Our favorite researcher Anne Steinemann has two new articles about toxic exposures in our homes. She is a Professor of Civil Engineering and Chair of Sustainable Cities at the University of Melbourne School of Engineering in Australia

Both the articles were both published in the journal Building and Environment.

“Ten questions concerning green building and indoor air quality” investigates the concern that green buildings may promote energy efficiency and other aspects of sustainability, but not necessarily the health and well-being of occupants through better indoor air quality (IAQ). Ten questions are asked which explore IAQ challenges for green buildings as well as opportunities
to improve IAQ within green buildings and their programs.

“Ten questions concerning air fresheners and indoor built environments” investigates the seeming paradox that products designed to improve the indoor environment can pose unintended and unknown risks. It examines the science, health, and policy perspectives, and provides recommendations
and research directions.

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This article by a medical doctor is focused on “gender bending,” but gives a really good summary of the main endocrine disrupting chemicals, where they are found, and tips to avoid them.

GREENMEDINFO: Weapons Of Mass Feminization

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Two weeks ago, Target announced a new commitment to eliminating toxics in their stores.

Their statement includes transparency and disclosure of all materials in all products, investing up to $5 million for green chemistry innovations, and development of safer alternatives.

Target will actively pursue the development of safer alternatives to achieve our goals. We will work to remove chemicals or find alternatives to those chemicals that could pose a risk to our guests, workers and community. When changes are made, we will ensure the integrity and safety of our products.

• Improve textile products by removing added Perfluorinated Chemicals (PFC’s) from products by 2022.

• Improve textile products by removing added flame retardants that are potential carcinogens or pose harm to the guest, workers or communities by 2022.

• Improve beauty, baby care, personal care and household cleaning product categories by formulating without phthalates, propyl-paraben, butyl-paraben, formaldehyde, formaldehyde-donors, or NPE’s by 2020.

I often shop at Target because I already see them carrying toxic-free products I can use. I just purchased a 2-gallon glass food storage jar there for less than $15, and it was the only place locally where I could find those jars in that size. So I’m very happy to see them moving more in this direction.

TARGET: Chemicals @ Target: Chemicals Policy & Goals

GREEN BIZ: Target’s new chemicals policy hits a bullseye

This is the next step in a movement that has been going on at least since 2011.

Q&A: WalMart and Other Retailers are Banning Toxic Chemicals in Products—Not Waiting for Government

Q&A: WalMart Takes Initiative to Get Manufacturers to Reduce Toxic Chemicals

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Question from Tara

Hi Debra,

I’m on the Williams-Sonoma website, about to purchase a Staub Essential Oven to use on an induction burner as you recommended for a slow-cooker option.

I also realized as my child was talking to me this evening about buying this pot and how he’d like to cook with it when he’s a little older, that the induction set-up would work well for that purpose, because if I recall correctly, that kind of burner doesn’t get hot to the touch, correct? So it would probably be a safer option for a child learning to help with cooking (compared to standing on something in front of the stove with the gas burner on).

Anyway, while I was looking at the Dutch ovens on the Williams-Sonoma website, I came across this Revol brand, which I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of before. Apparently the company has been around since 1768, and they’re from France. Looks like it might be a non-toxic option, so I wanted to pass it along for you to check out. It’s possible there’s something wrong with it; I’ve only read the info here on the product page, haven’t dug any further or looked up the company’s own website, etc. Like the enameled pots, it’s not inexpensive, but I thought I’d pass it along for your review.
www.williams-sonoma.com/products/revol-flametop-round-cocotte/?pkey=cdutch-ovens-casseroles&&cdutch-ovens-casseroles

I also saw that Williams-Sonoma has their own brand of enameled cast iron; I was immediately skeptical, figuring it’s probably a toxic knock-off of Le Creuset and Staub. But it turns out, it’s actually designed by Williams-Sonoma but made by Staub in France. If it’s made to the same standards as Staub’s regular line (all of which is lead- and cadmium-free, then this could be another reasonable option — though it’s not on sale at the moment, so I’m not interested. 🙂 But it does look nice, so if it’s ever on sale, it could be a good option.
www.williams-sonoma.com/products/williams-sonoma-cast-iron-round-oven/?pkey=cdutch-ovens-casseroles&&cdutch-ovens-casseroles

In the W-S line they also have a few other pieces, like this fry pan and a braiser with a glass lid.
www.williams-sonoma.com/products/williams-sonoma-cast-iron-fry-pan/?pkey=ccookware-williams-sonoma%7Cws-cast-iron&&ccookware-williams-sonoma|ws-cast-iron

www.williams-sonoma.com/products/williams-sonoma-cast-iron-braiser/?pkey=ccookware-williams-sonoma%7Cws-cast-iron&&ccookware-williams-sonoma|ws-cast-iron

Debra’s Answer

Great finds Tara!

I checked out the Revol website and indeed they are “Made only from environmentally friendly, natural components; contains no heavy metals (lead, cadmium) or toxins and PTFE-free.” And they are made in France. In addition to Williams-Sonoma, they are also sold at Sur La Table, their own website, and even online. I just added them to Debra’s List.

