Danger, Warning, Caution

DANGER means that the chemical is harmful or fatal if swallowed. Ingestion of a small taste to a teaspoon could kill an average sized adult. .
WARNING means that the chemical is harmful if swallowed. Ingestion of a teaspoon to an ounce could kill an average sized adult.
CAUTION means that the chemical is harmful if swallowed. Ingestion of an ounce to a pint could kill an average adult.

_______________________________________________________________________________________
Unintentional Poisonings
The Statistics:
 On average, U.S. poison centers handle one poison exposure every 13 seconds.
 Generic substances (not all inclusive) involved in pediatric (under age of 6) exposures were:
Adhesives/glues, Arts/crafts/office supplies, Batteries, Chemicals, Cleaning substances, Cosmetics & personal care, Deodorizers, Dyes, Fertilizers, Paints & stripping agents, Pesticides, Pharmaceuticals/vitamins, Plants, Polishes & waxes, and Tobacco products.

Ingestion was the pathway of poisoning in 76.9% of the cases, followed by dermal (skin) (7.5%), inhalation (breathing) (5.8%), and ocular (eye) (5.2%).

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Statistics source: Watson W.A., Litovitz, T.L., Klein-Schwartz W., et al, 2003 Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers Toxic Exposure Surveillance System. Am J Emerg Med 2004; 22:335-404.

An Uncontrolled (& Out of Control) Experiment on American Children

Many people are intrigued by my home business. I love what I do . . . . my passion is to help de-tox households . . . .  one home at a time. I am also one heck of a great trainer in my field.
Many people have also asked me why I decided to work in this field of wellness. Here is part of an article from National Geographic Magazine that just may help answer that question.

Although many health statistics have been improving over the past few decades, a few illnesses are rising mysteriously.

• From the early 1980s through the late 1990s, autism increased tenfold; from the early 1970s through the mid-1990s
• one type of leukemia was up 62 percent
• male birth defects doubled
• childhood brain cancer was up 40 percent. 

Some experts suspect a link to the man-made chemicals that pervade our food, water, and air. There's little firm evidence. But over the years, one chemical after another that was thought to be harmless turned out otherwise once the facts were in. 

The classic example is lead.  This picture shows a lead paint Xray. 

In 1971 the U.S. Surgeon General declared that lead levels of 40 micrograms per deciliter of blood were safe. It's now known that any detectable lead can cause neurological damage in children, shaving off IQ points. 

From DDT to PCBs, the chemical industry has released compounds first and discovered damaging health effects later.

Regulators have often allowed a standard of innocent until proven guilty in what Leo Trasande, a pediatrician and environmental health specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, calls "an uncontrolled experiment on America's children."

 A helpful resource and place to request more information.

Top 10 Killer Household Chemicals

 

AIR FRESHENERS: Most air fresheners interfere with your ability to smell by coating your nasal passages with an oil film, or by releasing a nerve deadening agent. Known toxic chemicals found in an air freshener: Formaldehyde: Highly toxic, known carcinogen. Phenol: When phenol touches your skin it can cause it to swell, burn, peel, and break out in hives. Can cause cold sweats, convulsions, circulatory collapse, coma and even death!!

AMMONIA: It is a very volatile chemical, it is very damaging to your eyes, respiratory tract and skin.  Do not inhale under any circumstances.

BLEACH: It is a strong corrosive. It will irritate or burn the skin, eyes and respiratory tract. It may cause pulmonary edema or vomiting and coma if ingested. WARNING: never mix bleach with ammonia it may cause fumes which can be DEADLY.  Bleach can be absorbed into the skin and can take months to break down.  Bleach is now being suspected in the causes of breast, ovarian, and testicular cancer - think about it - what do you wash your underclothes in??

BODY CARE PRODUCTS: Shampoo, toothpaste, soap, hair spray, antiperspirants, fingernail polish, lotion, baby wipes, etc. contain an ingredient called Quaternium 15.  This is one of over 30 trade names for FORMALDEHYDE ( this is what is put into dead bodies to slow down decomposing process)which is a highly suspected carcinogen. Formaldehyde can cause dizziness, ear infections, nausea, headaches, skin irritations, joint pain, mental confusion, disorientation, vomiting, sleep disturbances, phlebitis, fatigue, laryngitis.

CARPET AND UPHOLSTERY SHAMPOO: Most formulas are designed to over power the stain itself, they accomplish the task but not without using highly toxic substances. Some include: Perchlorethylene: Known carcinogen damages liver, kidney and nervous system damage. Ammonium Hydroxide: Corrosive, extremely irritable to eyes, skin and respiratory passages.

DISHWASHER DETERGENTS: Most products contain chlorine in a dry form that is highly concentrated. # 1 cause of child poisonings, according to poison control centers.  You know those steamy fumes from the dishwasher - chlorine gas...

DRAIN CLEANER: Most drain cleaners contain lye, hydrochloric acid or trichloroethane. Lye: Caustic, burns skin and eyes, if ingested will damage esophagus and stomach. Hydrochloric acid: Corrosive, eye and skin irritant, damages kidneys, liver and digestive tract. Trichloroethane: Eye and skin irritant, nervous system depressant; damages liver and kidneys.

FURNITURE POLISH: Petroleum Distillates: Highly flammable, can cause skin and lung cancer. Phenol: (see Air fresheners, Phenol.)  Nitrobenzene: Easily absorbed through the skin, extremely toxic.

