Deirdre Imus Talks to EBy Brita Belli Deirdre Imus (not to be confused with the Imus she’s married to) may not do her own house cleaning, but she knows the chemical makeup of name-brand cleaning products and the environmental and public health dangers they can cause. And her new book: Green This! Volume One: Greening Your Cleaning (Simon and Schuster, $15.95), is a readable, practical how-to book on ridding your home of toxins.
One of the scariest sections of Green This! focuses on the dangers of chlorine. Imus points out that chlorine bleach is almost impossible to find in Germany, which recognizes it as toxic, while lenient laws in the U.S. have allowed chlorine in every segment of our lives: from shower, to swimming pool, to dishwasher to washing machine. Consider this: “The dishwasher opens at waist heights for most adults. But that door is right at the level of kids’ mouths, which means those chlorine vapors are going straight into their bodies.” The book’s remedies for toxic ills are easy: distilled white vinegar and baking soda, essential oils, lemon juice, and even ketchup factor in. And a glossary lists not-so-well-known chemicals (from dioxin to methylene chloride) to avoid.
Imus’s history as an environmental and children’s health advocate is well-established: She is the founder and president of the Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology and launched the Greening the Cleaning line of safe, nontoxic cleaners for industrial and retail use (all of the profits go back into research for healthier kids, as do all book proceeds). Her loudmouthed radio talk show husband, Don, clearly wasn’t thinking about his wife’s book release when he disrespected the Rutgers women’s basketball team on April 4, lost his job and stirred up a tornado of negative publicity. The controversy led her to abandon her book tour just as it was about to get underway. But Imus now says she will resume publicity for the book, which has already reached 14 on the New York Times bestseller list (under “paperback advice”), and a subsequent volume on children’s health is in the works. The world may be tired of hearing Don, but apparently they’re ready to listen to his wife.
E Magazine: What is the link between the way we clean and children’s health?
Deirdre Imus: I got involved in all this because of children’s health and seeing the significant increases in asthma, allergies, cancer, autism, learning disabilities over the last 15 to 20 years. A lot in our environment has changed, mainly the amount of everyday toxins that our children are breathing through the air, food, water and soil. Thousands and thousands of toxins.
Why has the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) failed to test these chemicals?
There are over 80,000 chemicals that are in the environment, and fewer than two percent have actually been tested for their safety. That’s a lot to keep up with. Some 1,200 new chemicals are introduced in the market every year. To accurately test and categorize all of them costs a lot of money. To me it’s the wrong approach. Let’s have manufacturers prove the safety of these things, and if a product contains chemicals that are already listed by the EPA as a known or possible carcinogen, or known neurotoxin or endocrine disruptor or hormone disruptor, then we need to make sure that those chemicals don’t get into our everyday products. There’s legislation now, the Kids Chemical Safety Act, that asks for exactly that.
It’s difficult to prove there's a link between toxins and childhood cancer or asthma rates. Did hospitals that switched to your products see improvement?
On the institutional line, we’re now working with more than 200 different clients—50 of them are hospitals—plus hundreds of schools and day care centers and airports. To date, they also have saved money. You go into a school system and the first thing they ask you is, “What is this going to cost?” Even though they know this might be healthier to do, people still unfortunately base everything on money. So far, we’ve seen anywhere from three percent to 75 percent in cost savings. Also, this is all not-for-profit. By implementing the institutional Greening the Cleaning line, 100 percent of those profits go back into the Environmental Center for children’s health and research and education. But ironically, we’re in competition now with all the big chemical companies, and other green companies that are out there.
And lot of chemical companies are using word “natural” to cash in on the green trend.
People don’t always make protecting children’s health and the health of the planet their first priority. These big companies are starting to lose part of their profit margin because of the green movement. Some of these chemical companies who have been out there since the 1930s are now saying that they have a green product. They say, for example, that they’ve kicked the phosphate out and now they’re green. And this is misleading, because the public is still trying to understand what nontoxic is.
With cleaning products, it’s important that it’s nontoxic—that you’re not using ingredients that have been listed as possible or known carcinogens—neurotoxins, hormone disruptors, endocrine disruptors, teratogens. You’re not using familiar ones that we all know, meaning no ammonia, no chlorine bleach, no phosphate, no formaldehyde, no benzene, no toluene, no petroleum-based ingredients.
First, look for a cleaning product that says right on the label that all ingredients are disclosed. That’ll eliminate almost everything. A lot of those famous brands don’t even list one percent of their product. In most cases, it’s all synthetic chemicals, it’s all toxins. With a healthy, green, nontoxic cleaning product, there should only be a handful of ingredients. It has to have a surfactant, which is the sudsing agent that binds the product; it has to have water, and that water should be spring or purified water.
The surfactant should be vegetable-based, from corn, soy, coconut or something like that. If there’s some kind of fragrance in it, it should say “from botanicals” or flowers or plant essence, essential oils. My products clearly disclose all ingredients, and I name about six to seven other companies in my book that also disclose their ingredients.
People look at cars and their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, but if we looked at all of our everyday products, all of our personal care products, the amount of petroleum that we use, it’s the basis for most of our products.
And so much of it goes down the drain.
That all goes down your water system when you clean, or any product you use, and then it ends up in our drinking and our bathing water. And it’s affecting all of our fish, and it’s creating problems in the ocean. And then there are CO2 emissions from the manufacturing of these products. So there’s a whole connection here. Something as simple as a cleaning product can have a huge impact on the planet.
The EPA has done studies showing that, because of chemicals, indoor air quality can become five to 10 times more toxic than outdoor air quality. Your home holds these chemicals in so they don’t disperse. [Changing cleaning habits is] something that’s tangible and realistic for everyone. Not for someone that can afford it. This is for everybody to do. And it shouldn’t cost you any more money.
In reading your book, it seems like distilled white vinegar seems will tackle most jobs.
There are many things it won’t clean, like carpets, and you’d have to put it in spray bottles. But I talk about the way you can, with five core green products (most of which people already have) clean everything in your home. White distilled vinegar is one of them. Baking soda, lemon juice, white distilled vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and table salt. You’re saving money. A good nontoxic cleaner like white distilled vinegar replaces all your chlorine bleach products. The process of making chlorine bleach produces mercury, one of the most toxic elements. Chlorine bleach emits toxic, heavy vapors. It’s heavier than air, so the vapors lie low once they’re released. If you have a baby or toddler and they’re crawling around, they’re breathing in a lot more of that toxin than you are.
And they’re putting things in their mouths.
And they’re mouthing everything. And their cells are turning over so much faster because they’re developing. Why would we want to expose [children] to these toxins? If we have healthy alternatives, it just makes sense, because it’s a way to prevent exposure. We see too much of a link with these neurotoxins, including lower IQs in children. One out of six kids in this country now has a learning disability. That’s an epidemic number. Cancer has been steadily increasing over the last 30 years, specifically brain cancers and leukemia are rising. Those two types of cancers have been linked in studies to high exposure of pesticides. And neurotoxins. There are these connections with pest control and spraying the soccer fields and spraying our schools, spraying everything.
BRITA BELLI is managing editor of E.
CONTACTS: Green This! on Amazon; The Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology
Did you enjoy this article? Subscribe to E/The Environmental Magazine!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
Hair To Die For?
Check out this CBS news story:
Hair Product Danger
CBS News Online
Another reason I'm so very glad that I'm a customer for life of a company who is environmentally responsible and cares about my health as much as I do! I'd love to tell you about it, in case you know someone who might want to know about an online, wholesale store like this.
Hair Product Danger
CBS News Online
Another reason I'm so very glad that I'm a customer for life of a company who is environmentally responsible and cares about my health as much as I do! I'd love to tell you about it, in case you know someone who might want to know about an online, wholesale store like this.
Friday, October 26, 2007
So Clean, It’s Sickening
So Clean, It’s Sickening
by author Michael Downey, BSc
After centuries of using simple cleaners–and elbow grease–synthetic compounds invaded our homes half a century ago. Now, cleaners are the most hazardous chemicals in your home. And because these compounds are not dispersed as easily indoors as outdoors, concentrations of toxic chemicals are higher in your home than outside--some more than 100 times higher, according to a United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report. Ironically, our health may require us to return to our original products.
Sales of household products–laundry detergent, cleaners and such–run about $100 billion a year worldwide, with the US comprising 25 percent of the total. More than 150 chemicals found in the average home are linked with allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities, says the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Everyone who has added chlorine bleach to laundry knows it’s impossible to use cleaning chemicals and not breathe in at least some of the fumes. Some might know that the skin is another common route for chemical exposure. Less well known is the fact that this exposure can greatly harm the body.
Remember: Warning words--such as danger, caution and poisonous–pertain only to immediate hazards. The labels don’t indicate the effect chemicals have on long-term human and environmental health.
Health Risks
So what health risks lie in the cleaning products under your sink? And what can you do to avoid them?
Phosphates–found in laundry and dishwater detergents–are non-irritating but create unbalanced ecosystems by fostering dangerously explosive marine plant growth.
Sodium hypochlorite, or chlorine bleach, is a lung and eye irritant. Mixed with ammonia or vinegar, it can cause asthmatic symptoms and serious respiratory problems. It creates cancer-causing compounds in water.
Petroleum distillates, found in metal polish and other cleaners, can cause temporary eye clouding. Longer exposure can damage the nervous system, skin, kidneys and eyes.
Ammonia, most common in glass cleaner, is a lung and skin irritant. Mixed with bleach, it can produce chloramine gas, which causes choking and lung damage.
Disinfectants, such as phenol and cresol, can cause diarrhea and kidney and liver damage.
Furniture polishes contain nitrobenzene, which is linked with shallow breathing, cancer and birth defects.
Carpet cleaners and spot removers contain perchloroethylene. This eye, skin and lung irritant can cause liver and kidney damage if ingested and is considered a probable human carcinogen.
Toilet bowl cleaners emit naphthalene fumes, which can cause liver and kidney damage if ingested. These cleaners contain aradichlorobenzene–a probable cause of
cancer–and acids that can cause blindness.
Cleaners containing citrus can claim to be "natural." But often d’limonene, a known sensitizer, is the active ingredient. The US Department of Health reports that d’limonene can be more toxic than toluene–which can damage bone marrow, liver and kidneys.
Fabric softeners and dryer sheets contain chemicals such as chloroform and benzyl acetate that are neurotoxic and carcinogenic, and can cause nausea, vomiting and convulsions. You can be exposed through inhalation or skin contact from dryer exhaust or from treated clothes, sheets and towels.
And that’s just the short list of health problems. These chemicals persist in the environment, poisoning marine life and mammals, and saturating soil and water tables. And if you have a septic tank, chemical laundry products can wipe out the bacteria required to make the tank work properly.
Eco-Friendly Shopping
Choosing eco-friendly cleaning products–and removing toxic ones–goes a long way toward ensuring a home with fresh, clean air. You can reduce your household’s toxic burden on your health and the environment by following
these steps.
Get rid of all products with harmful ingredients such as sponges with antibacterial ingredients and cleaning products with labels using words such as warning, caution, corrosive or danger.
Replace them with non-toxic, biodegradable substitutes from natural food stores.
Avoid disinfectants and bleaches; ask about natural alternatives at health food stores.
Reuse old shirts as rags and more. Use cloth rags instead of paper towels to save trees–and save money.
Plants can lower air pollution and add oxygen to indoor air.
Until you become practised at reading labels, the easiest way to choose a safe cleaner is to steer clear of cleaners at supermarkets and drugstores–except for baking soda.
At most natural product stores, knowledgable staff will help you find a host of non-toxic, environmentally safe cleaning, polishing and air freshener options.
Virtually all of these products are non-toxic, child safe, biodegradable (breaks down safely in the environment), hypoallergenic (doesn’t cause allergic reactions), cruelty-free (produced without cruelty to animals), septic-tank safe and packaged in recycled materials.
What About those High Prices?
Betty Norton, supplements manager at Lifestyle Markets on Douglas Street in Victoria, says that concentrated forms of eco-friendly cleaners are not as expensive as they seem. They dilute, furnishing much larger quantities.
Concentration is part of the green cleaners’ environmental strategy. A concentrated cleaner requires less packaging to deliver the same results. All you might need of a green cleaner is one tablespoon, whereas the mainstream counterpart would use one-quarter to one-half cup.
You can be sure they’re safe--barring unique allergies. And if you forget why choosing eco-products can be a lifesaver, Norton sums it up clearly: "Our skin absorbs all the substances it comes into contact with–so you don’t want to be handling toxic substances."
Based in Toronto, Michael Downey is a nutritionist and writer whose work appears in natural health magazines and in the health sections of a number of US and Canadian newspapers.
by author Michael Downey, BSc
After centuries of using simple cleaners–and elbow grease–synthetic compounds invaded our homes half a century ago. Now, cleaners are the most hazardous chemicals in your home. And because these compounds are not dispersed as easily indoors as outdoors, concentrations of toxic chemicals are higher in your home than outside--some more than 100 times higher, according to a United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report. Ironically, our health may require us to return to our original products.
Sales of household products–laundry detergent, cleaners and such–run about $100 billion a year worldwide, with the US comprising 25 percent of the total. More than 150 chemicals found in the average home are linked with allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities, says the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Everyone who has added chlorine bleach to laundry knows it’s impossible to use cleaning chemicals and not breathe in at least some of the fumes. Some might know that the skin is another common route for chemical exposure. Less well known is the fact that this exposure can greatly harm the body.