I’m fine with Straub, and the Williams-Sonoma pieces made by Straub.

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For several years, a new program called HowGood started certifying “sustainable” food products as good-great-best.

Now they are becoming more visible.

You may have seen their ratings as shelf talkers in supermarkets, and they have 137,000 products on a cellphone app.

But what are they actually rating? And do these good-great-best ratings indicate the product is nontoxic?

HowGood evaluates products based on a grid of eleven categories having to do with sourcing, production, and organization. And each of these eleven categories has subcategories. Each gets a rating that results in a profile that looks something like this:

see full size image

or

see full size image

But the problem I have with this is, like virtually all other certification organizations, all you get is a seal and no details. If you click to the page and mouse over the green boxes on the second image, a window will pop up that gives you an explanation of the category, but no details on the product.

You can also go here to see the full grid and mouseover each square to see all the explanations, but I don’t see a page that fully explains any of them. When you look at these categories they cover toxic exposures but also labor, management, environment, and other factors. A product could rate high on management but low on toxics and still get a good rating. But I can’t analyze this because I have no data about how they came to these conclusions per product.

HOWGOOD’S “BEST” RATED BRANDS: here and here

THE BALTIMORE SUN: Supermarkets look to sustainability as the next organic

By contrast, I’ve been writing product recommendations at Debra Lynn Dadd Recommended Products that give you details on the company philosophy and each of the materials they use to make their products. I’d like to see more disclosure like this.

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I’ve received two comments asking about these mattresses.

Specifically these readers are wanting to know if anyone has experience with these mattresses—good or bad.

Hypnos is a long established manufacturer from the UK that uses “natural and sustainable” materials, but doesn’t say what they are. They use such luxurious materials as cashmere, camel hair, silk and alpaca for covers over a British wool-and-polyester cushioning. No mention of any materials being organic.

Saatva has organic cotton covers over polyurethane foam (they say it’s bio-based but it’s only a small percetage of bio). They also have a natural latex foam (not organic) mattress.

Thank you.

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Tonight, your local PBS station will air a new episode of “American Experience” about the life of Rachel Carson. Check your local television listings for the time. Here on the east coast it will be airing at 8:00 pm.

I highly recommend watching this to learn more about Rachel Carson’s life, her viewpoints, and how her book Silent Spring acted as the catalyst for our current awareness of toxics, the environmental movement, and the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). I’ll be watching.

In conjunction with this, the New York Times ran an article yesterday: Rachel Carson, DDR and the Fight Against Malaria. It has a 12 minute video that also is well worth watching.

This video gives a good picture of why it’s so difficult to get toxic chemicals banned. Toxic chemicals are generally in use for a reason. In the case of DDT, at first it was to kill mosquitoes that cause deadly malaria. DDT was so effective with mosquitoes, it soon became used widely. Carson documented the health and environmental effects and soon DDT was banned.

But without DDT to control disease-carrying mosquitos, malaria soon again became epidemic.

This video shows how we can think beyond using toxics for a quick-fix and come up with more lasting sustainable solutions.

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A new story in Scientific American reports levels in polar bear cubs are 1000 times the acceptable level for humans.

“These persistent organic pollutants, or POPs, come from industry and reach the Arctic via air or ocean currents. The compounds include older chemicals like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), whose production peaked in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and relatively newer ones including perfluorinated chemicals, which are used in water-resistant fabric coatings and firefighting foam. The pollutants have been linked with reproductive and immune problems in the bears as well as cancer, and their chemical structures make them nearly impossible for organisms to degrade.”

Bears accumulate high levels of the chemicals because they are top predators (just like we are).

Chemicals accumulate in both bears (and humans) because they build up through the food chain, in plants, fish and, for bears, finally seals—the bears’ main food source. Many of the compounds concentrate in the seal blubber, giving bears a hefty dose of chemicals when they eat seal blubber. The pollutants are then transferred to cubs via their mothers’ milk.

(And the same happens with humans.)

The study notes that between 1985 and 2010 the overall risk in cubs declined by 30 percent because many of the older chemicals were banned. Despite this progress, however, chemicals produced more recently are keeping the risk high. And these new chemicals, as well as the replacements for banned chemicals, are now being found in polar bear cubs in the arctic, thousands of miles from industrial civilization.

(It’s just interesting to me that this article, which is an environmental piece, makes no connection to the similar human exposure. The references to humans in this post are all mine.)

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN: Polar Bear Cubs at Hight Risk from Toxic Industrial Chemicals, Despite Bans

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We already know that aluminum is present is many consumer products, and that it builds up within our bodies rather than passing through.

Though a link between aluminum and Alzheimer’s Disease has been suspected for many years, even as recently as 2014 the link was largely unproven.

Now things have changed. Read more at…

GREENMEDINFO: Scientists Prove Link Between Aluminum and Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease

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Over the holiday I had reason to do some research on two products.

