research on Cancer. IARC Monographs on the Identification of Carcinogenic Hazards to Humans: Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs. World Health Organization, Lyon, France. IARC classifications

European Environment Agency. Chemicals and Health. European Environment Agency, Copenhagen. European human-biomonitoring programs demonstrate widespread exposure to chemical mixtures, including bisphenols, phthalates and PFAS. EEA Chemicals and Health

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-Up. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2022. doi:10.17226/26156. National Academies PFAS report

Gore AC, Chappell VA, Fenton SE, et al. EDC-2: The Endocrine Society’s Second Scientific Statement on Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals. Endocrine Reviews. 2015;36(6):E1-E150. doi:10.1210/er.2015-1010.