Remember: Warning words--such as danger, caution and poisonous–pertain only to immediate hazards. The labels don’t indicate the effect chemicals have on long-term human and environmental health.
Health Risks
So what health risks lie in the cleaning products under your sink? And what can you do to avoid them?
Phosphates–found in laundry and dishwater detergents–are non-irritating but create unbalanced ecosystems by fostering dangerously explosive marine plant growth.
Sodium hypochlorite, or chlorine bleach, is a lung and eye irritant. Mixed with ammonia or vinegar, it can cause asthmatic symptoms and serious respiratory problems. It creates cancer-causing compounds in water.
Petroleum distillates, found in metal polish and other cleaners, can cause temporary eye clouding. Longer exposure can damage the nervous system, skin, kidneys and eyes.
Ammonia, most common in glass cleaner, is a lung and skin irritant. Mixed with bleach, it can produce chloramine gas, which causes choking and lung damage.
Disinfectants, such as phenol and cresol, can cause diarrhea and kidney and liver damage.
Furniture polishes contain nitrobenzene, which is linked with shallow breathing, cancer and birth defects.
Carpet cleaners and spot removers contain perchloroethylene. This eye, skin and lung irritant can cause liver and kidney damage if ingested and is considered a probable human carcinogen.
Toilet bowl cleaners emit naphthalene fumes, which can cause liver and kidney damage if ingested. These cleaners contain aradichlorobenzene–a probable cause of
cancer–and acids that can cause blindness.
Cleaners containing citrus can claim to be "natural." But often d’limonene, a known sensitizer, is the active ingredient. The US Department of Health reports that d’limonene can be more toxic than toluene–which can damage bone marrow, liver and kidneys.
Fabric softeners and dryer sheets contain chemicals such as chloroform and benzyl acetate that are neurotoxic and carcinogenic, and can cause nausea, vomiting and convulsions. You can be exposed through inhalation or skin contact from dryer exhaust or from treated clothes, sheets and towels.
And that’s just the short list of health problems. These chemicals persist in the environment, poisoning marine life and mammals, and saturating soil and water tables. And if you have a septic tank, chemical laundry products can wipe out the bacteria required to make the tank work properly.
Eco-Friendly Shopping
Choosing eco-friendly cleaning products–and removing toxic ones–goes a long way toward ensuring a home with fresh, clean air. You can reduce your household’s toxic burden on your health and the environment by following
these steps.
Get rid of all products with harmful ingredients such as sponges with antibacterial ingredients and cleaning products with labels using words such as warning, caution, corrosive or danger.
Replace them with non-toxic, biodegradable substitutes from natural food stores.
Avoid disinfectants and bleaches; ask about natural alternatives at health food stores.
Reuse old shirts as rags and more. Use cloth rags instead of paper towels to save trees–and save money.
Plants can lower air pollution and add oxygen to indoor air.
Until you become practised at reading labels, the easiest way to choose a safe cleaner is to steer clear of cleaners at supermarkets and drugstores–except for baking soda.
At most natural product stores, knowledgable staff will help you find a host of non-toxic, environmentally safe cleaning, polishing and air freshener options.
Virtually all of these products are non-toxic, child safe, biodegradable (breaks down safely in the environment), hypoallergenic (doesn’t cause allergic reactions), cruelty-free (produced without cruelty to animals), septic-tank safe and packaged in recycled materials.
What About those High Prices?
Betty Norton, supplements manager at Lifestyle Markets on Douglas Street in Victoria, says that concentrated forms of eco-friendly cleaners are not as expensive as they seem. They dilute, furnishing much larger quantities.
Concentration is part of the green cleaners’ environmental strategy. A concentrated cleaner requires less packaging to deliver the same results. All you might need of a green cleaner is one tablespoon, whereas the mainstream counterpart would use one-quarter to one-half cup.
You can be sure they’re safe--barring unique allergies. And if you forget why choosing eco-products can be a lifesaver, Norton sums it up clearly: "Our skin absorbs all the substances it comes into contact with–so you don’t want to be handling toxic substances."
Based in Toronto, Michael Downey is a nutritionist and writer whose work appears in natural health magazines and in the health sections of a number of US and Canadian newspapers.
How Much Impact Do Toxic Chemicals Have on Society? Read the Statistics.
- More than 7 million accidental poisonings occur each year, with more than 75% involving children under age 6!
—The Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons
- According to the U.S. Poison Control Centers, "A child is accidentally poisoned every 30 seconds at home..."
- The Average American Uses about 25 Gallons of toxic, hazardous chemical products per year in their home...A major portion of these can be found in household cleaning products. —"Prosperity Without Pollution,"by Joel S. Hirschorn and Kirsten V. Oldenburg, 1991
- Women who work at home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than those who work away from home. The 15-year study concluded it was as a direct result of the much higher exposure rate to toxic chemicals in common household products!
—Toronto Indoor Air Conference 1990
- The toxic chemicals in household cleaners are three times more likely to cause cancer than air pollution.
– Environmental Protection Agency report in 1985
- Cancer rates have increased since 1901 from only 1 in 8,000 Americans, to 1 in 3 today! By the year 2010, this disease will afflict 1 of every 2 individuals!
—American Cancer Society
- Of chemicals commonly found in homes, 150 have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer, and psychological abnormalities.
—Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Cancer rates have continued to increase every year since 1970. Brain cancer in children is up 40% in 20 years. Toxic chemicals are largely to blame.
—NY Times, September 29, 1997
- When combined, chemicals are even more dangerous. Deadly fumes result from mixing ammonia with bleach (both found in many household products) creating lethal “mustard gas”!
—U.S. Government, E.P.A.
- According to the National Research Council, no toxic information is available for more than 80% of the chemicals in everyday-use products.
Only 1% of toxins are required to be listed on labels, because companies classify their formulas as "trade secrets."
—Lorie Dwornick, researcher, educator and activist, 2002
- In the past 50 years more than 75,000 chemicals have been introduced into the environment. Today 300 synthetic chemicals are found in the bodies of humans. Even newborn babies have synthetic chemicals passed on from their mothers.
—REACH (Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals, a European Union program)
- Unregulated air pollution has caused one in six children in the Central Valley of California to suffer from asthma. More than 5000 children in the San Joaquin Valley Air District are hospitalized each year for asthma. The death rate from respiratory diseases in the Imperial Valley -- at times more than double that of the rest of the state. Up to 2.2 million Californians suffer from asthma.
—California's State Department of Health Services
- Nationwide, air pollution causes between 50,000 and 100,000 premature deaths per year – and soot accounts for a majority of these. Soot is the most deadly air pollutant, accounting for more deaths than homicides or automobile accidents. According to the California Air Resources Board, diesel soot accounts for 70 percent of the cancer risk from toxic air pollution statewide.
—Earthjustice
- The Washington (state) Department of Health discovered that one fourth of tested farm workers handling pesticides were overexposed to extremely hazardous chemicals. Carbamates or organophosphates can cause dizziness, breathing problems, muscle twitching, and paralysis.
- Scientists are discovering a whole universe of health effects associated with the products of our industrial age with profound implications for public health and regulatory policy. The continuous appearance of toxic effects at lower and lower levels of exposure is especially troubling since low-level exposure to some chemicals is practically universal.
—The 2050 Project Newsletter, Fall 1994;State of the World 1994, Worldwatch Institute
- More than 32 million pounds of household cleaning products are poured down the drain each day nationwide. The toxic substances found in many of these are not adequately removed by sewage treatment plants. Guess what happens when these are returned to the rivers from which cities draw their drinking water?
—Spring 2002 Edition of CCA Newsletter Partners "Cleaning Without Toxic Chemicals"
- More than 75,000 chemicals are licensed for commercial use.
- More than 2,000 new synthetic chemicals are registered every year.
- The EPA tallied close to 10,000 chemical ingredients in cosmetics, food and consumer products. Very few of these chemicals were in our environment or our bodies just 75 years ago.
- In 1998, U.S. industries manufactured 6.5 trillion pounds of 9,000 different chemicals.
In 2000, major American companies dumped 7.1 billion pounds of 650 different industrial chemicals into our air and water. - Except in the case of foods, drugs or pesticides, companies are under no legal or regulatory obligation to concern themselves with how their products might harm human health.
—Alexandra Rome, Co-director of the Sustainable Futures Group at Commonweal, a nonprofit health and environmental research institute, until 2000.
- Within 26 seconds after exposure to chemicals such as cleaning products , traces of these chemicals can be found in every organ in the body.
- More than 1.4 million Americans exposed to household chemicals were referred to poison control centers in 2001. Of these, 824,000 were children under 6 years.
- A New York sanitation worker was killed in 1998 when a hazardous liquid in household trash sprayed his face and clothes.
- At any given time, there is 3.36 million tons of household hazardous waste to contend with in our country.
—Chec's HealtheHouse,the resource for Environmental Health Risks Affecting Your Children
- In 1990, more than 4,000 toddlers under age four were admitted to hospital emergency rooms as a result of household cleaner-related injuries. That same year, three-fourths of the 18,000 pesticide-related hospital emergency room admissions were children.
Over 80 percent of adults and 90 percent of children in the United States have residues of one or more harmful pesticides in their bodies. - Petrochemical cleaning products in the home are easily absorbed into the skin. Once absorbed, the toxins travel to the blood stream and are deposited in the fatty tissues where they may exist indefinitely.
—"In Harm's Way," a study by "The Clean Water Fund" and "Physicians for Social Responsibility" May 11, 2000
DO YOU REALL BELIEVE THAT IF IT WERE NOT SAFE AND GOOD FOR YOU, THE STORE WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO SELL IT? PLEASE, THINK AGAIN. If you'd like information about how you can reduce your chemical exposure, please contact this blogger.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Why reduce toxins?
From the foods we eat to how we maintain our yards and clean our homes, we can be exposed to chemicals in many ways. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), only a fraction of the more than 75,000 registered chemicals have gone through complete testing for human health concerns. Some chemicals have immediate toxic effects. Others are toxic to our bodies only after repeated, long-term exposure.
Children are especially susceptible to the negative effects of chemicals, warns the EPA's Office of Children's Health Protection.
Pound for pound, children breathe more air, drink more water, and eat more food, and when they play, they crawl and put things in their mouths. As a result, children have an increased chance of exposure to potential pollutants, and because children's bodies are still developing, they may process these pollutants differently from adults. Nursing mothers and women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant should also take precautions.
A good principle to follow is always to look for ways to reduce or eliminate the use of toxic chemicals as we go about our daily lives, to keep our homes safe for our children, our pets, and us.
What you can do
Simple changes in our everyday routines can reduce our long-term exposures to low levels of potentially harmful substances—changes in how we choose the products we buy, or the ways we clean our houses and take care of the yard. These changes will not only make our homes safer, they may also save us money.
Consider these helpful ideas for reducing toxic exposures in your home.
Reducing toxics inside your house
Until recently, indoor air pollution has been largely ignored as a source of exposure to toxicity. But studies have shown that levels of harmful chemicals in indoor air may exceed the standards set by the EPA to protect us from harmful chemicals. You can avoid such levels in your home by buying and using products that are free of toxic chemicals whenever possible.
Choosing the products you buy
Whenever possible, buy products that are free of toxic chemicals. Alternatives are available. The market for non-toxic household products is growing in response to customer demand.
When purchasing products, take a minute to carefully read the label. Look for products that appear to disclose all their ingredients.
Before you use a product, carefully read the directions and follow the instructions. Be sure to use the correct amount of a product. Remember, you won't get twice the results by using twice as much.
Select products (cleaners, shampoos, etc.) made from plant-based materials, such as oils made from citrus, seed, vegetable or pine. By doing so, you are selecting products that are biodegradable and generally less toxic. These products also provide the additional benefit of being made from renewable resources. Ask for plant-based products at your local grocery or retail store.
Choose pump spray containers instead of aerosols. Pressurized aerosol products often produce a finer mist that is more easily inhaled. Aerosols also put unnecessary volatile organic chemicals into your indoor air when you use them.
Ask for unbleached paper products or products bleached with hydrogen peroxide or oxygen, which produce less pollution during papermaking.
For yourself: Bath, beauty and hygiene products
Avoid using antibacterial soaps. Antibacterial agents, while not directly harmful to you, contribute to the growing problem we face when bacteria mutate to strains that are more drug-resistant. Remember, however, that hand washing with any soap is still vital to maintaining good health.
Purchase a mercury-free fever thermometer. Many effective alternatives are on the shelves at your local pharmacy. Broken mercury fever thermometers can be a source of toxic mercury levels in your home and discarded products containing mercury contribute to higher levels in the environment. consult your county house-hold hazardous waste program manager to learn where to take your old thermometer. (For information, see www.swmcb.org or www.pca.state.mn.us/waste.)
Use eye drops, contact lens solutions, and nasal sprays and drops that are free of thimerosal or other mercury-containing preservatives.
Look for unscented and natural dyes in products to avoid potential allergic reactions.
Recipes for personal care products using natural ingredients— baking soda, lemon juice, etc.—can be found online: www.care2.com/channels/solutions/self/114.
