Palin's Nasal Love Affair

I caught this over at Bob Cesca's blog earlier today and wanted to add a little context to it, just so we can see what Palin is missing.

I love that smell of the emissions.

That was Palin during her "I'm riding 'Bitch' on this super-keen motor-cicle in D.C. doncha-know" thing.

So, what's is it about "emissions" that Caribou Barbie loves?

If you're into the serious scientific analysis of it, I suggest you read this. But for a more concise description of Palin's favorite new perfume, there's this little nugget for her to chop up and snort:

A short list of the likely pathogens in car exhaust:

Carbon Monoxide
Nitrogen dioxide
Sulphur dioxide
Suspended particles, PM-10 particles less than 10 microns in size.
Benzene
Formaldehyde
Polycyclic hydrocarbons

So let's look at what the PAH's ( Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ) do:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has determined that PAHs may be carcinogens. Several of the PAHs, including benzanthracene, benzopyrene, benzofluoranthene, benzofluoranthene, chrysene, dibenzanthracene, indenopyrene have caused tumors in laboratory animals when they ate them, when they were applied to their skin and when they breathed them in the air for long periods of time. Reports in humans show that individuals exposed by breathing or skin contact for long periods of time to mixtures of other compounds and PAHs can also develop cancer. Mice fed high levels of benzopyrene during pregnancy had difficulty reproducing and so did their offspring. The offspring from pregnant mice fed benzopyrene also showed other harmful effects, such as birth defects and decreased body weight. Similar effects could occur in humans, but we have no information to show that these effects do occur.

Studies in animals have also shown that PAHs can cause harmful effects on skin, body fluids, and the body's system for fighting disease after both short- and long-term exposure. These effects have not been reported in humans. PAHs are changed into chemicals that can attach to substances within the body. The presence of PAHs attached to these substances can then be measured in body tissues or blood after exposure to PAHs. However, this test is still being developed and it is not known yet how well it works. PAHs or their breakdown products can also be measured in urine. Although these tests can tell that you have been exposed to PAHs, it is not yet possible to use these tests to predict the severity of any health effects that might occur or to determine the extent of your exposure to the PAHs. These tests are not routinely available at a doctor's office because they require special equipment for sampling and detecting these chemicals.

Yeah, Sarah, sit behind Todd's big ass truck on Sunday afternoon and take a big whiff of that which you love so much.

This, among many other examples, shows how science and the mind of the Modern American Right, will never co-exist.