MOLD AND MILDEW CLEANERS: Chemicals contained are: Sodium hypochlorite: Corrosive, irritates or burns skin and eyes, causes fluid in the lungs which can lead to coma or death. Formaldehyde: Highly toxic, known carcinogen. Irritant to eyes, nose, throat, and skin. May cause nausea, headaches, nosebleeds, dizziness, memory loss and shortness of breath.

OVEN CLEANER: Sodium Hydroxide (Lye): Caustic, strong irritant, burns to both skin and eyes. Inhibits reflexes, will cause severe tissue damage if swallowed.

ANTIBACTERIAL CLEANERS: may contain: Triclosan: Absorption through the skin can be tied to liver damage.  Also - news reports are now saying that antibacterial soaps can eliminate your body's ability to ward off harmful germs which will lead to "supergerms" that cannot be killed by antibacterial soaps.  Are they doing more harm than good?  That is the question now.  Check your Bath & Body products and all antibacterial soaps for this ingredient.

LAUNDRY ROOM PRODUCTS: Sodium or calcium hypocrite: Highly corrosive, irritates or burns skin, eyes or respiratory tract. Linear alkylate sulfonate: Absorbed through the skin. Known liver damaging agent. Sodium Tripolyphosphate: Irritates skin and mucous membranes, causes vomiting. Easily absorbed through the skin from clothes.

TOILET BOWL CLEANERS: Hydrochloric acid: Highly corrosive, irritant to both skin and eyes. Damages kidneys and liver. Hypochlorite Bleach: Corrosive, irritates or burns eyes, skin and respiratory tract. May cause pulmonary edema, vomiting or coma if ingested. Contact with other chemicals may cause chlorine fumes which may be fatal.

OTHER NASTY THINGS THAT ARE AROUND YOUR HOME

PESTICIDES: Most pesticides have ingredients that affect the nervous system of insects. Imagine what these extremely poisonous chemicals do to your body or your baby's. Dimpylate: Better known as Diazinon, extremely toxic. Impairs the central nervous system. Chlorinate Hydrocarbons: Suspected carcinogen and mutantagen. Accumulates in food and in fatty tissue. Will attack the nervous system. Organophosphates: Toxic and poisonous. If you can smell it, your lungs are absorbing it.

FLEA POWDERS: Why put toxins on "man's (or woman's) best friend." Carbaryl: Very toxic, causes skin, respiratory and cardiovascular system damage. Chlordane: Accumulates in the food chain, may damage eyes, lungs, liver, kidney and skin. Dichlorophene: Skin irritation: May damage liver, kidney, spleen and central nervous system.

LICE SHAMPOO: Especially vulnerable are children. Lindane: Inhalation, ingestion, or ABSORPTION through the SKIN causes vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions and circulatory collapse. May cause liver damage, stillbirths, birth defects and cancer.
Lice R Gone is a non-toxic alternative to pesticide based Head Lice Products

CAR WASH AND POLISH: Petroleum Distillates: Associated with skin and lung cancer, irritant to skin, eyes, nose and lungs. Entry into the lungs may cause fatal pulmonary edema, most marked Danger, Harmful or Fatal.

TAR AND BUG REMOVER: Contains XYLENE and PETROLEUM DISTILLATES.  Manufacturers are not required by law to list all ingredients (harmful or not) on their labels if they are intended for household use.  And don't forget about your favorite LYSOL product.  It contains DIOXIN which is an ingredient used in Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.  Agent Orange was a chemical used to spray in the jungles to strip foliage off the trees so our soldiers would be able to SEE the enemies they were looking for.  This poison has afflicted so many soldiers from that war!

The question is - what will YOU use to clean your home and body ?  Do you want your children to be absorbing these chemicals?  They already are.  Do you want to educate yourself on the dangers of household chemicals, cleaning products, and personal care products?  Would you like to know what options are available? 

http://www.5678.fourpointwellness.com/contact.cpo

http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/household/alternative_products.htm

More info can be found here: 

Know the Facts for Safety

One Decision Can Make a Difference

SOURCES:  author, Steve Tvedten @ http://www.thenhf.com/articles_296.htm

 

Environmental Toxins - Mount Sinai CEHC (list w/ links)

Environmental Toxins

Today, children are exposed to thousands of substances in the environment, most of which have never been tested for toxicity to children. Lead is perhaps the best-studied of the environmental threats to children, but there may be countless more that have never been studied. There is strong and growing evidence that exposure to toxic chemicals in the environment contributes to many diseases of children, among them asthma, learning disabilities, certain birth defects and childhood cancer.

• More than 80,000 new chemical compounds have been developed since World War II
• Of these, 3,000 are high-volume chemicals, with annual production exceeding one million pounds. These chemicals are used extensively in our homes, schools, communities, and they are widely dispersed in air, water, soil, and waste sites.
• Fewer than 20% of these high volume chemicals have been tested for their possible toxicity to children.
• Over 2.5 billion pounds of toxic chemicals are released to the environment in the US each year.
• Nearly 75% of the top 20 chemicals discharged to the environment are known or suspected to be toxic to the developing human brain. In addition, more than 4 billion pounds of pesticides - many of them neurotoxic - are applied in the US each year in agriculture, on lawns and gardens, and inside homes, schools, day-care centers and hospitals.
• National surveys conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show measurable levels of high-volume synthetic chemicals in the bodies of nearly all Americans, including newborns, infants and in the breast milk of nursing mothers.

References:
United States Environmental Protection Agency. Chemical Hazard Data Availability Study:  What Do We Really Know About the Safety of High Production Volume Chemicals? Washington, DC: Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 1998.
United States Environmental Protection Agency.  Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) Program. Washington, DC, February 21, 2008.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Third National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals. Atlanta (GA): CDC, 2005.