Keeping your house clean
Remove your shoes when you enter your house. Your shoes can track in harmful amounts of pesticides, lead, cadmium and other chemicals. Keeping a floor mat at your doors for people to wipe their feet on when they enter will also help.
Vacuum carpets and floors regularly. Children playing on your carpet may actually be more exposed to pesticides lodged in the carpet than from the outside, because pesticides break down less readily indoors than outdoors in the sunlight. Use a fine particulate filter, such as a HEPA filter, in your vacuum cleaner, if possible. Otherwise, the dust vacuumed up is redistributed into the air where it can be inhaled.
Single-ingredient, common household materials such as baking soda, vinegar, or plant-based soaps and detergents can often do the job on your carpet or other surfaces. Soap and water has been shown to keep surfaces as free of bacteria as antibacterial soaps do. If your carpet needs professional cleaning, enlist a carpet service that uses less-toxic cleaners that are low in VOCs and irritants.
Baking soda works well to clean sinks, tubs and toilets, and it freshens drains as well.
Vegetable oil with a little lemon juice works wonders on wood furniture.
Simmer a mixture of cloves and cinnamon or use vinegar and water as a safe and environmentally friendly air freshener. Consider how you can eliminate odor problems rather than just covering them up.
Use vinegar and water in a pump spray bottle for cleaning mirrors and shining chrome. Vinegar or soap and water with drying rags or a squeegee also work well for cleaning windows.
Use reusable unbleached cotton towels, rags, and non-scratch scrubbing sponges for all-purpose cleaning instead of bleached disposable paper products.
Use dishwasher detergents that are free of chlorine bleach and lowest in phosphates.
Use bathroom cleaners that are free of aerosol propellants and antibacterial agents.
What you eat
Choose organic fruits and vegetables for your family whenever possible. They have been shown to have less pesticide residue.
Rinse all fruits and vegetables thoroughly to remove fertilizer residues.
Don't microwave foods in plastic containers. Chemicals from the plastic container can become absorbed by food during microwaving. Cover with waxed paper or paper towel instead of plastic wrap to keep food from spattering.
Controlling pests
In order to survive, pests need food, water and living space. Remove all food sources through good sanitation and storage habits (i.e., screw-cap jars, zip-lock bags, garbage pails with tight-fitting lids). Block pest entrances to your kitchen by caulking holes, using door sweeps on the bottom of doors, and keeping window screens in good repair. Avoid placing chemical pesticides around your kitchen to kill indoor insect and rodent pests.
Avoid using no-pest strips. They contain pesticides that are released to the air in your home.
When storing winter clothing, use cedar blocks or bags of cedar chips hung with your clothes. Avoid mothballs that contain p-dichloro benzene or naphthalene, which are very toxic and also contribute to respiratory problems.
Consult your veterinarian for non-toxic pest control products for use on pet pests such as fleas and ticks.
Use non-toxic head lice treatments, including combing, enzyme-based treatments and mayonnaise or oil. See www.headlice.org for more information.
Doing the laundry
Instead of more complicated detergents, try using a combination of washing soda and borax in your machine. These are usually as effective as more complex formulas and are also usually cheaper.
When possible, hang clothes to dry outside to avoid using the dryer, which uses energy and depletes resources. In winter, fluff the clothes in the dryer, and then hang to dry indoors. You get the added benefit of increased humidity.
Avoid bleach when possible. If whitening is needed, use non-chlorine bleach, which are oxygen-based and often highly effective.
Buy clothes that don't need drycleaning or use an alternative called "wet cleaning." Clothes that have been drycleaned emit perchlorethylene, a chemical that can cause cancer. The wet cleaning process uses water so there are no harmful gases emitted from the cleaned clothing. MnTAP maintains a list of cleaners that use the wet cleaning process: http://mntap.umn.edu/drycl/consumer.htm.
Clotheslines: A healthy hangup
Don't rely on dryer sheets for freshening your laundry. Clotheslines are a great way to keep clothes, sheets and towels smelling clean. Fabrics will last longer if they're not tumbled around—after all, isn't dryer lint made up entirely of material from your clothes?
Reducing toxics in the yard
Mowing your grass to a height of about 3½ inches is the most important thing you can do to improve the health of your lawn. By keeping grass length longer, the roots grow deeper and can reach more water during dry periods. Longer grass also creates shade, making it harder for weeds to get established.
If you use a lawn service, consider a service provider that uses less-toxic alternatives.
Test the soil to see what your soil needs. Apply only as much fertilizer as is needed. Soil test kits can be purchased at a lawn and garden store.
If your grass grows in heavy clay soil, aeration can be very beneficial. Aeration decreases compaction and allows air and water to get to the roots.
Weeds such as dandelions can be removed easily by digging them up with a fishtail weeder when the soil is damp.
Top dressing your lawn with a compost-soil mix will reduce your lawn's water needs and make it more resistant to drought and disease. You will need to fertilize less often, and when you do, you can use less fertilizer.
Consider replacing parts of your yard with native perennials that lower maintenance and lessen the need for water and chemicals.
Ask at your garden store for less-toxic alternatives to chemical pesticides to control pests.
Building and remodeling
When building or remodeling your home, ask for building materials and supplies that have the least amount of formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds. VOCs have been shown to cause cancer or developmental problems. Toxic fumes can come from unexpected sources like new carpet and cabinets.
Choose no- and low-VOC paints and varnishes when finishing walls, floors and furniture. Make sure you have proper ventilation.
Ask for carpeting that meets standards for indoor air quality established by the Carpet and Rug Institute. Once a carpet is installed, thoroughly air out the house for at least 48 hours.
For decks and playground equipment, use reclaimed cedar or redwood, which is naturally resistant to fungus and insects. Or use recycled plastic lumber. Ask about these products at your home improvement store.
Avoid using "green-treated" lumber, which is treated with the toxic compound copper chromium arsenate (CCA). In particular, don't use it for eating surfaces on picnic tables or children's play equipment. Clean up all scrap treated wood and sawdust and dispose of it properly—it should go to a lined landfill or licensed waste incinerator. Treated wood should not be burned at home for bonfires or stoves/fireplaces.
Children are especially susceptible to the negative effects of chemicals, warns the EPA's Office of Children's Health Protection.
Pound for pound, children breathe more air, drink more water, and eat more food, and when they play, they crawl and put things in their mouths. As a result, children have an increased chance of exposure to potential pollutants, and because children's bodies are still developing, they may process these pollutants differently from adults. Nursing mothers and women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant should also take precautions.
A good principle to follow is always to look for ways to reduce or eliminate the use of toxic chemicals as we go about our daily lives, to keep our homes safe for our children, our pets, and us.
What you can do
Simple changes in our everyday routines can reduce our long-term exposures to low levels of potentially harmful substances—changes in how we choose the products we buy, or the ways we clean our houses and take care of the yard. These changes will not only make our homes safer, they may also save us money.
Consider these helpful ideas for reducing toxic exposures in your home.
Reducing toxics inside your house
Until recently, indoor air pollution has been largely ignored as a source of exposure to toxicity. But studies have shown that levels of harmful chemicals in indoor air may exceed the standards set by the EPA to protect us from harmful chemicals. You can avoid such levels in your home by buying and using products that are free of toxic chemicals whenever possible.
Choosing the products you buy
Whenever possible, buy products that are free of toxic chemicals. Alternatives are available. The market for non-toxic household products is growing in response to customer demand.
When purchasing products, take a minute to carefully read the label. Look for products that appear to disclose all their ingredients.
Before you use a product, carefully read the directions and follow the instructions. Be sure to use the correct amount of a product. Remember, you won't get twice the results by using twice as much.
Select products (cleaners, shampoos, etc.) made from plant-based materials, such as oils made from citrus, seed, vegetable or pine. By doing so, you are selecting products that are biodegradable and generally less toxic. These products also provide the additional benefit of being made from renewable resources. Ask for plant-based products at your local grocery or retail store.
Choose pump spray containers instead of aerosols. Pressurized aerosol products often produce a finer mist that is more easily inhaled. Aerosols also put unnecessary volatile organic chemicals into your indoor air when you use them.
Ask for unbleached paper products or products bleached with hydrogen peroxide or oxygen, which produce less pollution during papermaking.
For yourself: Bath, beauty and hygiene products
Avoid using antibacterial soaps. Antibacterial agents, while not directly harmful to you, contribute to the growing problem we face when bacteria mutate to strains that are more drug-resistant. Remember, however, that hand washing with any soap is still vital to maintaining good health.
Purchase a mercury-free fever thermometer. Many effective alternatives are on the shelves at your local pharmacy. Broken mercury fever thermometers can be a source of toxic mercury levels in your home and discarded products containing mercury contribute to higher levels in the environment. consult your county house-hold hazardous waste program manager to learn where to take your old thermometer. (For information, see www.swmcb.org or www.pca.state.mn.us/waste.)
Use eye drops, contact lens solutions, and nasal sprays and drops that are free of thimerosal or other mercury-containing preservatives.
Look for unscented and natural dyes in products to avoid potential allergic reactions.
Recipes for personal care products using natural ingredients— baking soda, lemon juice, etc.—can be found online: www.care2.com/channels/solutions/self/114.
Keeping your house clean
Remove your shoes when you enter your house. Your shoes can track in harmful amounts of pesticides, lead, cadmium and other chemicals. Keeping a floor mat at your doors for people to wipe their feet on when they enter will also help.
Vacuum carpets and floors regularly. Children playing on your carpet may actually be more exposed to pesticides lodged in the carpet than from the outside, because pesticides break down less readily indoors than outdoors in the sunlight. Use a fine particulate filter, such as a HEPA filter, in your vacuum cleaner, if possible. Otherwise, the dust vacuumed up is redistributed into the air where it can be inhaled.
Single-ingredient, common household materials such as baking soda, vinegar, or plant-based soaps and detergents can often do the job on your carpet or other surfaces. Soap and water has been shown to keep surfaces as free of bacteria as antibacterial soaps do. If your carpet needs professional cleaning, enlist a carpet service that uses less-toxic cleaners that are low in VOCs and irritants.
Baking soda works well to clean sinks, tubs and toilets, and it freshens drains as well.
Vegetable oil with a little lemon juice works wonders on wood furniture.
Simmer a mixture of cloves and cinnamon or use vinegar and water as a safe and environmentally friendly air freshener. Consider how you can eliminate odor problems rather than just covering them up.
Use vinegar and water in a pump spray bottle for cleaning mirrors and shining chrome. Vinegar or soap and water with drying rags or a squeegee also work well for cleaning windows.
Use reusable unbleached cotton towels, rags, and non-scratch scrubbing sponges for all-purpose cleaning instead of bleached disposable paper products.
Use dishwasher detergents that are free of chlorine bleach and lowest in phosphates.
Use bathroom cleaners that are free of aerosol propellants and antibacterial agents.
What you eat
Choose organic fruits and vegetables for your family whenever possible. They have been shown to have less pesticide residue.
Rinse all fruits and vegetables thoroughly to remove fertilizer residues.
Don't microwave foods in plastic containers. Chemicals from the plastic container can become absorbed by food during microwaving. Cover with waxed paper or paper towel instead of plastic wrap to keep food from spattering.
Controlling pests
In order to survive, pests need food, water and living space. Remove all food sources through good sanitation and storage habits (i.e., screw-cap jars, zip-lock bags, garbage pails with tight-fitting lids). Block pest entrances to your kitchen by caulking holes, using door sweeps on the bottom of doors, and keeping window screens in good repair. Avoid placing chemical pesticides around your kitchen to kill indoor insect and rodent pests.
Avoid using no-pest strips. They contain pesticides that are released to the air in your home.
When storing winter clothing, use cedar blocks or bags of cedar chips hung with your clothes. Avoid mothballs that contain p-dichloro benzene or naphthalene, which are very toxic and also contribute to respiratory problems.
Consult your veterinarian for non-toxic pest control products for use on pet pests such as fleas and ticks.
Use non-toxic head lice treatments, including combing, enzyme-based treatments and mayonnaise or oil. See www.headlice.org for more information.
Doing the laundry
Instead of more complicated detergents, try using a combination of washing soda and borax in your machine. These are usually as effective as more complex formulas and are also usually cheaper.
When possible, hang clothes to dry outside to avoid using the dryer, which uses energy and depletes resources. In winter, fluff the clothes in the dryer, and then hang to dry indoors. You get the added benefit of increased humidity.
Avoid bleach when possible. If whitening is needed, use non-chlorine bleach, which are oxygen-based and often highly effective.
Buy clothes that don't need drycleaning or use an alternative called "wet cleaning." Clothes that have been drycleaned emit perchlorethylene, a chemical that can cause cancer. The wet cleaning process uses water so there are no harmful gases emitted from the cleaned clothing. MnTAP maintains a list of cleaners that use the wet cleaning process: http://mntap.umn.edu/drycl/consumer.htm.
Clotheslines: A healthy hangup
Don't rely on dryer sheets for freshening your laundry. Clotheslines are a great way to keep clothes, sheets and towels smelling clean. Fabrics will last longer if they're not tumbled around—after all, isn't dryer lint made up entirely of material from your clothes?
Reducing toxics in the yard
Mowing your grass to a height of about 3½ inches is the most important thing you can do to improve the health of your lawn. By keeping grass length longer, the roots grow deeper and can reach more water during dry periods. Longer grass also creates shade, making it harder for weeds to get established.