Both were products I had researched in the past. One was a product that I was considering purchasing for myself (the enameled pot I wrote about last week); the other was a product I was researching for a client.

The enameled pot was available as a brand name product and also as a “knock-off.” I had already researched the brand name possibilities, but not the knock-offs. Since this was a fairly pricey item, I really wanted to buy a knock-off but every time I looked at one, I just felt nervous and didn’t want to take a chance. Particularly since I would be using it for cooking food.

I knew the materials used in the brand name pots because I could call their customer service and get the information. But the knock-offs…you can’t even find out who to call. Store brands usually don’t manufacture their own goods and can’t answer questions. And so in the end I went with the brand name item and felt confident that I knew what the materials are.

That said, researching the other product for my client was a completely different experience. With this product it was very difficult to get any information calling the manufacturers. I really got the runaround. But I did persist and finally did get some of the information I was looking for. By contrast, when I contacted the smaller manufacturers who make this product, most of them responded immediately and were happy to talk with me in detail about their materials. One man had worked for the company for thirty years and we had a long talk. On the other hand, one brand had no manufacturer listing at all and I could even find a website for them.

My conclusion from this experience was:

• MAJOR MANUFACTURERS may or may not know much about their product materials, but at least you can generally contact them and ask
• KNOCKOFFS probably won’t know anything about their materials and you won’t be able to reach the actual manufacturer
• SMALLER MANUFACTURERS generally know most about their materials and are happy to tell you

Transparency and disclosure is a big issue I am working on for 2017. As I’ve said before, every product should fully disclose all materials in a format that is easy for consumers to understand.

This is why last year I started Debra Lynn Dadd Recommended Products, to help business communicate with consumers about their materials. Through this program, I write a Materials Review for products, which lists the materials and also gives background information to help consumers make decisions about the products.

Until all products have this level of transparency and disclosure, stick with brand name products and small businesses, where you can actually talk with someone and ask your questions. If there is no brand name or contact information, don’t buy the product.

Buy from reputable companies that know their materials and are willing to communicate about them.

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This new article from GreenMedInfo.com outlines the range of health effects associated with sucralose (aka Splenda), including the first study to evaluate the effects of Splenda (Sucralose) on thyroid function and metabolism in mammals.

GREENMEDINFO: Spenda Suppresses Thyroid Function, Promotes Weight Gain

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After writing this post I found that I actually first suggested this in 2013.

One of the things I love about Larry is he is really good at coming up with “thinking-outside-the-box” solutions to toxic exposures.

For some years one of the most frequently asked questions is “What slow cooker can I use?” And I’ve always had to say “I don’t know of one that doesn’t have lead in the glaze on the pot.” The only exception to this is the Vita Clay cooker, with an unglazed pot, but this is a rice cooker, not a crock pot of any size].

As some of you know, Larry has been living in California with his parents for the last few years while recovering from an accident. And now he’s in the process of moving back here with me. 

While staying with his parents, he saw his father cooking on an induction cooktop. Because he and I both have a tendency to put food on to cook, set a timer and walk away and not hear the timer, he thought we should get one so it will just turn off at the right time and not burn. And that was reason enough for me to agree we should explore the possibility.

An induction cooktop is like a hotplate, but heats food with magnetic induction that directly heats the cooking vessel, so the pot can heat food rapidly. You can also set it to exact temperatures and cooking times, so it will turn off automatically, even if you forget to come and turn it off. It’s so precise, many chefs now use it. It’s easy to carry and can setup anywhere there is and electric plug. So it pretty much can function as a slow cooker.

Magnetic induction doesn’t release toxic pollutants into the air like the combustion by-products from gas. It of course would release some EMFs, but I couldn’t find any data on this. I imagine it wouldn’t be more than an ordinary crock pot and maybe even less.

My biggest concern was the pot. Magnetic induction doesn’t work with my Xtrema cermamic cookware because the cookware needs to be made of a material that is magnetic. You can test any cookware by putting a magnet on it—if it sticks, it will work for magnetic induction. Or look for the induction-ready symbol, or search online for “induction-ready cookware.”

We did some research and decided that the best cooking vessel for us to buy to use with the induction cooker was a cast iron pot with a porcelain enamel finish on the inside. I had already researched Le Creuset and was comfortable with the Le Creuset enamel finish so we bought a Le Creuset soup pot that happened to be on sale at Marshall’s, of all places.

We love this! And we haven’t burned anything since.

We got the NuWave Precision Induction Cooktop. But there are also other brands. We couldn’t find these in stores, but there are many styles on the Internet. We chose this one because it was the one Larry’s father uses and Larry wanted the same one.

NuWave also sells a full line of induction-compatible cookware that has a Duration “ceramic” finish. I called NuWave Customer Service at 1 855 742 2665 and asked what the Duration finish is made of. I found out that they actually have a number of different finishes on various cookware sets and they don’t know what any of them are made from.