A:

• Abestos
• Acetone
• Air Polluntants
• Ammonia
• Arsenic
• Artificial Turf

B:

• Benzene
• Bisphenol A

C:

• Carbon Dioxide
• Carbon Monoxide
• Chlorine

D:

• Diesel Exhaust
• Dioxins
• Drinking Water Contaminants

E:

• Endocrine Disruptors (BPA and Phthalates)
• Environmental Tobacco Smoke
• Ethylene Glycol

F:

• Flame Retardants (PBDEs or BFRs)
• Formaldehyde

G:

• Gasoline

L:

• Lead

M:

• Mercury
• Mold

N:

• Natural Gas
• Nitrogen Oxides

O:

• Ozone

P:

• Particulate Matter
• Perchloroethylene
• Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)
• Pesticides
• Phthalates
• Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)
• Propane

R:

• Radiation
• Radon

S:

• Solvents
• Sulfur Dioxides
• Sun Exposure

T:

• Toluene

V:

• Vaccinations
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's)

W:

• Water and Soil Contaminants

SOURCE: http://www.mountsinai.org/patient-care/service-areas/children/areas-of-care/childrens-environmental-health-center/environmental-toxins


Additional Resources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
• National Institute of Health Household Products Database
• National Institute of Health Toxtown

Brain Development And Toxic Chemicals

The Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative (LDDI) released the first-ever bio-monitoring report identifying toxic chemical pollution in people from the learning and developmental disability community.  

Mind, Disrupted: How Toxic Chemicals May Affect How We Think and Who We Are examines 61 toxic chemicals present in project participants in the context of rising rates of autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other learning and developmental disabilities.

"Given the increasing rates of learning and developmental disabilities -- particularly autism -- we need to recognize that the rising costs associated with long term care of disability, special education and related health care will only continue to grow," explained Jeff Sell, Esq, Vice President for Policy of the Autism Society and father of twin teen sons with autism.

• Children are uniquely vulnerable to environmental exposures because their biological systems are still developing.*1
• During fetal development, exposures to even miniscule amounts of toxins at certain developmental windows can have lifelong health impacts *2

Dr. Larry Silver said, "By protecting children from toxic exposures, we can protect everyone. We need to create healthy environments to ensure all children can reach their full potential and contribute to society."

AND WHILE WE ARE ON THE SUBJECT OF BRAIN DEVELOPMENT:

All those colorful toys that you give your children, all those expensive classes, and a number of music compilations may not make your child smarter if you fail to provide the most needed emotional support. With all this different things available promising to make your child smarter, it's hard to sort out the best way to help your child's brain thrive. A newly published policy paper helps parents to put those worries to rest.

This is the essence of the paper: What kids need is an intimate and secure relationship with adults who adore them.

"It's all about playing with your child," said Eric Knudsen, PhD, the Edward C. and Amy H. Sewall Professor in the Stanford University School of Medicine, succinctly summing up a paper coming out in the June 27 advance online issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. A child's eventual ability to learn calculus or a second language, he explained, starts with the neurons that are shaped by positive interactions with nurturing adults.

The piece, written by Knudsen and three other members of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child including Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman, PhD, doesn't just ease parents' toy-buying decisions - it lays out the scientific basis for why helping all kids have the best early experiences is good economic policy . . . .

SOURCES:

1. * Dr. Larry Silver, M.D. is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown at Georgetown Medical Center, accomplished self-advocate, and author of groundbreaking learning disabilities research.
2. * Dr. Larry Silver, M.D.
3. http://newideas.net/adhd/environmental-toxins-adhd-learning-problems
4. LDDI -- an international partnership fostering collaboration among learning and developmental disability organizations, researchers, health professionals and environmental health groups to address concerns about the impact environmental pollutants may have on neurological health. LDDI currently has over 400 organizational and individual participants engaged in educational and policy efforts.
5. Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative

Toxic Brew

This is a serious, life threatening problem. Fortunately there is a simple solution to protect you and those you love.

Could your home be healthier?
Learn how to get rid of toxins. . . it is worth it. 

This video clip is from a news program (CBC) in Canada.  The United States of America's Code of Federal Regulations is like Canada's in that; if a product is used for personal, family or household use.... the manufacturer does not have to tell us what is in it" (Section 1910.1200C, Title 29, Section 1500.82 2Q1A)

Link back to SOURCE:
http://video.aol.ca/video-detail/cbc-marketplace-report-toxic-brew/966454477/?icid=VIDLRVENT08
(you may need to scroll down)

Round-Up, Monsanto and the Environment

Study Finds Small Doses of Roundup Weedkiller Kills Frogs
A study reported in Science Daily finds that Roundup, the herbicide thought to be less harmful than most other toxic herbicides in its class, is highly toxic to amphibians at much lower concentration levels than tested previously. The study also finds that the pesticide’s deadly effects are not mitigated by the dilution of soil.

The study published in Ecological Applications finds that 71%  of tadpoles were killed within weeks after being exposed to 1/3 of the maximum concentration level expected in nature. The study also finds that baby frogs, or tadpoles, are not the only stage of amphibian development affected. Tests also show that an application of Roundup® Weed and Grass Killer, a common product marketed to homeowners and gardeners, kills up to 86% of terrestrial frogs after only one day.