If you use a lawn service, consider a service provider that uses less-toxic alternatives.
Test the soil to see what your soil needs. Apply only as much fertilizer as is needed. Soil test kits can be purchased at a lawn and garden store.
If your grass grows in heavy clay soil, aeration can be very beneficial. Aeration decreases compaction and allows air and water to get to the roots.
Weeds such as dandelions can be removed easily by digging them up with a fishtail weeder when the soil is damp.
Top dressing your lawn with a compost-soil mix will reduce your lawn's water needs and make it more resistant to drought and disease. You will need to fertilize less often, and when you do, you can use less fertilizer.
Consider replacing parts of your yard with native perennials that lower maintenance and lessen the need for water and chemicals.
Ask at your garden store for less-toxic alternatives to chemical pesticides to control pests.
Building and remodeling
When building or remodeling your home, ask for building materials and supplies that have the least amount of formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds. VOCs have been shown to cause cancer or developmental problems. Toxic fumes can come from unexpected sources like new carpet and cabinets.
Choose no- and low-VOC paints and varnishes when finishing walls, floors and furniture. Make sure you have proper ventilation.
Ask for carpeting that meets standards for indoor air quality established by the Carpet and Rug Institute. Once a carpet is installed, thoroughly air out the house for at least 48 hours.
For decks and playground equipment, use reclaimed cedar or redwood, which is naturally resistant to fungus and insects. Or use recycled plastic lumber. Ask about these products at your home improvement store.
Avoid using "green-treated" lumber, which is treated with the toxic compound copper chromium arsenate (CCA). In particular, don't use it for eating surfaces on picnic tables or children's play equipment. Clean up all scrap treated wood and sawdust and dispose of it properly—it should go to a lined landfill or licensed waste incinerator. Treated wood should not be burned at home for bonfires or stoves/fireplaces.
The Toxic Chemicals in Your Home They Aren't Telling You About
From Mercola.com:
Several everyday consumer products are made with toxic chemicals that can't be found anywhere on the package label.
In a study, 40 household products such as hair coloring, lipstick and paints were tested for toxic chemicals. Out of these 40 products, evidence of the following chemicals was discovered in 34 of the products: glycols, organic solvents and phthalates. These chemicals did not appear on the label of the products.
Although the study didn't test at what level these chemicals were harmful to people, they did find that these chemicals could contribute to impacting the nervous system, reproductive system and cause other health issues. For this reason, researchers expressed the need to look further into chemical affects and people's level of exposure to them.
Researchers also stated the most common toxic chemical that people would most likely inhale come from household products. These chemicals included chlorine, toluene, xylene, methyl, ethyl ketone and n-hexane.
Based on the findings from these studies, environmental groups recommended stricter labeling requirements.
A chemical spokesperson stated that these claims weren't supported by scientific evidence and served merely as scare tactics as a way to get people to not buy the products they depend on for everyday use. Another spokesperson for the cosmetic industry claimed that the amount of toxic chemicals used in cosmetics and other household products was very low and regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Excite News July 14, 2004
Dr. Mercola's Comment:
Many people are not aware of the toxic chemicals in their everyday cleaning supplies and other household items, including cosmetics. You can avoid being exposed to some of these by seeking out natural items from your local health food store.
For more on safety tips in your home, you can read my past article How to Avoid the Top 5 Deadliest Household Tragedies.
If you are concerned about the numerous toxic chemicals we are exposed to on a daily basis, I strongly urge you to read Our Toxic World: A Wake Up Call. The author, Dr. Doris Rapp does a thorough job of uncovering the many ways we are exposed to toxic chemicals and how they could take a toll on our health and contribute to several chronic diseases.
Related Articles:
Eco-Friendly Spring Cleaning
The Dangers of Chlorine and Issues With Sucralose
Poison for Profit - What A Business Plan!
The Truth About Antibacterial Soaps--And Why You Should Avoid Them
Toxic Chemicals Found in Nearly ALL Foods
Make-Up Holds Hidden Danger of Cancer
[Contact owner of this blog to learn how you can switch stores for safer for your home, health and environment products.]
Several everyday consumer products are made with toxic chemicals that can't be found anywhere on the package label.
In a study, 40 household products such as hair coloring, lipstick and paints were tested for toxic chemicals. Out of these 40 products, evidence of the following chemicals was discovered in 34 of the products: glycols, organic solvents and phthalates. These chemicals did not appear on the label of the products.
Although the study didn't test at what level these chemicals were harmful to people, they did find that these chemicals could contribute to impacting the nervous system, reproductive system and cause other health issues. For this reason, researchers expressed the need to look further into chemical affects and people's level of exposure to them.
Researchers also stated the most common toxic chemical that people would most likely inhale come from household products. These chemicals included chlorine, toluene, xylene, methyl, ethyl ketone and n-hexane.
Based on the findings from these studies, environmental groups recommended stricter labeling requirements.
A chemical spokesperson stated that these claims weren't supported by scientific evidence and served merely as scare tactics as a way to get people to not buy the products they depend on for everyday use. Another spokesperson for the cosmetic industry claimed that the amount of toxic chemicals used in cosmetics and other household products was very low and regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Excite News July 14, 2004
Dr. Mercola's Comment:
Many people are not aware of the toxic chemicals in their everyday cleaning supplies and other household items, including cosmetics. You can avoid being exposed to some of these by seeking out natural items from your local health food store.
For more on safety tips in your home, you can read my past article How to Avoid the Top 5 Deadliest Household Tragedies.
If you are concerned about the numerous toxic chemicals we are exposed to on a daily basis, I strongly urge you to read Our Toxic World: A Wake Up Call. The author, Dr. Doris Rapp does a thorough job of uncovering the many ways we are exposed to toxic chemicals and how they could take a toll on our health and contribute to several chronic diseases.
Related Articles:
Eco-Friendly Spring Cleaning
The Dangers of Chlorine and Issues With Sucralose
Poison for Profit - What A Business Plan!
The Truth About Antibacterial Soaps--And Why You Should Avoid Them
Toxic Chemicals Found in Nearly ALL Foods
Make-Up Holds Hidden Danger of Cancer
[Contact owner of this blog to learn how you can switch stores for safer for your home, health and environment products.]
The Toxic Danger of Fabric Softener and Dryer Sheets
Many people will remember a famous TV ad where a woman races to her washing machine, fabric softener in hand, only to arrive just as the wash ends. This woman who "forgot to ad the fabric softener" was actually doing herself and her family a favor.
Although they may make your clothes feel soft and smell fresh, fabric softener and dryer sheets are some of the most toxic products around. And chances are that the staggering 99.8 percent of Americans who use common commercial detergents, fabric softeners, bleaches, and stain removers would think twice if they knew they contained chemicals that could cause cancer and brain damage.
Laundry
Here is a list of just some of the chemicals found in fabric softeners and dryer sheets:
* Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer
* Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant
* Ethanol: On the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders
* Limonene: Known carcinogen
* A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage
* Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA's Hazardous Waste list
* Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders
* Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic
* Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders
* Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled
So how could products with pretty names like Soft Ocean Mist, Summer Orchard and April Fresh be so dangerous?
The chemicals in fabric softeners are pungent and strong smelling -- so strong that they require the use of these heavy fragrances (think 50 times as much fragrance) just to cover up the smells. Furthermore, synthetic fabrics, which are the reason fabric softeners were created in the first place, do not smell good either when heated in a dryer or heated by our bodies ... hence the need for even more hefty fragrances.
In other words, remove all the added fragrance that endears people to fabric softeners and -- like the cliché wolf in sheep's clothing -- the real smells of the chemical-laced fabric softener and the synthetic fabrics they were designed around may prompt people to shoot their laundry machines and be done with it.
Are "Soft" Clothes Worth It?
Fabric softeners are made to stay in your clothing for long periods of time. As such, chemicals are slowly released either into the air for you to inhale or onto your skin for you to absorb. Dryer sheets are particularly noxious because they are heated in the dryer and the chemicals are released through dryer vents and out into the environment. Health effects from being exposed to the chemicals in fabric softeners include:
* Central nervous system disorders
* Headaches
* Nausea
* Vomiting
* Dizziness
* Blood pressure reduction
* Irritation to skin, mucus membranes and respiratory tract
* Pancreatic cancer
Soften Your Clothes Safely With These Tips
Even if you don't feel the effects of these chemicals today, they can affect you gradually over time, and children, whose systems are still developing, are particularly at risk. There's really no reason to expose yourself to these risky chemicals when natural alternatives exist. Not only are they safer for you, your family and the environment, but they're much more economical too:
* Add a quarter cup of baking soda to wash cycle to soften fabric
* Add a quarter cup of white vinegar to rinse to soften fabric and eliminate cling
* Check out your local health food store for a natural fabric softener that uses a natural base like soy instead of chemicals.
It's likely that fabric softeners and dryer sheets aren't the only toxic products in your home. Many household products that consumers regard as safe are also full of toxic chemicals. Our past articles on PEG Compounds in Cosmetics and Phenols in Common Household Cleansers are two of the all-time most popular articles on SixWise.com and will make you more aware of the pervasiveness of harmful chemicals that can be eliminated from your home.
[Contact owner of this blog for more information on how you can switch stores to products that are safer for your home - wholesale!]
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=B._Williams
Although they may make your clothes feel soft and smell fresh, fabric softener and dryer sheets are some of the most toxic products around. And chances are that the staggering 99.8 percent of Americans who use common commercial detergents, fabric softeners, bleaches, and stain removers would think twice if they knew they contained chemicals that could cause cancer and brain damage.
Laundry
Here is a list of just some of the chemicals found in fabric softeners and dryer sheets:
* Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer
* Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant
* Ethanol: On the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders
* Limonene: Known carcinogen
* A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage
* Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA's Hazardous Waste list
* Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders
* Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic
* Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders
* Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled
So how could products with pretty names like Soft Ocean Mist, Summer Orchard and April Fresh be so dangerous?
The chemicals in fabric softeners are pungent and strong smelling -- so strong that they require the use of these heavy fragrances (think 50 times as much fragrance) just to cover up the smells. Furthermore, synthetic fabrics, which are the reason fabric softeners were created in the first place, do not smell good either when heated in a dryer or heated by our bodies ... hence the need for even more hefty fragrances.
In other words, remove all the added fragrance that endears people to fabric softeners and -- like the cliché wolf in sheep's clothing -- the real smells of the chemical-laced fabric softener and the synthetic fabrics they were designed around may prompt people to shoot their laundry machines and be done with it.
Are "Soft" Clothes Worth It?
Fabric softeners are made to stay in your clothing for long periods of time. As such, chemicals are slowly released either into the air for you to inhale or onto your skin for you to absorb. Dryer sheets are particularly noxious because they are heated in the dryer and the chemicals are released through dryer vents and out into the environment. Health effects from being exposed to the chemicals in fabric softeners include:
* Central nervous system disorders
* Headaches
* Nausea
* Vomiting
* Dizziness
* Blood pressure reduction
* Irritation to skin, mucus membranes and respiratory tract
* Pancreatic cancer
Soften Your Clothes Safely With These Tips
Even if you don't feel the effects of these chemicals today, they can affect you gradually over time, and children, whose systems are still developing, are particularly at risk. There's really no reason to expose yourself to these risky chemicals when natural alternatives exist. Not only are they safer for you, your family and the environment, but they're much more economical too:
* Add a quarter cup of baking soda to wash cycle to soften fabric
* Add a quarter cup of white vinegar to rinse to soften fabric and eliminate cling
* Check out your local health food store for a natural fabric softener that uses a natural base like soy instead of chemicals.
It's likely that fabric softeners and dryer sheets aren't the only toxic products in your home. Many household products that consumers regard as safe are also full of toxic chemicals. Our past articles on PEG Compounds in Cosmetics and Phenols in Common Household Cleansers are two of the all-time most popular articles on SixWise.com and will make you more aware of the pervasiveness of harmful chemicals that can be eliminated from your home.
[Contact owner of this blog for more information on how you can switch stores to products that are safer for your home - wholesale!]
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=B._Williams
Common Household Products that Can Poison Your Children
In the United States alone, someone is poisoned every few seconds. 40% of these cases involve children under the age of 3. 50% of these cases involve children under the age of 6. For this reason, it is important to lock up household chemicals in a high cabinet that is out of the reach of children. In 75% of these cases, the poison was a common household product (ie prescription drugs, non-prescription pain killers, vitamins, cosmetics, personal care and cleaning products, house plants, tobacco products and alcohol).
Here is a simple check list to use within your home.
Bathroom: medicines, toilet cleaners, antibacterial cleaners, air fresheners, drain cleaners, mold and mildew remover, and some cosmetics.
Kitchen: glass cleaner, antibacterial cleaner, dishwashing detergent, all-purpose cleaner, insect sprays, oven cleaner, and ant or roach baits.
Living Room: flea collars, rug or carpet cleaners, furniture polish, cigarette or cigar butts in ash trays, and alcoholic beverages.
Bedroom: total release insect foggers, air fresheners, and moth balls.
Laundry Room: all-purpose cleaner, insect sprays, chlorine bleach, woodstains and finishes, and laundry detergents.