I found Duralon online at what looks like the manufacturer’s website. They are in Australia, so they are not available as I am writing this. They have several Duralons made from nylon reinforced with glass or glass and minerals. That’s all I could find. Nylon in general is one of the safest plastics and can be used without melting at very high temperatures.

So while I can’t recommend NuWave’s induction cookware, I can say I’m very happy with my NuWave induction cooker

More on Slow Cookers

We’ve been discussing slow cookers on this blog for years.

Just this last week a reader posted a comment and said that recent tests had found some crock pot glazes to be free from lead!

And she sent me the link: TERMINAl VERBOSITY: The skinny on lead in crackpots—It may surprise you!

The anonymous blogger wrote (in 2009) “I don’t like ambiguity, especially when it comes to the health of my children. So I was alarmed when I couldn’t find a satisfactory answer to the question: “Do modern-day crock pot glazes contain lead that can leach into my food?”

So she found the FDA guidelines, called manufacturers, and tested crock pots herself. And she found ZERO LEAD in the top five brands.

Here are some other interesting links from my reader regarding lead glazes in crock pots:

ECO-FRIENDLY BABY/FAMILY PRODUCTS MADE IN USA: Lead in Hamilton Beach crock pots

LEAD SAFE AMERICA Crock Pots

Regarding this second link my reader wrote, “The lady at Lead Safe America has sons who are lead-injured, so I find her work informative, as she knows firsthand what lead poisoning looks like. It seems to me that some of the crocks contain very low lead because it is inherent in the raw materials, not added in the glaze; I believe that is the point she makes. And this is the same argument made by the Earthpaste toothpaste company — that the lead in their toothpaste is natural in the raw materials. I see that the black Crockpot brand pot at the second link tested as completely lead-free.”

Get an induction cooker and you can choose your cookware. And you can cook in all different sized pots and pans.

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In July 2015 I interviewed a former flight attendant on Toxic Free Talk Radio regarding aerotoxic syndrome—a condition caused by toxic chemical exposure during airplane flights. TOXIC FREE TALK RADIO: Aerotoxic SyndromeL How Flying in Airplanes can Affect Your Health

This week, GreenMedInfo has a new investigative report on toxic exposures in the aviation industry.GREENMEDINFO: “Asbestos of the Sky”—The Aviation Industry’s Darkest Coverup

And here’s a documentary about aerotoxic syndrome: UNFILTERED BREATHED IN—The Truth about Aerotoxic Syndrome

And here’s an article about how pesticides are sprayed on passengers: NATURALHEALTH365: Government advises airlines to spray pesticides on passengers. If this title sounds alarming, check out this report that explains when and why pesticides are sprayed: Flyers Beware: Pesticide Use on International and US Domestic Aircraft and Flights

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This week The Washington Post published a piece about health and environmental effects of clothing production in India, and and how “A new crop of small businesses are investing in organic farming, natural dyes and a transparent supply chain that encourages shoppers to think about the effect of their purchases.”

Good news.

THE WASHINGTON POST: The dirty secret about your clothes

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Question from Meryl

Hi Debra,

Thanks for a great site!

I am looking for organic cotton bath towels and bath mat in beige for my bathroom.

Do you have any new recommendations?

Thanks very much for any info!

Debra’s Answer

This was not difficult to find online.

I just typed “organic cotton bath towels beige” into Google and got a number of responses.

Here are some from a popular online retailer:

• organic cotton bath towels beige
• organic cotton bath mat beige

Here are some other choices…

• Boll & Branch
• Coyuchi
• Pottery Barn
• Rawganique

Plenty to choose from. Also more at Debra’s List: Bath Linens

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Question from Jamila

Hi Debra,

doing some research, trying to find out what actually IS hypoallergenic cluster fiber used in mattress toppers…is it entirely free of chemicals that can out gas? how can a polyester fiber be hypoallergenic??

Debra’s Answer

Labeling says cluster fiber products are “100% polyester,” but that may be the primary material. Unknown chemicals may be present that are not accounted for.

Cluster fiber is a synthetic alternative to down.

It is “hypoallergenic” because it does not lead to allergic reactions caused by down and feathers.

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Question from Karen

Hi Debra,

I am looking for a mattress pad that will help eliminate bed sores and ulcers for my bedridden husband. We tried a polyurethane product that was nearly $100 for a single bed. It emitted an odor that was unacceptable and we returned it. I have found some websites that are selling a latex based mattress pads but I can’t find any information about whether they are recommended for bedridden elderly people. Do you have any help for me?

Debra’s Answer

Ask the retailers who are selling the latex pads if they are suitable for your needs.

Readers, any experience with this?

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Question from Miko

Hi Debra,

I have dogs and I hate their smell ,and it seems to be a constant struggle to keep them clean/ not stinking with their weekly bath; I use ONLY organic ,human shampoos and that only lasts a couple of days,smell-wise

any ideas about organic alternatives for their bathing? Enzymes ?

anything ,also organic,and non toxic ( the catch words ) to freshen up the air until the next weekly bath? diffusers? incences?