Researchers lead by Rick Relyea out of the University of Pittsburgh also find that adding soil to the test study, thought to absorb the pesticide, made no effect on preventing the death of most of the three species of tadpoles. The researchers join others nationwide who increasingly suspect that Roundup along with other common herbicides like atrazine to be primary contributors to the worldwide decline in amphibian species (see photo story). The decline is believed to be a gauge of the toxic pollution adversely affecting the natural state of the environment.

The active ingredient in Roundup, glyphosate, tops the list as the most widely used herbicide in the U.S., with up to 90 million pounds applied annually in agriculture and up to 8 million pounds in the non-agricultural sector – second only to 2,4-D, the chemical found in most “weed and feed” products. Monsanto, the corporate chemical giant that makes Roundup, also produces genetically engineering plants and seeds to be resistant to the herbicide, which studies show increases the use of the pesticide. Both 2,4-D and glyphosate enter waterways, including small wetland areas where tadpoles develop, due to toxic runoff from agriculture and urban and suburban lawns.

The study adds heavily to the weight of evidence that the inert ingredients used in the retail herbicide, not disclosed on the label due to a “trade secret” loophole, make it significantly more toxic than just its active ingredient glyphosate alone. 

Note from Soutenus --Read this next statement slowly - I had to read it twice for the reality of it to settle in:

The Environmental Protection Agency only evaluates health and environment data submitted by the manufacturer on active ingredients and not on actual pesticide formulations sold on the shelves. 

Several other studies published in peer-reviewed journals over the years have underscored the lethal affects of Roundup to humans and wildlife.

Study Shows Glyphosate and Roundup Pesticide Toxic To Fetus
Study Reveals Common Pesticides Damage Aquatic Communities
Monsanto Wins Plant Patent Rights, Loses Battle With Farmer
Glyphosate Contamination Detected in Humans
Study Shows Glyphosate (RoundUp) May Encourage Toxic Fungi Growth
Colombia Argonomist Reports Effects of Roundup® Exposure

TAKE ACTION: Encourage schools, neighbors, park managers and others to stop using Roundup herbicides and adopt sustainable land care practices that will not adversely effect humans and wildlife. Join the National Coalition for Pesticide-Free Lawns or visit the Beyond Pesticides issue webpages.

SOURCE: (Beyond Pesticides, August 11, 2005)

34K Cancer Deaths a Year Due to Toxins

 

The American Cancer Society estimates that about 6% of cancer deaths — nearly 34,000 a year — are caused by environmental pollutants. 

That number could be much higher according to the 240-page report released by the President's Cancer Panel, a body of experts that reports directly to President Obama. Although the report doesn't give a figure, it says the government has "grossly underestimated" the problem because of a lack of research.

The report urges the Obama administration to act, even if the evidence linking cancer and chemicals isn't definitive. Nearly 80,000 chemicals are used in the country today, many of which are unstudied and "largely unregulated," the report says.

Children appear to be especially vulnerable, the report says.  Look to your home and make the necessary changes so that you are not living in a toxic brew.  

You can read the whole article here.

By Liz Szabo, USA TODAY

Edited by Soutenus

RESOURCES: 

FORMALDEHYDE: Linked to more common cancers

Environmental Working Group

Childhood Asthma and How to Combat It

Childhood asthma is a debilitating disease that affects the lungs of young children and can last throughout adulthood.  Childhood asthma can be terrifying; it is also on the rise.

Childhood asthma is now the most common condition in the developed world, and things aren’t getting any better.

The problem is that the lungs are very sensitive organs that eagerly absorb inhaled air to pick up all the oxygen that they can. In the process, lungs also absorb any particles in the air straight into their tissues. You may not be surprised to learn that the air indoors is filled with all kinds of particles that can cause damage to the lung tissue.
High on the list are particles produced from (1)paint and (2)outgassing.
*VOCs and other fume particles are clearly bad news, causing a variety of illnesses throughout the body, but when a baby is raised in a home where there’s a lot of VOCs, its lungs can become permanently weakened.
 VOCs and other fume particles can come from paint, home cleaning products, laundry detergents, fabric softeners, bleach and ammonia (to name a few things).

You may have never heard of outgassing.  Here is some more detail . . . .  one way it happens is when particle board is used to build houses. They release particles (called" exhaling") from inside its fibers into the air. Unfortunately, particle board is put together with truly nasty chemicals like formaldehyde, which have been proven to cause lung damage when they are inhaled.

And before you start blaming these construction chemicals for all the asthma in the world, take a good look at the studies done in Australia and Europe that link childhood asthma to common household cleaners, especially bleach. Window cleaners, air fresheners, and disinfectants were also pinpointed.

If you are worried about your child developing an asthma condition or if they already have asthma you may feel a bit panicky. That is understandable and may be your call to action!

Fortunately there are things you can do to make your home safer and hopefully asthma-free.

First, be extra careful of what chemical cleaners, personal care products and cosmetics you use. When in doubt, always look at the labels. If there’s a warning sign, it’s there for a reason. Stay away from bleach and try using eco-friendly products, stain-fighting enzymes, and ionized water when possible.

Second, use green construction materials wherever possible. VOC-free paints and varnishes are a must. To get rid of the out-gassing effect, try using green particle board instead. This board uses recycled lumber materials and natural resins instead of formaldehyde and other nasty chemicals.

*VOCs  = Volatile Organic Compounds 
For more info on how to go greener and cleaner go here and then after you peruse the info . . . click on "request information" near the top. 

Toxins Hiding in Everyday Items and How to Easily Eliminate Them

Here is a list of common household products that contain known carcinogens and/or neurotoxins.