Garage: motor oil, windshield washer fluid, oil-based and latex paints, auto batteries, antifreeze, spot-on pesticides to control fleas and ticks on pets.
Back Yard: weed killers, pool chemicals including algicides and chlorine, baits for rodent control, insect repellents, and some new bug zappers.
Now that you've taken not of what these products are, it's time to do something about them.
Here is what you can do:
First of all, it is very important that you keep all household chemical products and medicines out of the reach and out of the sight of children. These things really should be locked up whenever they're not in use. Remember that medicines and household chemicals on kitchen counters or bathroom surfaces are very accessible to young hands. It is also your responsibility to make sure that any medicines that visitors may bring into your home are also kept safely away from children.
Whenever you use toxic products, you should never let them out of your sight, even if you must take them along with you whenever you're answering the telephone or the doorbell. Studies show that most poisonings actually occur whenever the product is being used.
[How about using all NON-Toxic cleaning products in your home? Contact this blogger to find out how to switch stores to safer for your home products.]
You need to store all medicines away from household products, and all household chemical products away from food.
Keep products in their original containers with the original label intact. Make sure that you read the label before you use them.
Avoid taking medication in front of children, since young children tend to immitate adults. You should also make sure that you NEVER call medicine "candy."
The poison control number (1-800-222-1222) should be posted on or near every home telephone.
You need to know the names of the plants in your house and yard. If and when you fnd a poisonous plant, it should either be placed out of the reach of children or, better yet, removed.
Check your home for lead-based paints. You can receive detailed information about this by contacting the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brenda_Hoffman
Here is a simple check list to use within your home.
Bathroom: medicines, toilet cleaners, antibacterial cleaners, air fresheners, drain cleaners, mold and mildew remover, and some cosmetics.
Kitchen: glass cleaner, antibacterial cleaner, dishwashing detergent, all-purpose cleaner, insect sprays, oven cleaner, and ant or roach baits.
Living Room: flea collars, rug or carpet cleaners, furniture polish, cigarette or cigar butts in ash trays, and alcoholic beverages.
Bedroom: total release insect foggers, air fresheners, and moth balls.
Laundry Room: all-purpose cleaner, insect sprays, chlorine bleach, woodstains and finishes, and laundry detergents.
Garage: motor oil, windshield washer fluid, oil-based and latex paints, auto batteries, antifreeze, spot-on pesticides to control fleas and ticks on pets.
Back Yard: weed killers, pool chemicals including algicides and chlorine, baits for rodent control, insect repellents, and some new bug zappers.
Now that you've taken not of what these products are, it's time to do something about them.
Here is what you can do:
First of all, it is very important that you keep all household chemical products and medicines out of the reach and out of the sight of children. These things really should be locked up whenever they're not in use. Remember that medicines and household chemicals on kitchen counters or bathroom surfaces are very accessible to young hands. It is also your responsibility to make sure that any medicines that visitors may bring into your home are also kept safely away from children.
Whenever you use toxic products, you should never let them out of your sight, even if you must take them along with you whenever you're answering the telephone or the doorbell. Studies show that most poisonings actually occur whenever the product is being used.
[How about using all NON-Toxic cleaning products in your home? Contact this blogger to find out how to switch stores to safer for your home products.]
You need to store all medicines away from household products, and all household chemical products away from food.
Keep products in their original containers with the original label intact. Make sure that you read the label before you use them.
Avoid taking medication in front of children, since young children tend to immitate adults. You should also make sure that you NEVER call medicine "candy."
The poison control number (1-800-222-1222) should be posted on or near every home telephone.
You need to know the names of the plants in your house and yard. If and when you fnd a poisonous plant, it should either be placed out of the reach of children or, better yet, removed.
Check your home for lead-based paints. You can receive detailed information about this by contacting the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brenda_Hoffman
Interiors of Homes and Affects on Asthma
The inside of an asthmatic’s home is where most causes and triggers will be, making it especially important to identify them and minimize the effect.
Dust Mites
House-dust mites are tiny insects that live in the dust that builds up in carpets, bedding, soft furnishings and soft toys. Many asthmatics are sensitive to their droppings. Although they are an unseen trigger there are practical steps you can take to reduce their damaging affect.
Use hypoallergenic coverings on your mattress, duvet and pillows.
All carpets should be replaced with hard flooring, or tile. Your can have small, or area, carpets which you can wash periodically.
Vacuum often. Insure that your vacuum cleaner that has good suction and, most importantly, a filtered exhaust that goes into a hypoallergenic back and does not scatter the dust. Damp dust all surfaces or use an attachment on your vacuum cleaner.
All soft toys, stuffed animals, etc., should be put in the freezer for at least of six hours every other week so as to kill house-dust mites. To protect the fabric you can use zip lock bags or even cellophane.
Wash your sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases, in the hottest water possible, at least once a week. Some people are allergic to the feathers in pillows, however there is no conclusive evidence showing that synthetic hypo-allergenic pillows are better.
A dehumidifier, which dries the air, makes it difficult for the house-dust mites to live.
Furnishings and Carpets
Any furniture or flooring that is made from press board, a composite that is often used for shelving and furniture, contains a formaldehyde resin that gives off a pungent, colorless gas that can irritate the airways that can trigger asthma symptoms.
Carpets can also be a source of formaldehyde gas left over from the manufacturing process. If you are buying a new carpet you should ask the shop if they could unroll and air it before you bring it into your home or air it yourself as soon it is laid.
Keep in mind that pet allergens can linger for a long time on furniture and in carpets and are very difficult to remove without resorting to such a rigorous cleaning measure. Meaning that even if you own no pets the last owner of the home, especially if you just moved in, may have had pets. It may be worth steam cleaning the carpets before you move in.
Heating, Bathrooms and the Kitchen
Dampness, especially from bathrooms and laundry areas, has been linked with asthma and research has also shown that asthmatic have more problems when in homes without central heating.
Heating a home without using "fresh" air, that is just re-circulating the air, may be just moving the airborne dust mites from one area of the house to another. Many doctors have seen patients whose asthma symptoms, due to this re-cycled air, are much worse.
Houses that have gas fireplaces, stoves or ovens have higher levels of nitrogen dioxide. In some people with asthma nitrogen dioxide may cause other triggers to have slightly more effect on their symptoms.
Without adequate flues fireplaces can cause worsening of breathing problems, compared with central heating.
Fumes from Cleaning and Decorating
Many cleaning products and solvents are used around the house release chemicals that can cause breathing difficulties in people with asthma. These chemicals are known as volatile organic compounds (VOC's). The majority of household such as cleaning fluids, varnishes, glues and paints contain VOC's. [You do have a choice - contact this blogger to learn your options]
When cleaning, dusting, painting or working with any solvents, make sure that you are in a well ventilated area with the nearby windows open. Furniture polish, air fresheners, carpet cleaners and dry-cleaned clothes can all trigger asthma because they contain VOC's. Use solid or liquid alternatives rather than sprays if possible.
Wet paint causes problems as it's fumes may trigger asthma symptoms. New low-odor, water-based gloss paints are now available that may be slightly better for some people with asthma.
Stripping wallpaper often unsettles the dust that has accumulated over the years,so wash down wallpaper before starting as this may help to dampen down the dust, preventing it from becoming airborne. Ensure there is plenty of ventilation while working. Consider wearing a mask during during everyday cleaning and housework.
Building work and repairs
It is important to ensure that housing problems such as damp, poor ventilation and inadequate heating are resolved as quickly as possible. There is a link between poor housing conditions and asthma. However care should be taken as major renovation or structural repair can cause a lot of dust and other irritant triggers.
If you are contemplating any building work within your home it is worth seeing your doctor or nurse to check if a temporary increase in medicine is needed.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Herman
Eczema Treatments - What's Available?
Millions of people suffer from eczema, with cases ranging from extreme and debilitation to mild and annoying. Treatments for eczema range from simple lifestyle changes to prescription medications. Some of the most common treatments for eczema are reviewed below.
Perhaps the simplest treatments for eczema involve simple lifestyle changes. The dry, itchy skin of eczema can be greatly alleviated with several small adjustments to your skin care regime. First, take cooler baths and showers. Hot water can be very drying for the skin, so cooling down your showers will help your skin retain more moisture. Avoid harsh, drying soaps and detergents. Gentle, non-scented moisturizing soaps and mild detergents help the skin avoid dryness and eliminate some of the irritants that can aggravate eczema.
Moisturizing the areas affected by eczema is essential. Moisturize often and liberally. Renew Intensive Skin Therapy lotion beat the number one dermatologist recommended brand in two double-blind studies done recently. Email me for more info on this product and other products that are safer for your home.
There are many more natural, home remedy treatments for eczema that have also had some success in relieving the itching and flaking of eczema. Placing an ice pack on the affected area can relive itching, as do oatmeal baths. Another home remedy is treating an oozing patch of eczema with milk. Soak a cotton ball or piece of gauze in cold milk and apply to the itchy area. Reapply two to three times and then rinse to alleviate itching.
Humidifying your home is another great solution. By adding more moisture to the air, you’re adding more moisture to your skin. Purchasing a humidifier can help prevent the excess drying or ezcema.
Be especially careful with your laundry products. Harsh detergents and chemical fabric softeners can aggravate eczema. Switch to unscented, mild detergent and fabric softeners that work in the rinse cycle to minimize irritation. Contact me for more information about safer for your home and body laundry products.
Another popular herbal remedy for eczema is Evening Primrose oil. Taken orally, this herbal remedy seems to alleviate some of the symptoms of eczema, possibly because of its high concentration of an omega-6 essential fatty acid.
There are several simple lifestyle changes and remedies to help alleviate the symptoms of eczema. Incorporating several of these tips into your skin care regime may help guide your eczema into a state of remission.
Article (prior to edits) by: By Claire Bowes
Perhaps the simplest treatments for eczema involve simple lifestyle changes. The dry, itchy skin of eczema can be greatly alleviated with several small adjustments to your skin care regime. First, take cooler baths and showers. Hot water can be very drying for the skin, so cooling down your showers will help your skin retain more moisture. Avoid harsh, drying soaps and detergents. Gentle, non-scented moisturizing soaps and mild detergents help the skin avoid dryness and eliminate some of the irritants that can aggravate eczema.
Moisturizing the areas affected by eczema is essential. Moisturize often and liberally. Renew Intensive Skin Therapy lotion beat the number one dermatologist recommended brand in two double-blind studies done recently. Email me for more info on this product and other products that are safer for your home.
There are many more natural, home remedy treatments for eczema that have also had some success in relieving the itching and flaking of eczema. Placing an ice pack on the affected area can relive itching, as do oatmeal baths. Another home remedy is treating an oozing patch of eczema with milk. Soak a cotton ball or piece of gauze in cold milk and apply to the itchy area. Reapply two to three times and then rinse to alleviate itching.
Humidifying your home is another great solution. By adding more moisture to the air, you’re adding more moisture to your skin. Purchasing a humidifier can help prevent the excess drying or ezcema.
Be especially careful with your laundry products. Harsh detergents and chemical fabric softeners can aggravate eczema. Switch to unscented, mild detergent and fabric softeners that work in the rinse cycle to minimize irritation. Contact me for more information about safer for your home and body laundry products.
Another popular herbal remedy for eczema is Evening Primrose oil. Taken orally, this herbal remedy seems to alleviate some of the symptoms of eczema, possibly because of its high concentration of an omega-6 essential fatty acid.
There are several simple lifestyle changes and remedies to help alleviate the symptoms of eczema. Incorporating several of these tips into your skin care regime may help guide your eczema into a state of remission.
Article (prior to edits) by: By Claire Bowes
Poisons in our home - Several reasons to go chemical free?
Studies have shown that our indoor environments are five times more polluted than outdoors and three times more likely to cause cancer. Because our homes depend on recycled air that is not diluted in a large atmosphere like outside, it is all the more important to keep the inside of your home clean, without polluting chemicals.
Toxic chemicals around the home and in the kitchen
All purpose cleaners, ammonia-based cleaners, bleach, dishwashing detergents, disinfectants, drain cleaners, floor cleaners, oven cleaners and scouring powders all contain dangerous chemicals. Ammonia is an eye irritant and can cause headaches and lung irritation. Children with asthma are especially sensitve to these fumes. Even at low levels, ammonia fumes may cause coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, laryngitis and watering eyes.
The phenol and cresol in disinfectants and air fresheners are corrosive and can cause diarrhea, fainting, dizziness and kidney and liver damage. These chemicals deactivate sensory nerve endings, attack the liver, spleen, pancreas and central nervous system. It takes more than a year to eliminate the toxic effects produced by spraying 2 oz. of these products.
The nitrobezene in furniture and floor polishes can cause skin discoloration, breathing problems, vomiting and is associated with cancer and birth defects.
Formaldehyde, which is common to many products is a known carcinogen and is a strong irritant to the lungs, skin, eyes and throat. It may also cause headaches, nosebleeds, dizziness, memory loss and shortness of breath.
Toxic chemicals in dishwashing detergents
Most dishwasher detergents contain chlorine in a highly concentrated dry form and is the number one cause of child poisonings. Dishwashing detergents usually contain a central nervous depressant called naphtha and a possible liver poison call diethanolsamime. Our dishes are the most frequently cleaned objects in our homes and the residues from toxic diswashing detergents accumulates on the dishes and is picked up by our food.