I have a giant and powerful airfilter,which helps with the dust and hairs,etc but the dogs still stink pretty badly

Thanks.

Debra’s Answer

I don’t have dogs, so readers, any suggestions?

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Last week I received a comment posted to Q&A: Non-Toxic Comforter. It really needed a whole post to answer, so here I am.

Here’s the comment:

I came to tbis page looking for info as to whether it’s possible to find a non toxic down comforter and thought I’d find info, given the title above but I’m not seeing the toxicity issue addressed. Did I overlook something? It’s my understanding that two of the main concerns w down is that it’s chemically processed and as with most bedding contains fire retardants and other chemicals. Is it possible to get a down comforter free of all these toxic ingredients?

And the answer is yes, it is possible to get a down comforter without chemical processing or fire retardants.

But first I want to answer the question about possible toxic exposures from down.

I’ve been researching and writing about nontoxic and natural products for more than thirty years. And I’ve owned and slept under a few down comforters. I never noticed them to be toxic in any way and so never did any research about how they might be toxic.

However, reading that down might be chemically processed and contain fire retardants, I had to research those specific questions and also see what is being offered today with regards to down comforters.

How Down is Collected

According to the American Down & Feather Council, “80 percent of the down and feathers used globally [are] produced in China; the majority—90 percent—come from ducks.” If you want to read more about this, and how the down is removed from the ducks, you can read all about this here.

But not all down is produced this way.

“The pure and comforting feathers that fill each of our 100% organic cotton shells travel a whopping one hundred miles down the road from Indiana where they are gathered on a small duck farm.” —Coyuchi.

“hand harvested during the molting season of the bird in a effort to not harm the beautiful bird’s or there habitat. After harvesting the down is hand sorted into different levels of quality based on the size of the harvested clusters. The larger the cluster the better the quality. Harvesting and sorting goose down by hand is very tedious and time consuming but it ensures consistent fill quality across our brands from year to year.” —Down & Feather Company.

There is now a Responsible Down Standard that uses Control Union (a certifier of organic agricultural materials) to certify down and feather that come from birds primarily raised for meat and meet strict animal welfare standards. I don’t know what those standards are because the standards page on the RDS website had been removed.

So in choosing a comforter, you want to look for a description of where the down was sourced and by what method. If the website doesn’t tell you, ask.

How Down is Processed

After down is collected, dust and dirt must be removed. This occurs through washing and drying. Washing agents may be used with unknown ingredients and fragrances. Otherwise, it’s pretty much wash and dry in a drying machine.

The International Down & Feather Testing Laboratory , located in Salt Lake City UT “audits and inspects the entire supply chain including farms and other raw material sources, slaughterhouses, synthetic fiber processors, down and feather processors and finished product sewing factories.” So you might want to find out if the down has been inspected by this organization, but I don’t know their standards.

Chemical Treatments Used on Down

The only chemical treatments I could actually find that are used on down are for making it moisture-resistant.

This down is often called “dry-down,” “hydrophobic down” or something similar. It seems to be being offered as an option, so you can choose to avoid it. Or it would be on the label as a benefit. If you don’t see mention of it on the label, it’s likely the down is not moisture-resistant.

The reason down is treated for moisture resistance is because when down gets wet, it loses it’s loft.

What chemical is used to treat the down is anyone’s guess. “some sort of chemical water repellant, “ ” a molecular level polymer applied to individual down plumes during the finishing process, ”nano technology.” I’m guessing that it’s a perfluorinated compound (PFC), which is used to waterproof many outdoor materials. It’s pretty toxic. Teflon is a PFC.

I did find a treatment for moisture-resistance called “Tan-O-Quil-QM.” There is a whole report available about this treatment that says it is a chrome tanning agent used to increase the fill power and a hydrophobic from complex to increase the water repellency. Now I don’t know if this is still being used. The report is from 1968 and the Code of Federal Regulations says that no down can use the term unless the agent actually has been applied to the down. I couldn’t find any down with Tan-O-Quil-QM online, so I think this is obsolete. But chrome may still be used for waterproofing just as it is used for tanning leather.

There is also some speculation that down is treated with formaldehyde, moldicides, flame retardants and other chemicals, but the only actual data I found online was for moisture proofing. And not much on that.

I doubt that you would find flame retardants on down itself. It’s more likely that the finished item would be treated. Researching this I found a post from this very blog where I reported on a study of flame retardants in pillows As expected there was a huge amount of flame retardants in the polyurethane foam pillow (because it is so flammable) and only 6 parts per million in a feather pillow that probably was not even treated.

Comforters Made With Chemical-Free Down

If you are looking for untreated down, forget about buying your comforter at a discount warehouse and instead look for small businesses online.

Here are a few I’ve found.