It could be overwhelming if you didn't have a ready, easy, safe, affordable alternative. I do and I am ready to share that info with anyone who asks! We have to help each other, you know?

Carcinogens are chemicals that cause cancer. Neurotoxins are chemicals that adversely affect the nervous system reducing emotional well being, mental alertness, coordination and other functions associated with intelligence.

· Lysol disinfectant
· Renuzit Air Deodorizer
· Fantastik All-Purpose Cleaner
· Formula 409
· Pine-Sol Multi-Action Spray
· Pledge Household Cleaner
· Spic & Span Cleaner
· Scotts Liquid Gold
· Lemon Pledge
· Tilex Soap Scum Remover
· Ajax Cleaner
· Gillette Foamy Skin Conditioning
· Speed Stick
· Secret Deodorant
· Johnson's Baby Shampoo · S.O.S. Ammonia Glass Cleaner
· Dawn Sureshot
· Joy Dishwashing Liquid
· Windex Glass Cleaner
· Palmolive Dishwashing Liquid
· Shout Aerosol & Stick
· Sunlight Dishwashing Liquid
· Spray & Wash Stain Remover
· Behold Furniture Wax
· Depend-o Blue Toilet Cleaner
· Endust
· 3M Aerosol Spot Remover
· Formby's Lemon & Almond Spray
· Most Home & Garden Pesticides · Right Guard Deodorant
· Ponds Dry Skin Bar
· Palmolive Skin Bar
· Lady Speed Stick
· Lever 2000
· Irish Spring Deodorant
· Jergens Liquid Soap
· English Leather
· Deodorant
· Ban Roll-on
· Caress Body Bar
· Camay
· Ultra Brite Toothpaste
· Crest Tartar Control
· Listerine Original & Cool Mint
· Arm & Hammer Toothpaste
· Colgate toothpaste
· Scope Mouthwash
· Old English Furniture Spray
· Dove Soap Bars

Begin by thinking of your home as a toxic waste dump. The average home today contains 62 toxic chemicals — more than a chemistry lab at the turn of the century. More than 72,000 synthetic chemicals have been produced since WW II. Less than 2% of synthetic chemicals have been tested for toxicity, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects, or birth defects.. The majority of chemicals have never been tested for long-term effects.

In the work place, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) must accompany any product used. The work place and the outdoors are considered “legal environments” while the air in homes is not. So regulations for outdoor air pollution and toxins in the workplace are much more strict than in the home.

Air Quality Inside Your Home

• · An EPA survey concluded that indoor air was 3 to 70 times more polluted than outdoor air.

• · Another EPA study stated that the toxic chemicals in household cleaners are 3 times more likely to cause cancer than outdoor air.

• · CMHC reports that houses today are so energy efficient that "out-gassing" of chemicals has no where to go, so it builds up inside the home.

• · We spend 90% of our time indoors, and 65% of that time at home. Moms, infants and the elderly spend 90% of their time in the home.

• · National Cancer Association released results of a 15-year study concluding that women who work in the home are at a 54% higher risk of developing cancer than women who work outside the home.

• · Chemicals get into our body through inhalation, ingestion and absorption. We breathe 10 to 20 thousand liters of air per day. 

Health Effects of Chemical Exposure
Chemical exposure presents a real danger to you and your family's health and well-being.

• · Cancer rates have almost doubled since 1960.

• · Cancer is the Number ONE cause of death for children.

• · There has been a 26% increase in breast cancer since 1982. Breast cancer is the Number ONE killer of women between the ages of 35 and 54. Primary suspects are laundry detergents, household cleaners and pesticides.

• · Since 1980, asthma has increased by 600%. The Canadian Lung Association and the Asthma Society of Canada identify common household cleaners and cosmetics as triggers.

• · ADD/ADHD are epidemic in schools today. Behavioral problems have long been linked to exposure to toxic chemicals and molds.

• · Chemicals are attracted to, and stored in fatty tissue. The brain is a prime target for these destructive organics because of its high fat content and very rich blood supply.

• · Chemical and environmental sensitivities are known to cause all types of headaches.

• · Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, circulatory disorders, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and hormonal problems are diseases commonly related to chemical exposure.

• · The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has found more than 2500 chemicals in cosmetics that are toxic, cause tumors, reproductive complications, biological mutations and skin and eye irritations. 

Chemicals in Household Products

There are more than 3 million poisonings every year. Household cleaners are the Number ONE cause of poisoning of children. The top three culprits according to Poison Control: Household cleaners, bleach and medications.

Formaldehyde is one of the largest indoor pollutants in our homes.

Symptoms caused by formaldehyde are allergies, cancer, immune system failings, and asthma.

Products containing Formaldehyde include: antiperspirants , mouthwash, toothpaste, Tupperware, permanent press clothing, floor waxes, furniture polishes, shampoos, cleaners, and cosmetics, just to name a few.

Phenols are a major indoor pollutant. Phenols are absorbed by lungs, and skin. Symptoms include caustic burns, kidney and liver damage and hyperactivity.

Do you think the major products are safe? WRONG!

• Lysol© is even more dangerous than we thought. It contained phenols and dioxin (Agent Orange).

• Bleach must be safe because people have been using it for years, right? WRONG! When using bleach, antiseptics or chlorine in industrial areas, OSHA requires you to wear impervious protective clothing, hard hats, boots, gloves, apron or coveralls, chemical goggles or full face shield and use only in well ventilated areas. There has been a call from the U.S./ Canadian Commission to ban bleach in North America. Bleach is being linked to the rising rates of breast cancer in women, reproductive problems in men and learning and behavioral problems in children.