Toxic chemicals in the laundry room
Laundry detergents contain many chemicals including ammonia, enzymes,sodium, tripolyphosphate, naphthalene, phenol and sodium nitilotriacetate. These chemicals are linked to allergies, sinus problems, rashes and itches. The residue left on the clothes and linen is absorbed through your skin. The scent of the laundry detergent, for example, d-limonene, can irritate the skin and eyes, produce breathing difficulties and bronchial irritation. The phthalates that are used to make the fragrane last may disrupt hormones and cause birth defects.
Fabric softeners contain ammonia, petroleum distillates and strong artificial fragrances. They may also contain chloroform, benzyl acetate and pentane; chemicals which are known to cause cancer and/or damage the brain, nerves and lungs. The heating of the dryer makes them even more dangerous.
Toxic chemicals in the bathroom
Toilet bowl cleaners contain hydrochloric acid or sodium acid sulfate which can irritate the skin and eyes and can damage the kidneys and liver. Hypochlorite bleach is corrosive and it can irritate the skin, eyes and respiratory tract. Some toilet bowl cleaners and rim blocks may contain naphthalene, an agent which may damage or destroy red blood cells, causing a condition called hemolytic anemia. With long term expose, naphthalene may cause liver and kidney damage, skin allergies, cataracts and damage in the retina. Inhalation may cause brain cancer in young children.
Regular shampoos and soaps contain harsh chemicals. "No tears" baby shampoos contain some of the worst chemicals including anesthetizing agents which mask the burning sensation that would be felt when the shampoo comes in contact with the eyes. Sodium laurel sulfate and its forms that are found in shampoos, soaps and toothpastes can lower brain acuity and are attributed to blindness.
Toxic chemicals in air fresheners
Air fresheners are amongst the worst indoor air pollutants. Most air fresheners coat your nasal passages with an oil film or release a nerve deadening agent to interfere with your ability to smell. They may contain methoxychlor which is a pesticide that over-stimulates the central nervous system and accumulates in fat cells.Air fresheners available in aerosol form normally contain petrochemical propellants such as butane, isobutane and propane which at high concentrations, are neurotoxic. These chemicals are easily inhaled where they may wreak havoc on children and asthmatics by irritating the airways.
Some air fresheners contain formaldehyde, a known carcinogen and naphthalene, which we discussed in the toilet bowl cleaners section. Paradichlorobenzene (PDB) may also be present and is a suspected to cause cancer and damage to the reproductive system, liver and nerves.
Resources:
The Household Toxic Tour
Chemical Warfare Agents and Toxic Waste Disguised as Household Cleaning Products
Top "10" Hazardous Household Chemicals
Fact Sheet: Safe Substitutes at Home: Non-toxic Household Products
Toxic chemicals around the home and in the kitchen
All purpose cleaners, ammonia-based cleaners, bleach, dishwashing detergents, disinfectants, drain cleaners, floor cleaners, oven cleaners and scouring powders all contain dangerous chemicals. Ammonia is an eye irritant and can cause headaches and lung irritation. Children with asthma are especially sensitve to these fumes. Even at low levels, ammonia fumes may cause coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, laryngitis and watering eyes.
The phenol and cresol in disinfectants and air fresheners are corrosive and can cause diarrhea, fainting, dizziness and kidney and liver damage. These chemicals deactivate sensory nerve endings, attack the liver, spleen, pancreas and central nervous system. It takes more than a year to eliminate the toxic effects produced by spraying 2 oz. of these products.
The nitrobezene in furniture and floor polishes can cause skin discoloration, breathing problems, vomiting and is associated with cancer and birth defects.
Formaldehyde, which is common to many products is a known carcinogen and is a strong irritant to the lungs, skin, eyes and throat. It may also cause headaches, nosebleeds, dizziness, memory loss and shortness of breath.
Toxic chemicals in dishwashing detergents
Most dishwasher detergents contain chlorine in a highly concentrated dry form and is the number one cause of child poisonings. Dishwashing detergents usually contain a central nervous depressant called naphtha and a possible liver poison call diethanolsamime. Our dishes are the most frequently cleaned objects in our homes and the residues from toxic diswashing detergents accumulates on the dishes and is picked up by our food.
Toxic chemicals in the laundry room
Laundry detergents contain many chemicals including ammonia, enzymes,sodium, tripolyphosphate, naphthalene, phenol and sodium nitilotriacetate. These chemicals are linked to allergies, sinus problems, rashes and itches. The residue left on the clothes and linen is absorbed through your skin. The scent of the laundry detergent, for example, d-limonene, can irritate the skin and eyes, produce breathing difficulties and bronchial irritation. The phthalates that are used to make the fragrane last may disrupt hormones and cause birth defects.
Fabric softeners contain ammonia, petroleum distillates and strong artificial fragrances. They may also contain chloroform, benzyl acetate and pentane; chemicals which are known to cause cancer and/or damage the brain, nerves and lungs. The heating of the dryer makes them even more dangerous.
Toxic chemicals in the bathroom
Toilet bowl cleaners contain hydrochloric acid or sodium acid sulfate which can irritate the skin and eyes and can damage the kidneys and liver. Hypochlorite bleach is corrosive and it can irritate the skin, eyes and respiratory tract. Some toilet bowl cleaners and rim blocks may contain naphthalene, an agent which may damage or destroy red blood cells, causing a condition called hemolytic anemia. With long term expose, naphthalene may cause liver and kidney damage, skin allergies, cataracts and damage in the retina. Inhalation may cause brain cancer in young children.
Regular shampoos and soaps contain harsh chemicals. "No tears" baby shampoos contain some of the worst chemicals including anesthetizing agents which mask the burning sensation that would be felt when the shampoo comes in contact with the eyes. Sodium laurel sulfate and its forms that are found in shampoos, soaps and toothpastes can lower brain acuity and are attributed to blindness.
Toxic chemicals in air fresheners
Air fresheners are amongst the worst indoor air pollutants. Most air fresheners coat your nasal passages with an oil film or release a nerve deadening agent to interfere with your ability to smell. They may contain methoxychlor which is a pesticide that over-stimulates the central nervous system and accumulates in fat cells.Air fresheners available in aerosol form normally contain petrochemical propellants such as butane, isobutane and propane which at high concentrations, are neurotoxic. These chemicals are easily inhaled where they may wreak havoc on children and asthmatics by irritating the airways.
Some air fresheners contain formaldehyde, a known carcinogen and naphthalene, which we discussed in the toilet bowl cleaners section. Paradichlorobenzene (PDB) may also be present and is a suspected to cause cancer and damage to the reproductive system, liver and nerves.
Resources:
The Household Toxic Tour
Chemical Warfare Agents and Toxic Waste Disguised as Household Cleaning Products
Top "10" Hazardous Household Chemicals
Fact Sheet: Safe Substitutes at Home: Non-toxic Household Products
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Four Steps To Organic Motherhood
From Mercola.com:
More and more parents want to raise their children in an environment as free from toxins as possible.
In response, retailers are producing more products suitable for this goal. Sales of organic baby care products were up 34 percent in 2005, and preliminary numbers show an even greater increase in 2006.
Pregnancy and childbirth focus many parents' attention on health and environmental concerns. Numerous studies have shown that blood contaminants can pass from mother to fetus with alarming ease, and that the developing organs and tissues of children are more susceptible to damage from toxins.
Deirdre Dolan and Alexandra Zissu, authors of The Complete Organic Pregnancy, recommend the following common-sense first steps:
1. Don't renovate your home during pregnancy or early childhood to avoid exposure to sometimes-toxic dust
2. Switch to non-toxic cleaning products
3. Choose organic foods when possible
4. Use all-natural products
The Daily Green May 12, 2007
Dr. Mercola's Comment:
Oftentimes, concerns over health and environmental issues don't hit home until you're faced with the responsibility for a brand new life -- your baby. Since toxins in a mother's bloodstream can easily transfer over to the fetus during pregnancy, many pregnant moms start questioning the safety of products used everyday.
You do live in a highly toxic world, surrounded and submerged in chemicals of all kinds, some worse than others.
The Daily Green Web site offers some tips to get you started on your quest to limit the potentially toxic dangers to your child, including a number of strategies I have previously recommended on this site, such as switching to non-toxic cleaning products and other all-natural products, and choosing certified locally grown, organic foods whenever possible.
If you want to go even further, which certainly couldn't hurt, you can take a look at Dolan and Zissu's new book The Complete Organic Pregnancy to guide you along the way.
In addition to "Going Green," don't forget to take animal-based omega-3 fats -- especially during pregnancy. Omega-3 fats like DHA:
Prevent the vast majority of premature deliveries
Maximize children's intelligence
Optimize vision in infants
Related Articles:
Toxins, Brain Chemistry, and Behavior
Cleaning Products Can Harm Your Children
Six Reasons Why Cancer Rates Among Teens are on the Rise
More and more parents want to raise their children in an environment as free from toxins as possible.
In response, retailers are producing more products suitable for this goal. Sales of organic baby care products were up 34 percent in 2005, and preliminary numbers show an even greater increase in 2006.
Pregnancy and childbirth focus many parents' attention on health and environmental concerns. Numerous studies have shown that blood contaminants can pass from mother to fetus with alarming ease, and that the developing organs and tissues of children are more susceptible to damage from toxins.
Deirdre Dolan and Alexandra Zissu, authors of The Complete Organic Pregnancy, recommend the following common-sense first steps:
1. Don't renovate your home during pregnancy or early childhood to avoid exposure to sometimes-toxic dust
2. Switch to non-toxic cleaning products
3. Choose organic foods when possible
4. Use all-natural products
The Daily Green May 12, 2007
Dr. Mercola's Comment:
Oftentimes, concerns over health and environmental issues don't hit home until you're faced with the responsibility for a brand new life -- your baby. Since toxins in a mother's bloodstream can easily transfer over to the fetus during pregnancy, many pregnant moms start questioning the safety of products used everyday.
You do live in a highly toxic world, surrounded and submerged in chemicals of all kinds, some worse than others.
The Daily Green Web site offers some tips to get you started on your quest to limit the potentially toxic dangers to your child, including a number of strategies I have previously recommended on this site, such as switching to non-toxic cleaning products and other all-natural products, and choosing certified locally grown, organic foods whenever possible.
If you want to go even further, which certainly couldn't hurt, you can take a look at Dolan and Zissu's new book The Complete Organic Pregnancy to guide you along the way.
In addition to "Going Green," don't forget to take animal-based omega-3 fats -- especially during pregnancy. Omega-3 fats like DHA:
Prevent the vast majority of premature deliveries
Maximize children's intelligence
Optimize vision in infants
Related Articles:
Toxins, Brain Chemistry, and Behavior
Cleaning Products Can Harm Your Children
Six Reasons Why Cancer Rates Among Teens are on the Rise
Monday, May 28, 2007
Examples of some common household pesticides found in bathrooms and kitchens include roach sprays; chlorine bleach; kitchen and bath disinfectants....
Pesticides and Child Safety
Although pesticides can be beneficial to society, they can be dangerous if used carelessly or if they are not stored properly and out of the reach of children. According to data collected from the American Association of Poison Control Centers, in 2004 alone, an estimated 71,000 children were involved in common household pesticide-related poisonings1 or exposures2 in the United States.
A survey by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding pesticides used in and around the home revealed some significant findings:
- Almost half -- 47% -- of all households with children under the age of five had at least one pesticide stored in an unlocked cabinet, less than 4 feet off the ground (i.e., within the reach of children).
- Approximately 75% of households without children under the age of five also stored pesticides in an unlocked cabinet, less than 4 feet off the ground (i.e., within the reach of children). This number is especially significant because 13% of all pesticide poisoning incidents occur in homes other than the child's home.
Bathrooms and kitchens were cited as the areas in the home most likely to have improperly stored pesticides. Examples of some common household pesticides found in bathrooms and kitchens include roach sprays; chlorine bleach; kitchen and bath disinfectants; rat poison; insect and wasp sprays, repellents and baits; and, flea and tick shampoos and dips for pets. Other household pesticides include swimming pool chemicals and weed killers.
EPA regulates pesticides in the United States under the pesticide law (the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act). Since 1981, the law has required most residential-use pesticides with a signal word of "danger" or "warning" to be in child-resistant packaging. These are the pesticides which are most toxic to children. Child-resistant packaging is designed to prevent most children under the age of five from gaining access to the pesticide, or at least delay their access. However, individuals must also take precautions to protect children from accidental pesticide poisonings or exposures.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTAL POISONING:
- Always store pesticides away from children's reach, in a locked cabinet or garden shed. Child-proof safety latches may also be installed on cabinets and can be purchased at your local hardware stores;
- Read the label first and follow the directions to the letter, including all precautions and restrictions;
- Before applying pesticides (indoors or outdoors), remove children and their toys as well as pets from the area and keep them away until the pesticide has dried or as long as is recommended by the label;
- If your use of a pesticide is interrupted (perhaps by a phone call), properly reclose the package and be sure to leave the container out of the reach of children while you are gone;
- Never transfer pesticides to other containers that children may associate with food or drink;
- Never place rodent or insect baits where small children can get to them;
- Use child-resistant packaging properly by closing the container tightly after use;
- Alert others to the potential hazard of pesticides, especially caregivers and grandparents;
- Teach children that "pesticides are poisons" -- something they should not touch;
- Keep the emergency phone number 1-800-222-1222 of the Poison Control Center near your telephone.