Northern Goose Down
“truly hypoallergenic & chemical free Goose Down”

Dewoolfson
“Our experience has shown, however, that these chemicals are toxic and not something that we, or our customers, would want to sleep under every night. We know of one case where an employee was exposed to these chemicals, causing burn-like blotches that required several weeks of treatment. It’s far easier and safer to just store your down products carefully, and like anything else, away from damp areas. ”

Coyuchi
“All of our down duvets and pillow inserts are made in the U.S.A. The pure and comforting feathers that fill each of our 100% organic cotton shells travel a whopping one hundred miles down the road from Indiana where they are gathered on a small duck farm. Before filling the inserts, the down is treated with steam twice to kill bacteria and gently washed with a fragrance-free, non-toxic soap to remove bacteria that is incidental to feathers and down. Next, a water-based, non-toxic chemical is used to reduce the static charge that is associated with natural filling. Both the winter weight and lightweight duvets have a 600-fill power for a cozy and comforting sleep.”

Pacific Coast Bedding
Has a whole page on how they process their down.

Allergy Buyers Club
“The down and syriaca in these comforters is the cleanest, least treated fibers we could find anywhere. The down is de-dusted and gently washed up to 8 times in an environmentally friendly cleansing solution and rinsed three times. This cleaning process and renders it pH neutral. This is the most hypoallergenic down comforters we could find – due to the quality of materials used, cleaning process and the addition of the addition of the natural syriaca clusters.”

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Read more about certified organic mattresses in the comments
(click here)

There’s been a discussion happening on my Q&A: Berkeley Ergonomics post about organic mattresses and i just want to bring this subject into it’s own post.

The discussion started with a reader asking about a line of mattresses made by Berkeley Ergonomics. I said it looked OK on paper but they were claiming organic certifications and not displaying them. I said “ask for their certifications.”

Well, a reader wrote back and said:

I asked to see the certifications and they refused to send them to me. In fact they got very defensive. I would love to see them if you are able to get them. I am very suspect of any firm who makes organic claims but won’t provide the certificates. They should be PROUD of them, not want to hide them. It is my understanding that they get the fabric from Europe and do all the sewing themselves so they are handling the materials a LOT. I would be very interested to know if they are handling the materials in a fashion that maintains organic integrity.

This is a great question. There are three parts to the making of an organic product:

1. the materials need to meet organic standards
2. all the facilities that handle the organic material must be certified
3. the handling of the material in all the certified facilities also needs to meet organic standards.

In other words, there are multiple certifications and associated transaction paperwork that are required before an item can be certified organic:

1. the material that’s being used in the production process, for example cotton, must be certified as having been grown as organic cotton
2. all the facilities (beginning with the organic fiber on the certified organic farm all the way to the facility that makes the final stitch) must be certified, and then
3. each facility that moves the materials to the next facility in the production process must get a transaction certificate from the organic certifier who certifies the previous facility so that the next facility is assured that the materials are part of the organic production chain.

For a mattress to be an “organic mattress” it needs TWO certifications (in addition to transaction certificates): one for the materials and another as an organic handler, or manufacturer.

I mentioned that Naturepedic is the only certified organic manufacturer that I knew of and a reader commented, “Actually OMI, Lifekind and Savvy Rest are organic.”

So I want to take a look at these four companies: Naturepedic, OMI, Lifekind and Savvy Rest and see how organic each of them are. I will just disclose that I have known Naturepedic for many years and am very familiar with their products, materials, and philosophy (I wrote a review of their materials for Debra Lynn Dadd Recommended Products. But let’s just look at what each has to say on their websites.

Here’s what I’m going to look for and what you should look for when evaluating whether or not a mattress is organic:

• What is the claim?
• Do they have certificates publicly displayed?
• What are the certificates certifying?
• Who has done the certification?
• What are the standards for the certification?
• What are the dates the certificate is valid?
• What is the name on the certificate?

So let’s take a look…

Savvy Rest

Let’s start with Savvy Rest. www.savvyrest.com/certifications

The first certification they list is GREENGUARD GOLD. This is not an organic certification at all. It measures emissions against a certain standard. If you go to their website and search for mattresses you will see that many mattresses qualify to be GREENGUARD gold certified even if they have materials like vinyl covers, that I would not recommend. So this certification does not contribute to their being an organic mattress.

The next Savvy Rest listed certification is USDA Organic. This applies to their Dunlop latex supplier’s rubber tree farms. And then the latex processing is certified by the International Control Union to the Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS). All that seems fine. Their latex seems to be organic.

Then Eco Institute, which apparently is their latex certifier. Savvy Rest says, “Our Dunlop supplier, Cocolatex, has achieved Eco Institut certification for the purity of their organic latex.” Go ahead, click. Ah, the certificate is for natural latex. This is a “natural” certification. No organic here.

OEKO-TEX Standard 100 also is not an organic standard. This standard says that the material is below an established standard for 100 toxic substances.

The Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA) was founded in 1987 by Michael Braungart to implement the Cradle-to-Cradle philosophy. The standards of this philosophy (which I greatly admire) includes the elimination of a list of toxic chemicals. But this is not an organic standard either. This certification is for Radium Foam, their supplier of (petroleum-based) Talalay latex. Again this is not an organic certification. It’s not even natural latex. [Radium Foam wrote to me from the Netherlands and explained that they supply certified natural latex to North America.]