NTAs were banned in 1970. Lobbying by Proctor & Gamble in 1980 put them back into home products although they are extremely cancer causing. What are they for? ONLY to make more suds in detergents to make you think your clothes are getting cleaner.

In the USA the #1 cause of accidental poisoning is Dawn Dishwashing Detergent©. WHY? Because it is the #1 seller. Tide contains Lye and is the #1 polluter. It is also the #1 seller.
Deep Woods and Off have an ingredient called DEET. DEET causes seizures in children and adults.

. . . . . . . and so you can see why I don't use any of these!

What's Causing Cancer in North America?

This is a Canadian article but much of the article pertains to all of North America!

Chemicals may be one of the biggest reasons for cancer's epidemic proportions.

There are more than 85,000 chemicals that are currently licensed for use in North America. Less than half have ever been tested for human health risk and even fewer for potential environmental impacts (and even fewer have been tested for environmental impact).

Cancer in Canada is now projected to afflict one in every 2.2 men and one in every 2.6 women in their lifetime. In the 1930s, those numbers were less that one in 10. What's happening? Why are we now seeing what many are calling a "cancer epidemic"?

Some would suggest we are simply an aging population and cancer is a disease of the old. Not true. Recent statistics show that the net incidence rate of cancer has increased 25% for males and 20% for females from 1974 to 2005 - after correcting for the effects of aging.

Children are increasingly the victims. Researchers in Britain have shown that certain childhood cancers such as leukemia and brain cancer have increased by more than a third since the 1950s.

In Canada and in the U.S., hundreds of millions of dollars are raised and spent for cancer research and treatment. The elephant in the room, however, is the contribution of environmental toxins and whether many of the cancers striking North Americans can be avoided rather than simply managed.

The World Health Organization estimates that fully 25% of cancers worldwide are caused by occupational and environmental factors other than smoking. You don't have to look far for some potential chemical culprits.

THIS IS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO REPEAT:

There are more than 85,000 chemicals that are currently licensed for use in North America . Less than half have ever been tested for human health risk and even fewer for potential environmental impacts (and even fewer have been tested for environmental impact).

The U.S. Centers For Disease Control recently turned their attention toward pollution detection - not in the environment, but within the human body. Their study in 2002 found the presence of 81 different toxic chemicals, including PCBs, benzene and other carcinogens in their sampling of 2,500 people tested.

It is somewhat of a no-brainer that reducing exposure to known carcinogens will reduce the risk of developing cancer. Surprisingly, this simple logic seems to have been lost on our federal governments. Many chemicals that are scientifically demonstrated carcinogens or otherwise toxic are freely used without any legal obligation to identify them on the label. Some of these same chemicals are entirely banned elsewhere.

A trip to your local supermarket reveals a small sample of these hidden poisons:

• Mothballs contain either naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene, both of which are carcinogenic. A recent U.S. study linked mothball use to an increased incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. 

• Polycarbonate plastics used in food-grade plastic containers such as water bottles can leach Bisphenol A, an estrogen-mimicking chemical linked to a variety of disorders, including hormone-related birth defects, learning disabilities, prostate cancer and neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. 

• Several leading perfumes, nail polishes and other cosmetic products sold in Canada contain the endocrine-disrupting phthalates DBP and DEHP - both banned for use in cosmetic products in European Union countries. 

• Many leading brands of household laundry detergent contain trisodium nitrilotriacetate, another suspected carcinogen as well as an environmental pollutant.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers or PBDEs are common chemical fire retardants found in everything from foam mattresses to computer parts. They have similar properties to the now outlawed PCBs and are known neurotoxins and hormone disrupters. The most dangerous forms are now banned in the EU, though they remain legal in North America .

Chemicals that endanger human life also go down the drain and impact the environment. A gruesome example involved a dead orca that washed up south of Vancouver in 2000 that was so contaminated with persistent chemicals that Ottawa considered shipping the carcass to the Swan Hills toxic waste facility for incineration.

Like orcas, we are perched at the top of the food chain and are becoming the unwitting receptacles of many of the chemicals designed to make our lives more convenient.

Ballooning cancer rates are simply not worth whiter clothes or fewer moths. (Besides, there are natural, effective and affordable *alternatives!)

Cancer must be fought on many fronts. Research and treatment are undeniably important but so is environmental cancer prevention. It is therefore shocking that our governments are not moving faster to ban known and suspected carcinogens, and  requiring mandatory "right to know" labeling so that Canadians and Americans can better protect themselves and their families.

Anything less is quite simply putting the interests of the chemical industry ahead of human life.

SOURCE:  TorontoStar  June13th, 2005 / article by Mitchell Anderson     
Mitchell Anderson is a board member of the Labour Environmental Alliance Society, a Vancouver-based charity that educates the public on cancer prevention. 
Edited by Soutenus   
Shared Post: BCN, Coffee Grounds and Egg Shells 

The Unique Vunerability of Children to Environmental Toxins

Children are not simply "little adults." Four fundamental differences between children and adults contribute to children's heightened susceptibility to environmental toxins.

This is a crucial reason to look at all sensible ways to de-tox their environments.  It is imperative to find solutions and these are just a few reasons why . . . .