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY, try to determine what the child was exposed to and what part of the body was affected before you take action, since taking the right action is as important as taking immediate action. If the person is unconscious, having trouble breathing, or having convulsions, give needed first aid immediately. Call 911 or your local emergency service.
If the person is awake, conscious, not having trouble breathing, and not having convulsions, read the label for first aid instructions and contact your local Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222. In most cases, the pesticide products label provides you with a "Statment of Treatment" to follow in emergencies. The appropriate first aid treatment depends on the kind of poisoning that has occurred. If first aid instructions are not available, follow these general guidelines:
GENERAL FIRST AID GUIDELINES:
- Swallowed poison. Induce vomiting ONLY if emergency personnel on the phone tell you to do so. It will depend on what the child has swallowed; some petroleum products or caustic poisons will cause more damage if the child is made to vomit.
- Poison in eye. Eye membranes absorb pesticides faster than any other external part of the body; eye damage can occur in a few minutes with some types of pesticides. If poison splashes into an eye, hold the eyelid open and wash quickly and gently with clean running water from the tap or a gentle stream from a hose for at least 15 minutes. If possible, have someone else contact a Poison Control Center for you while the victim is being treated. Do not use eye drops or chemicals or drugs in the wash water.
- Poison on skin. If pesticide splashes on the skin, drench area with water and remove contaminated clothing. Wash skin and hair thoroughly with soap and water. Later, discard contaminated clothing or thoroughly wash it separately from other laundry.
- Inhaled poison. Carry or drag victim to fresh air immediately. If you think you need protection such as a respirator and one is not available to you, call the Fire Department and wait for emergency equipment before entering the area. Loosen victim's tight clothing. If the victim's skin is blue or the victim has stopped breathing, give artificial respiration (if you know how) and call rescue service for help. Open doors and windows so no one else will be poisoned by fumes.
Additional pesticide product information can be obtained from the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) at 1-800-858-7378. NPIC is a toll-free information service operated Monday through Friday 6:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time (9:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time).
2. The American Association of Poison Control Centers defines exposure as having contact with a potentially poisonous substance; however, not necessarily showing symptoms of being poisoned.
Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances (7506C)
EPA 735-F-93-050, September 21, 2004
 | | |
 | ||
|
|
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
EXPOSURE TO CLEANING PRODUCTS BOOSTS ASTHMA RISK (and more)
Exposure to cleaning products may up asthma risks. It seems that people who work cleaning other people's homes are at increased risk of asthma, suggests research in the November issue of the journal Thorax. Investigators pooled survey data on 4,521 women between the ages of 30 and 65 in Barcelona, Spain.The rates of respiratory symptoms attributable to work among domestic cleaners were more than double those of other jobs: 12% among current and former cleaners; 5% among those who had never worked as cleaners."The high risk of asthma attributable to domestic cleaning suggests a substantial public health impact, which might be even greater if we take into consideration that housewives and others doing cleaning tasks at home are probably also at risk."
Thorax - November 2003;58:950-4.
http://thoraxjnl.com/
Need info about switching stores to a better, safer, eco-friendly brand of cleaning products? Request more information from my website.
MORE INFORMATION BELOW:
Indoor air is becoming polluted by powerful household chemicals!
Don't take a deep breath!
By Don Hopey, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
So, you don't dust? Or do windows? Good for you.
Don't have wall-to-wall carpeting, a new air-tight house or a big inventory of pesticides, cleaners and cosmetics? Even better.
COMMON CONTAMINANTS
Some of the more common indoor air contaminants and their sources are:
Formaldehyde, which is known to cause cancer at high doses in rats, is emitted from glues used in furniture and carpets, also used as a cheap preservative in many personal care items.
Ozone, a lung irritant, is emitted from laser printers and copiers.
Perchloroethylene, a carcinogen, can be emitted from clothes that have been dry cleaned.
Paradichlorobenzene, another carcinogen, is emitted by mothballs and, ironically, air fresheners.
Dibutyl phthalates, tentatively identified as a carcinogen, is used in industrial solvents and many consumer products including nail polish, cosmetics, some printing inks and insecticides.
A recent study has found the dust and air trapped inside homes is likely to contain a wide variety of human reproduction-disrupting and cancer-causing chemicals. These chemicals are found in common consumer products and exposure to them could affect the health of every family member, especially those who are female.
The study of air and dust samples taken from 120 homes on Massachusetts' Cape Cod found chemicals in window cleaners, laundry detergents, cleaners, spot removers, hair dyes, nail polishes, plastics, electronics, and flame retardant carpeting and furniture turned up in potentially harmful levels.
"It appears that high-income women might be exposed to more chemicals through their personal health-care products and household cleaning products,'' said John Spengler, professor of environmental health in the Harvard School of Public Health, and a co-author of the study.
He said he expects studies of indoor air in lower-income housing would show higher exposures to chemicals contained in pesticides.
In-home contaminants are significant contributors to people's overall exposure and can have a big impact on health because people in the United States and most industrialized countries spend 65 percent of their time in their residences, studies show.
Women are more likely to be affected because they typically spend more time inside the home and work more closely with potentially toxic cleaners and personal care products like hair dyes and nail polish, Spengler said.
Women's bodies also contain as much as 10 percent more body fat than men's and so are able to store more fat-soluble toxins and synthetic chemicals. These then can be transferred to children in utero and through breast milk.
Overall, the study detected 66 chemical compounds in the dust and measured 52 in the air. On average, the dust in the tested homes contained 26 compounds and the air contained 19. Spengler said the levels measured in Cape Cod are not significantly higher than elsewhere in the country.
The study, published in the September issue of Environmental Science & Technology, is the most comprehensive indoor air analysis to date. It is part of the Silent Spring Institute's ongoing Cape Cod Breast Cancer and Environment Study.
"The surprising finding was how many chemicals we found in every house,'' Spengler said. "They all had more than 20 compounds and some of the compounds are banned substances. In addition we measured 30 compounds never reported in residential settings before.''
One of those unreported chemical compounds is 4-nonylphenol, an alkylphenol found at significant levels in every home sampled. Laundry detergents, disinfecting cleaners, all-purpose cleaners, hair-coloring and other hair care products and spermicides contain this product.
The chemical can mimic female estrogen hormones, and can interact and disrupt the endocrine systems of humans and wildlife, interfering with reproduction and causing increased risk of birth defects and breast, prostate and testicular cancers.
Although the European Union restricts 4-nonylphenol use, there are no U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for human exposure to it or any other chemicals based on their endocrine activity. The EPA and the chemicals' manufacturers have indicated that it would not become airborne.
Barbara Losey, deputy director of the Alkylphenols & Ethoxylates Research Council, an industry-funded organization, said the levels of alkylphenols found by the study in the dust and air are too low to disrupt reproductive processes. "It's interesting to look at indoor air because its an area that hasn't been looked at much and respiratory exposure to nonylphenol hasn't been looked at as much compared to other routes,'' Losey said. "But our research still leads us to conclude that human exposure is very low.''
But Spengler said not enough is known about the residential risks posed by such exotic compounds. "We've made measurements of chemical compounds that are possible endocrine disrupters,'' Spengler said. "When we see these levels it should be a wake-up call to get more research going.''
There are no federal regulatory standards for contaminants in indoor air and house dust. The EPA has issued exposure guidelines for about half the compounds detected in the Cape Cod study and most of those were measured in concentrations below those standards.
But 15 compounds were measured in levels that exceeded the standards, including one given off as a vapor from plastics and some pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, that are banned from current use.
Spengler said carpeting and newer, air-tight houses accentuate the risk because they hold the contaminants in the home for a longer time.
When outdoor air pollution was much worse it overshadowed indoor air problems, he said. As outdoor air quality has improved, problems with indoor air pollutants, which have gotten more chemically complex over the years, have emerged. "We've eliminated or reduced many combustion based pollutants outside,'' Spengler said, "but things like plastics, flame retardants, cosmetics, pesticides and cleaning chemicals no one's looked at.''
But there is no doubt that Americans are exposed to thousands of chemicals every day in their homes and workplaces.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this year released its second annual report on human exposure to environmental chemicals, cataloging chemicals found in the blood and urine of folks in a national sample.
"We measured 116 and there are others likely in the body,'' said Dr. John Osterloh, chief medical officer of the CDC's Environmental Health laboratory and a co-author of the exposure report. "For the most part their magnitude and concentrations are not that high, but we really don't have standards for many of the chemicals we tested.''
Osterloh said the report will help direct researchers to the chemicals that are present in humans and, based on their concentrations, the ones that they need to assess for health effects.
The chemicals identified in the CDC report are emitted from carpeting on floors, paint on walls, building materials in ceilings, even the desk chairs people sit in. They seep imperceptibly into the air and are breathed into the lungs.
Need info about switching stores to a better, safer, non-harsh chemical containing, eco-friendly brand of cleaning products? Request more information from my website.
Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder
Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder
Stephen B. Edelson, M.D., F.A.A.F.P., F.A.A.E.M.
The Edelson Center for Environmental and Preventive Medicine
What Is It?
This medical problem is a very disturbing one, filled with many handicaps for the patient. It affects thousands of infants, children, adolescents, and adults. It affects behavior, learning processes and communication. A child is usually affected before birth, and this is most likely preventable. If not prevented, serious disabilities occur which threaten the child's future development. If left untreated, the condition may continue to affect the person through adulthood, in some form or other, although some remission may occur at puberty. During pregnancy, there is usually a great deal of fetal activity, coupled with very hard kicking. Hyperactive babies of ten suffer from "colic," need very little sleep, cry and scream a great deal, are restless and fidgety, will not feed properly, and are "rockers" and "head bangers." No amount of nursing or comforting will calm such a child. They often reject affection and mothering. As the child becomes more mobile (sometimes at a very early age), he is into everything, rushing from one thing to another. His attention span is very short and he is easily distracted. He touches everything and leaves a trail of destruction and havoc. He is not deliberately destroying things, but his lack of control and coordination and general clumsiness leads to breakage of items about the house. He is driven by what appears to be an endless source of energy-both day and night. The speech and thinking processes of the hyperactive child often reveal multiple defects. Some cannot integrate what they see and hear because of visual perception difficulties. This, in turn, leads to an inability to understand. Hyperactive children may often suffer with a wide range of other ailments and disabilities, such as eczema, asthma, chronic infections, hay fever, headaches, stomach aches, etc.
Symptoms In Brief Infancy and Young Children:
crying, screaming, restlessness, needing little sleep, difficult to feed, cannot be pacified, spurns affection and cuddles, excessive dribbling, increased thirst, head banging, rocking, fits, tantrums.
Older Children:(in addition to symptoms in infancy)
clumsiness, impulsive, accident prone, erratic, disruptive behavior, compulsive touching, constant motion, fatigued, disturbs other children, weak, weary, listless, aggressive, nonstop talk, repetition, lacks concentration, loud talk, withdrawn at times, restless sleep, normal or high IQ but fails at school, poor appetite, nightmares, poor eye-hand coordination, nervous, uncooperative, irritable, defiant, depressed with wild mood swings, disobedient, self-abusive, oversensitive to odors, lights, sound, cold, hair pulling, picking skin, sleep problems, enuresis (bed wetting), muscle aches, 'growing pains,' bladder problems, facial changes, dark eye circles, puffy below eyes, red earlobes, red cheeks, swollen neck glands, fluid behind ear drums, ringing ears, dizziness, excessive sweating, low-grade fever.
There are degrees of the problem and not every child has all of the symptoms described. More boys than girls are hyperactive by a ratio of 3:1 (with a high percentage of blond hair, blue eyed).
What Is The Cause?
There probably is not one etiology for this process. It can be caused by genetic abnormalities, birth injuries, endocrine abnormalities, emotional problems, biochemical disturbances, toxins, enzyme defects, stresses in life, or previous infections. The item that brings all of this together is that when you investigate environmental sensitivities on these children, you find they are "allergic" to foods, dyes, chemicals, inhalants, and other incitants. Not all children have food sensitivities, but a large percentage do, and they improve dramatically when avoidance and desensitization are done. During an evaluation of a child with this problem, we must individualize and look for the causes that lead to the sensitivities, like: hypoglycemia, lead poisoning, yeast syndrome, parasites, amino acid abnormalities, and other nutritional biochemical abnormalities.
What Can Be Done?
As a result of research and the practical evidence of substantial improvements in the health and behavior of many hyperactive children, it has been shown that in many cases hyperactivity is aggravated (if not caused) by an intolerance to foods, chemicals, additives, dyes, and inhalants (pollens, molds, etc.)
1. DETOXIFY YOUR HOME CLEANING PRODUCTS AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS
Toxic scents are everywhere. They are in cosmetics, household items, detergents, magazine advertising, and personal care products. The majority of these ingredients have minimal testing for human toxicity. The National Academy of Sciences reports that 95 percent of chemical used in fragrances are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum. These chemicals can cause allergic reactions and central-nervous-system dysfunction. Most household cleaning products found in grocery stores contain harmful toxic chemicals. Many are toxic when absorbed through the skin or inhaled. Washing clothing or bedding in these household products is another source of contact. According to the National Institutes of Health, 35 million American experience allergic reactions and hypersensitivity to chemicals found in common household products.