The only thing certified organic about a Savvy Rest mattress is their USDA and GOLS certified organic latex. But not all their latex is organic. Only their USDA and GOLS certified organic Dunlop latex.

Finally, go to the website for the global organic textile standard: www.global-standard.org. There is NO certification for Savvy Rest as an organic mattress manufacturer. So we don’t know know how they are handling these materials.

Therefore, as far as i am concerned, this is NOT an organic mattress.

OMI and Lifekind

I’m putting OMI and Lifekind together because both these brands are made in the same factory, yet they present themselves as separate businesses with separate names and websites.

Let’s first look at their shared GOTS-certified Eco-Factory. You can read about it here on the OMI website and here on the Lifekind website. I’m not questioning that the factory is certified organic, I’m only commenting that they are not showing the certificate. But they do have one. See their listing in the GOTS database

So OMI can legitimately call themselves an organic mattress manufacturer. There is no GOTS certification for Lifekind listed in the GOTS database. I don’t know what the arrangement is between these two brands, but the GOTS certification is for OMI.

That said, let’s look at their individual claims about certification.

OMI

OMI also has a whole page of certifications at www.omimattress.com/Certifications.php.

This page starts out with a whole paragraph of firsts, which may or may not be true. There are no links to substantiation. They end the paragraph with the statement, “and a printout of our mattress emissions can be found on the UL/GREENGUARD website here. That would be great to see a printout of their mattress emissions. But I couldn’t find it.

They then go on to list numerous certifications, including USDA Organic, Texas Department of Agriculture, GREENGUARD, Oeko-Tex, and others that aren’t even certifications. None of them have certificates.

Mixed in with all these are their GOLS certification for organic latex and their GOTS certification. But they don’t even mention that they are a GOTS certified organic mattress manufacturer. They only say that their organic wool, cotton, and fabrics are GOTS certified.

All they need to say is they are a GOTS certified organic mattress manufacturer and show us the certificate. That covers the whole mattress—all the materials and manufacturing process. Their certification is valid until 2-17-2017. I can tell you they are certified because I went to the GOTS website and found their certification.

Lifekind

Lifekind has their own list of certifications at www.lifekind.com/organic-certifications

“Lifekind’s latex mattress cores are certified to the Global Organic Latex Standard. GOLS is a new certification available to mattress manufacturers.” OK. They have a certificate. Valid until December 16. But it’s a certificate for “Organic Mattresses, Inc.” Which is OMI.

And then they go on to list the same materials as given on the OMI certifications page. Look at these two pages and compare them for yourself.

So it’s clear to me that whether a mattress is branded OMI or Lifekind, it’s pretty much the same mattress, made in the same certified factory from the same certified materials. But neither of these companies are presenting their certifications so consumers can see and verify them, and it appears that Lifekind as a company has no certifications at all.

I’d love to see both these companies improve their presentation of their certifications and be more clear about their relationship.

Naturepedic

Naturepedic lists all their certifications at
www.naturepedic.com/the-naturepedic-difference/certifications-awards.

Right at the top of the page they tell us they are a Certified Organic Mattress Manufacturer & Facility. “All Naturepedic mattresses meet the organic and non-toxic standards of the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and/or the Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS). U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recognizes GOTS as the standard for organic consumer goods.” And then they link to their certificates, which are made out to Naturepedic. GOTS Certification, GOLS Certification

They also show their organic content standard certification. The Organic Exchange Certification Program which ensures proper tracking of organic material from its source to the finished product. Naturepedic is certified to meet this standard, demonstrating that the organic fiber in their products has been independently verified. OCS 100 Certification.

Naturepedic also has a GREENGUARD GOLD certification and a UL Formaldehyde-Free Verified certification, and Naturepedic products have been scrutinized by scientists and experts to ensure they do not contain any harmful materials for the Made Safe certification. All of these certifications are current and have valid certificates made out directly to Naturepedic and which clearly list all the Naturepedic products.

Therefore, in fact, Naturepedic truly is a GOTS certified organic mattress manufacturer and does business responsibly.

But I also have to add that Naturepedic not only meets the GOTS organic standards, they go above and beyond them.

• Naturepedic developed the patent on using food-grade polyethylene for waterproofing, instead of using vinyl or perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) or polyurethane. Then, Naturepedic has gone yet another step further and is making its food-grade polyethylene from non-GMO sugarcane.
• Naturepedic is now also using its sugarcane based food-grade polyethylene for its mattress cores, for those crib mattresses that do not use steel innersprings. (Naturepedic also does not use latex, even if organic, in its baby products because it has a separate policy not to use any materials in its baby products that might pose allergenic concerns.)
• Naturepedic does not use any chemical flame barriers or any other flame retardant chemicals whatsoever. All Naturepedic products are designed to meet all flammability requirements without having to rely on flame barriers/retardants.
• Naturepedic has purchased its own machine for making binding materials (aka “tape edge”) and is apparently now the only company that makes much of its binding from certified organic cotton.
• Naturepedic has purchased the last machines anywhere in the world that makes encased coils with sewn certified organic cotton encasing. (These are old German machines that are no longer being manufactured.) Virtually all encasing machines available today spray the encasings with glues, but Naturepedic refuses to use any glues/adhesives in any of its products.
• Naturepedic products are almost entirely free of any petroleum based materials or components.