    * Children have disproportionately heavy exposures to environmental toxicants due to their greater intake pound-for-pound of food, water, and air, coupled with their unique behaviors - in particular, hand-to-mouth behavior.
    * Children's metabolic pathways, especially in the first months after birth, are immature. In many instances, they are less able than adults to deal with toxic compounds.
    * Children are undergoing rapid growth and development. These developmental processes create windows of great vulnerability in which the course of development can be permanently disrupted by environmental toxins.
    * Because children have more future years of life than adults, they have more time to develop chronic diseases that may be initiated by early exposures.

*National Research Council. Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2000.

Think Before You Go Pink

It sounds noble: a cosmetics company promises that if you buy one of its products, a portion of the sale will go toward “the fight against breast cancer.”

But what if that cosmetic contains chemicals that might actually increase your risk of developing the disease?

Many cosmetics contain chemicals known as parabens and phthalates, which recent studies indicate may be linked to cancer development.

• Parabens are chemical preservatives that have been identified as estrogenic and disruptive of normal hormone function. (Estrogenic chemicals mimic the function of the naturally occurring hormone estrogen, and exposure to external estrogens has been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer.)
• Phthalates are known to cause a broad range of birth defects and lifelong reproductive impairments in laboratory animals that are exposed to these chemicals during pregnancy and after birth. Phthalates are also known to be hormone-mimicking chemicals, many of which disrupt normal hormonal processes, raising concern about their implications for increased breast cancer risk.
• There are numerous other chemicals of concern in personal care products. BCA is particularly concerned about lutein (progesterone), formaldehyde and coal tar due to their links to cancer.

The Environmental Working Group recently released Skin Deep, a report on the safety of cosmetics and personal care products. Astonishingly, 1/3 of products tested contain on or more ingredients that are known, probable or possible human carcinogens.

Cosmetic companies will argue that we don't need to worry about harmful chemicals in their products because they are only used on our skin and hair.

For example, the cosmetics industry has long stated that their widespread use of parabens and phthalates is not harmful because they remain on our skin and are not absorbed into our body.

• ----> However, a recent study found parabens in human breast cancer tissue, raising obvious questions about the ability of parabens to accumulate in our bodies (Darbre et al. 2004).
• ----> In September 2000 scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found phthalates at surprisingly high levels in every one of 289 people tested, especially in women of reproductive age.
• ----> The authors concluded that "from a public health perspective, these data provide evidence that phthalate exposure is both higher and more common than previously suspected" (Blount et al. 2000).
  
  Many cosmetic companies will also argue that the level of a harmful chemical in any one product is not enough to harm you, based on studies of chemical exposure in adults.
• ----> However, science is finding the timing of exposure is crucial, and that even a very small dose of some chemicals can have serious consequences in children and young women who are still developing.
• ----> Also, we are rarely exposed to a chemical just one time. We may use the same product every day, several days a week, for months or years.
• ----> In addition, we use dozens of personal care products daily, not just one. So while exposure from one product on one day may be small, the fact is we use numerous products a day for extended periods of time. As a result, scientists are finding chemicals such as parabens and phthalates accumulating in our bodies.

Many diseases like cancer, asthma, birth defects and learning disabilities are on the rise, and there is growing evidence that these health problems are linked to the chemicals we are exposed to in our air, water, food, and everyday products. It's time we start acting to protect human health. The Precautionary Principle, a common sense approach to chemical use, says "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". It guides us to take action to prevent exposure to chemicals we know or suspect are harmful to our health. In the case of cosmetics, when a product ingredient is known or strongly suspected of being harmful to our healthy, our top priority should be eliminating the use of this chemical and finding a safe substitute to replace it. In many cases, we know safe alternatives do exist and are already being used by some cosmetics company (Nicole Miller is one such line). The notion of "safe" or "acceptable" levels of hazardous chemicals in our products should only be introduced when we cannot find alternatives. We are entitled to products that won't hurt us. We can't let companies have it both ways.

Avon markets itself as “the company for women,” claiming to be the largest corporate supporter of the breast cancer cause in the U.S. But many Avon products contain parabens, according to its own website (including Soy Milk Hand & Foot Therapy, Asian Pear with Ginseng Body Cream, Skin-So-Soft Moisturizing Hand Cream, and many others). Evidence suggests that young females with developing breast tissue are particularly vulnerable to the increased breast cancer risk associated with exposure to external estrogens. Last year, Avon launched a new cosmetics line called “mark,” aimed at young women ages 16 to 24. The company is recruiting teenagers as sales representatives in this program. For more information on Breast Cancer Action’s campaign, see the Follow the Money campaign.

UPDATE: Be aware of dibutyl phthalates in product lines. Avon has reported that they plan to remove this chemical. This is a small but important step by a corporate giant. It's important for the people Avon markets, too. Many of their customers are women of childbearing age, and removing this chemical is important for future generations. BCA applauds this first step, and will continue to push Avon to remove other harmful ingredients from their products.

Revlon sponsors an annual 5K Run/Walk for Women that in part funds the Revlon/UCLA Women’s Cancer Research Program—which, according to http://www.revlonrunwalk.com/, works toward “the control and consequent elimination of women’s cancers.” Meanwhile, The Safe Shopper's Bible, warns against carcinogenic ingredients in several Revlon products, including Revlon Powder Crème Blush, Revlon Powder Crème Make-Up Pressed Powder Full Matte, and Revlon Colorsilk Salon Formula Ammonia-Free Haircolor. UPDATE: in EWG's Skin Deep report, products were assigned scores from 0–10 based on the health concerns associated with their ingredients, with 10 being of highest health concern. Over 80% of the Revlon producs tested were rated 7.2 or higher. Revlon High Dimension 10 Minute Permanent Haircolor scored 9.6 and contains both known and suspected carcinogens.