There are wonderful, safe alternatives to help you clean up your toxic environment. Email me if you need suggestions.
2. DETOXIFY YOUR BODY
Add fiber to your diet. For many children that don't like anything but sugars this will take some work. Add a good fiber supplement to a "smoothie" and your children will love it. The positive benefits of fiber are no longer based on hypotheses or guesswork. Medical studies offer compelling and clear evidence that adequate fiber intake is vital to optimum health! The correlation between low fiber diets and a variety of chronic health issues has been documented time and time again. Many researchers believe that chronic health issues such as cancer, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, diverticulosis, high blood pressure, ulcers, flood allergies, candida, acne, and more are directly associated with fiber-deficient diets. Like a broom, fiber sweeps through the digestive tract without being absorbed or assimilated, binding bile acids, increasing fecal bulk, diluting the concentration levels of sugar and other rich foods, decreasing bowel transit time and more. Fiber's ability to neutralize, absorb, and facilitate the elimination of toxic waste is extremely crucial to our well being.
3. REPAIR AND RESTORE YOUR BODY'S DEFENSES
High quality, absorbable multi-vitamin and mineral supplements are a must. I have information regarding a vitamin and mineral supplement that is quite unique in that the minerals are chelated with fructose. That is, a carbon atom is removed from this sugar chain and a mineral atom is inserted in its place. What is interesting is that after this transformation occurs the bond angles and the structure of this new molecule, a "substituted fructose", are identical to a real fructose molecule. Therefore, since these structures are the same and the body recognizes substances based on structure, the body treats this "substituted fructose " as a true sugar molecule. Sugars, including this "substituted fructose " are completely absorbed from the intestinal lumen, or inside of the gut, into the bloodstream that goes to the hepatic portal system and is then circulated throughout the entire body. This is the first part of the miracle of this supplement, that of approximating 100% absorption. The next part of the miracle is just as interesting. Since cells need sugar to perform the functions of life, sugars are transported across the cell membrane constantly and then taken to the mitochondria and are converted to ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate ) , which is the currency of energy for cells. ATP powers the mechanisms that create the stuff of life, such as neurotransmitters, proteins of repair, bone formation, red blood cells, white blood cells, and we could go on and on. Therefore, sugars are taken across cell walls from the blood at higher rates than other substances in the blood, since we need it to convert so much sugar into ATP. This "substituted fructose " becomes an ideal carrier of minerals not only getting into the bloodstream to an astoundingly high degree but also into the cells of the body that can then use these minerals for the formation of the stuff of life. What is also nice about using fructose as a carrier is that fructose is not insulin dependent which makes it a wonderful carrier for a diabetic. Fructose uses a completely different metabolic pathway to enter a cell.
Well, let me paint a little more of this picture, using the paint brush of basic anatomy. The brain rests inside the skull. Between the brain and the skull is the dura mater, which is Latin for "tough mother." The dura mater is a tough membrane that protects the brain. Between the dura mater and the brain is another barrier, the blood brain barrier which is composed of astrocytes, oligocytes, and microglia. These three cell types act as a filter keeping everything that is circulating in the blood that could be harmful to the brain, from reaching the brain. Yet there is one thing that crosses the blood brain barrier easily, Sugar (Including "substituted fructose). Even though muscles can use sugars, free fatty acids, as well as proteins as a fuel, the brain can only use sugar as a fuel. The answer lies in the physiology of the brain. It is obvious to you that the heart is an organ that pumps blood; the lungs are an organ which exchange gases according to law of partial pressures; the kidneys are an organ which filter blood; and the brain is also an organ. But what does the brain do? The Mind is what the brain does. I am using Mind to describe the myriad functions of the brain. If this self maintaining and self regulating brain, which is an organic machine, does not get the proper nutrition it needs to function well, it subsequently is not able to manufacture those substances that are necessary for good brain function and poor Mind results.
You Drink Filtered Water So You Don't Have To Drink Chlorine - Why Would You Want To Swim In It?
Q : by Maria from Oakland, California
I'm researching information of what to use for my spa or hot tub. I have been looking for information on your website but have not found anything on this topic. I am looking for an alternative to using chlorine or Bromine in our new spa. We had been using spamagic but I'm a little skeptical about continued use. Please advise. I'm allergic to chlorine.
A : by Dr. Mercola (Published April 08, 2007 )
Your concern about chlorine is appropriate. There is strong evidence that you should avoid drinking chlorine and also bathing in it. This would include showering with municipal water that is chlorinated. This is particularly problematic in the shower because the temperature of the water is higher which increases the blood flow in your skin and increases your ability to absorb chlorine from the water. . . .
Read the rest of Dr. Mercola's answer HERE.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
The Dangers of Chlorine and Issues With Sucralose
Most of us have grown up with the idea that whiter whites (and brighter colors) mean cleaner clothes. We continue to use chlorine products with abandon to whiten and to disinfect. We write on white paper and bathe in and drink chlorinated water.
After all, who wants bacteria- infested water? In our society, chlorine is ubiquitous-and so are its side effects.
In fact, the long-term residual effects from chlorine are becoming such a health hazard that the American Public Health Association is urging the American paper industry to stop using chlorine.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found dioxin (a toxic byproduct of chlorine) to be 300,000 times more potent as a carcinogen than DDT.
Healthy & Natural speaks with Stephen Ashkin, director of product development and environmental affairs at Seventh Generation, a manufacturer of green, nontoxic cleaning products. Although he has a degree in chemistry, Ashkin gained most of his practical knowledge and experience through direct contact in the chemical industry. He literally grew up in the laboratory of his parent's cleaning products manufacturing company.
Ashkin chaired the American Society for Testing and Materials' task force that wrote the national cleaning standard for commercial and institutional buildings. He has also chaired President Clinton's Green Chemistry Challenge Task Force. Ashkin is acting advisor for a number of EPA programs including the Indoor Environment Division. He has published numerous articles on environmentally preferable products and is a very popular conference speaker.
Q: Does chlorine occur naturally?
Typically chlorine does not normally occur in the environment except as a yellow gas on rare occasions. It's a manufactured substance produced through an industrial process. An electrical current is passed through salt water producing chlorine and caustic soda.
Q: Is chlorine very toxic?
This is where this topic gets very interesting. Many people argue that chlorine is basically safe-that it breaks down into harmless salt and water. Well, that's true-in a laboratory test tube under very controlled conditions.
The real issue is not just how toxic chlorine itself is but how the unintended byproducts of chlorine (organochlorines and dioxins) remain in the environment. They are persistent in the environment; they do not break down readily and therefore bio-accumulate.
Q: Is there a chlorine pollution problem?
One of the largest uses of chlorine is in the paper industry. Chlorine is first used to break down the lignan that holds the wood fibers together. Then chlorine is used to bleach the paper to make it white. The effluent or wastewater containing dioxins and other organochlorines are then dumped into streams and waterways. These ingredients are highly toxic and carcinogenic. Once in the waste stream, they come into contact with other organic materials and surfactants and combine to form a host of extremely toxic organic chemicals. A chain of events occurs: The water becomes polluted; the fish become contaminated; animals eat the fish and people eat the contaminated animals and fish. This can create a very serious health problem; the dioxins and other toxic chemicals, when consumed, accumulate in the fatty tissues. These contaminants are also hormone disrupters because they mimic estrogen. The EPA has observed and documented hormonal imbalance, suppressed immune systems, reproductive infertility and alterations in fetal development of animals. In viewing the big picture, these factors are perhaps the most frightening results from the widespread use of chlorine.
Q: How widespread is chlorine contamination?
It is so widespread that it would be difficult to find any human being who does not have detectable levels of dioxin in his/her blood. While we know that chlorine is a substantial environmental problem caused by the paper industry, household bleach and cleaners containing chlorine also pose a serious health risk. For instance, in 1997, 217,989 calls to the Poison Control Center concerned household cleaners. Of those calls, 54,453 were about chlorine bleach and 7,570 were for chlorine disinfectants. So, that means that 28.4 percent of all calls were related to poisonings by chlorine products. What's even more important, most of those calls were about children under 6 years old.
Q: What can happen if these chemicals get into our bodies?
Our bodies are very good at metabolizing many things. Through special enzymes, our bodies are able to rid themselves of many environmental toxic substances that we come into contact with daily. However, dioxins (and other organochlorine compounds) aren't included. Even if we are exposed to very low levels, dioxins remain in the body and accumulate. The EPA is now saying that this is soon to become a major health risk problem. The cumulative effects of dioxin in humans have been linked to
- birth defects
- cancer
- reproductive disorders
- immune system breakdown
Q: Should chlorine be used in our public water supply?
The alternative question would be, should we drink contaminated water? The answer, of course, would be no. It's very important that our water is sanitized. Years ago, there were very few alternatives. However, today, while chlorine is a very effective (and cheap) sanitizer, many scientists are recognizing some serious side effects from chlorine. Today, our technology is getting to the point where, I hope, we will look into a better means of sanitizing our drinking water. This will not be easy because one of the biggest advantages (and ultimately the biggest disadvantage) of using chlorine is the fact that chlorine doesn't break down. Water can be treated with chlorine at the filtration plant and 10 miles away the chlorine is persistent enough to remain in the water and pipes when it reaches the home. There exist many other ingredients that are good sanitizers, but they break down quickly, and the water would become contaminated by the time it reaches someone's home. We may have a problem if we need to sanitize via a chemical additive. It becomes a sort of oxymoron: chemicals that are persistent also tend to be toxic. The ultimate solution may be to have home-based water filtration/sanitizing systems. This would eliminate the problem of trying to prevent hundreds of miles of pipes, installed a hundred years ago, from contaminating the water.
Q: Are there safe, effective alternatives to chlorine as a bleaching agent and disinfectant?
Absolutely! Primarily, hydrogen peroxide is available to the paper industry and to the soap industry as a bleaching agent. Another new technology uses ozone. Other non-chlorinated household cleaning products, readily available to the consumer, achieve the same bleaching and disinfecting results as chlorine but are nontoxic. I don't understand why anyone would want to use chlorine products anyway. Chlorine is a respiratory irritant and when mixed with other common household products, it gives off a toxic gas.
Q: What can we do to make a difference?
We could request and purchase processed chlorine-free paper, not just in writing paper but in paper towels, napkins, tissues, and toilet paper. It's a vote for our environment and our health. It may seem to be a small thing, but collectively it really can make a substantial difference.
We need to realize that the technology in the chemical industry has changed as dramatically as in the computer industry. We no longer need to use harmful substances simply because they worked for our grandparents. The technology in the chemical industry is allowing us to replace many of these toxic ingredients with others that are not only nontoxic but have renewable resources and many environmental benefits.
It's a major educational process for consumers to understand that they, through their buying choices, can make a difference. Did you know that only about 20 percent of shoppers buy their household products in natural food stores?
What that says to me is that while consumers recognize the importance of buying supplements and organic foods, they don't recognize the same environmental and health benefits associated with buying chlorine-free paper and other nontoxic cleaners.
Chlorine Facts
Dioxin, a chemical byproduct of the manufacturing of chlorinebleached paper, is believed to be the single most carcinogenic chemical known to science.
When you open the door of your dishwasher after washing, toxic volatized chlorine from dish detergent and tap water is released into the air.
Thanks to chlorine pollution, Americans ingest a daily amount of dioxin that is already 300 to 600 times greater than the EPA's so-called "safe" dose.
The US Environmental Protection Agency has found dioxin to be 300,000 times more potent as a carcinogen than DDT.
Dioxin has been linked to endometriosis, immune system impairment, diabetes, neurotoxicity, birth defects, decreased fertility, and reproductive dysfunction in both women and men.
Studies show that 40-70 percent of the dioxin in bleached coffee filters can leach into your coffee; dioxin found in paper milk cartons also leaches into the milk you drink.
Cancer-causing chemicals like chlorine found in many household products such as coffee filters, disposable diapers, paper towels, and bathroom tissue are readily absorbed through the skin.
Dr. Mercola's Comment:
Sucralose, the supposed "safe" replacement for Nutrasweet, is starting to receive much press recently as it is being promoted more and more.
It is important to recognize that Sucralose is basically chlorinated table sugar and as such, may have many of the risks of chlorine discussed above. In addition, it is contributing to environmental chlorine pollution as well.
It is important to recognize that Sucralose is not the safe chemical it is being promoted as. I would advise caution as many have started to report adverse reactions to it.
The other issue with chlorine is of course its more common use as a water disinfectant, which is one of the main reasons why most of us need to use water filters of some sort. With summer upon us one must not neglect the use in swimming pools. Because the exposure is generally longer, this is a much more serious issue for those who swim regularly, than drinking tap water.
If you have a pool it is important to know that there are chlorine alternatives such as hydrogen peroxide (Baquacil) and ozone that can be used, are not toxic and more pleasant to use.
Reprinted from Dr. Mercola's Newsletter: http://www.mercola.com/2001/jun/23/chlorine.htm
Related Articles:
The Potential Dangers of Sucralose
Is Tap Water Safe?
Chlorinated Water Can Affect Cancer Risk
Americans Don't Drink Enough Water
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