Estée Lauder's Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), which states its mission as "prevention and a cure in our lifetime," sponsors breast cancer efforts such as the Global Landmarks Illumination Initiative, in which national landmarks such as the Mall of America are spotlighted in pink lights—an effort that is far more likely to generate positive publicity for Estée Lauder than it is to prevent any woman from developing breast cancer. Their products containing parabens include Polished Performance Liquid Makeup and Precision Lash Mascara, according to The Safe Shopper's Bible.UPDATE: Estée Lauder has announced it will reformulate its Clinique and MAC nail polishes to remove phthalates. BCA applauds this step, and will continue to push Estée Lauder to remove other harmful ingredients from their products.

Mary Kay, whose web site proclaims that the company’s charitable foundation is ”committed to eliminating cancers affecting women,” does not make it easy for consumers to find out if its products contain potentially harmful ingredients. It’s extremely difficult for a consumer to identify what is in Mary Kay products: the cosmetics are not available in stores, their product descriptions on the web site do not list ingredients, and repeated attempts to get information about product content from a sales representative were unsuccessful.

UPDATE: After BCA began this project, Mary Kay representatives contacted us to let us know about an ingredient guide that is available on request. Call 1-800-MARYKAY for more information. Also, a concerned consumer sent us a web link to their product, which is housed on a part of their web site restricted to Mary Kay sellers only. The web link has since been made inactive, and the public and consumer part of their web site does not list this product guide. Lastly, in 2004, BCA co-sponsored important California legislation (AB 2012) regarding the public's right to know about carcinogenic and reproductive toxins in cosmetics and personal care products. Mary Kay was a vocal opponent of the bill.

Source:
Think Before You Pink. a project of Breast Cancer Action

Salt Lamps and The Benefits of Negative Ions

We have become quite dependent on electric devices in our world today. They have made life easier for us at work, at play, in our offices and in our homes. Computer terminals, fluorescent lighting, forced air ventilation systems, and modern building materials generate an over abundance of positive ions. Many people do not realize that they are also a source of very harmful positive ions, often called electric smog.

Electric smog deteriorates the condition of air, which hazardously affects our physical and emotional state.

You may have experienced the power of negative ions when you were on the beach, walked beneath a waterfall or walked in the pine forest. The air circulating in the mountains and the beach is said to contain tens of thousands of negative ions. We can also experience this immediately after a spring thunderstorm.

Crystal Salt Lamps emit negative ions. They are natural air ionizers that boost negative ions in the air. The negatively charged ions are created by heating the lamp.

This is how it works:

• The heated Salt Lamp pulls water molecules from the air to its surface
• The salt mixes with the water molecules
  
• This results in the neutralization of positive ions (and the attached pollution)
  
• The neutralized molecules are emitted back into the environment.

Scientific studies show that Crystal Salt Lamps can increase the negative ions count up to 300%. Many people in Europe and Australia are aware of the benefits of negative ions to good health. These negative ions are actually essential for our health and well being.

Crystal Salt Lamps are a beautiful, maintenance free, natural alternative from Mother Nature to improve air quality. With time, your Salt Lamps will not reduce in size, color or shape, and will not lose weight, or their ionizing effect!

Negative Ions are beneficial to

• Strengthen the functions of autonomic nerves.

• Reinforce collagen (tissues that are resilient and tension-related).

• Improve the permeability of the cell's prototype plasma membranes (improves metabolism).

• Strengthen the body's immune system.

• Clean the air of dust, molds, bacteria, soot, pollen and household odors.

• People with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which causes depression by regulating hormone levels.

• Help relieve tension and improve sleep.

• Help remove the airborne pollutants below, therefore those with asthma which is triggered by pollutants.

Table for choosing Crystal Salt Lamp size

Weight	4-7(lb)	8-11(lb)	12-17(lb)	18-25(lb)	26-29(lb)	30-39(lb)	40-49(lb)
Range of Negative Ion	5-7(ft)	7-8(ft)	9-12(ft)	13-15(ft)	16-17(ft)-	18-30(ft)	31-40(ft)

Remember --

Negative ions are essential for our health and well being. The freshness of the air after a thunderstorm, on a mountaintop, or by the seaside, is due to the high concentration of negative ions in the air. A lack of these ions produces a feeling of reduced well being such as is often felt in areas of high pollution or artificially air conditioned offices.

The benefits of ionising are well-known. Negative ions clean the air of:

-odors -pet dander -dust -dust mites -pollen -mold spores -smoke - allergens

Where to use Crystal Salt Lamps

Your home	Use these lamps in bedrooms, living rooms, children's rooms. Crystal Salt Lamps can enhance sleep. They also create a lovely night light for a child or adult's room. Guests will appreciate them, also.
Classroom	In the classroom these lamps can help improve the concentration and attentiveness of students. They help to neutralize the effects of artificial light, air environment and stress.
Office	A lamp at work can help improve your concentration and refresh you, neutralizing the effects of stress, artificial lighting and air environment.
Prayer room	When you repose in peace and quiet, a Crystal Salt Lamp nearby can be a beautiful reminder of God's creation.
Allergy sufferers	A Crystal Salt Lamp in your vicinity can help your wellness and keep the air around you clean, ionized naturally, and beautifully.
Convalescents	While you recover from an illness, a lamp by your bedside will be a comforting healthy companion.
Massage room	A lamp or two in the massage room will greatly enhance and create a natural ionizing calming, wellness environment and will also help keep the air fresh.
Smokers	A few lamps can help clear away those lingering smells faster.