In short, Naturepedic has become the gold standard for mattresses.

And the Moral of the Story Is…

Always, always, always look for the organic certificates, and make sure they are issued to the company making the claim (and not just to one of their suppliers, which proves little, because a supplier’s certification shows no connection to the mattress company) Independent third-party certification is the only way to know materials really are organic and the organic materials are being processed to similar organic standards.

I’m not trying to be critical here. I’m trying to raise the bar.

As consumers we can’t make informed decisions unless we have information about the materials used to make the products, presented to us in a way that are documented and can be understood. And as consumers, we need to learn what the certifications mean and how to read them.

All the information in this post is taken straight from the webpages given. You can go there and see for yourself.

I’d love to know your comments.

Pdfs of the certification pages mentioned that I examined on 28 and 29 November 2016:

Savvy Rest certifications page pdf
OMI certifications page pdf
Lifekind certifications page pdf
Naturepedic certifications page pdf

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We all want to buy organic, but in order to find out if a product is actually organic, it needs to be properly labeled.

Unfortunately, there are many non-food products that misrepresent themselves as being “organic” with false claims or misleading language.

Organic food has to be certified to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program (NOP) standards. Non-food products may be certified to USDA Organic food standards, but the NOP doesn’t require certification and it doesn’t enforce against most false “organic” claims on personal care or textile products.

The good news list that the Federal Trade Commissions (FTC) has landed an investigation into organic fraud.

And they want to hear from us about how to stop organic fraud.

Read more about the problem and sign an FTC petition here

To make sure you are getting real organic products:

• For food products—look for the USDA Organic
• For textile products—look for the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
• For personal care products—look for USDA certified organic ingredients and companies that are certified organic handlers.

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I removed this post and all its comments after a reader brought to my attention that it was off topic for this blog. I agree, I’ve never discussed politics and I will continue that policy.

I’m writing this post because more often than I’d like I get questions from people who have washed clothing with chemicals in the fabrics and then are not sure if the chemicals are still in the washer. Or they wash something scented and can’t get the fragrance out.

Here’s what to do.

One day I was doing a test on a product and intentionally put perfume on a piece of clothing and then washed it in my washer. My washing machine was now scented and I couldn’t get the scent out.

What worked was a product called “washing machine cleaner”. I used the Clorox brand, but there are others. You find it in the laundry products section of a supermarket.

It’s really really really strong chlorine bleach.

But it did remove the fragrance from my washer.

The product itself is toxic, but we’re dealing with removing industrial chemicals from your washer.

Just use it once and be done with it.

On my post Q&A: OK to Use Gas Stove? a reader posted a comment asking “How do you know ‘If your burners are not adjusted properly, …they will produce more combustion by-products’?”

And also since more of you have been testing your indoor air quality by signing up with HomeLab, I’ve frequently been hearing that problems are being found in the kitchen, with combustion by-products being produced by their gas stove. I even found that in my house, where my VOC readings were “in the green” until I turned on my gas stove to cook.

A properly adjusted gas burner should have a blue flame continuously around the burner, like this:

The blue color means the flame is getting enough oxygen and burning completely.

Yellow flames mean the flame is not getting enough oxygen and is not burning completely.

To fix the problem of a yellow flame yourself see http://homeguides.sfgate.com/causes-burner-flame-gas-stove-yellow-82498.html

If a flame is missing, it means that the burner is clogged and needs to be cleaned.

If you want to clean your gas jets yourself see: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/clean-gas-stove-jets-26836.html

This burner really has a problem—uneven, yellow and missing flames—and is producing a lot of combustion by-products:

It’s a good idea to get your gas stove checked by a professional every once in a while, especially if you see any of these problems. Your local energy provider may offer a free service.

In the last few months I’ve suddenly started seeing many products made from “cork fabric” or “cork leather” and also “vegan leather.” I ignored this vegan leather for a while because in the past vegan leather often mean PVC vinyl, which is not a good substitute, but when I found out it was actually cork, I took a look at it.

You’ve probably seen cork in many consumer products such as wine stoppers and bulletin boards.

The cork used to make cork fabric is thin cork shavings obtained directly from the bark of the cork oak tree. These shavings are glued to a fabric backing to make a fabric that feels very much like leather, but is plant-based.

I called a manufacturer of cork fabric and asked them about the process of making it. The thin layer of cork is “laminated” to a fabric backing using an “environmentally-friendly” adhesive. The standard backing fabric is a polyester/cotton blend.

The company I talked with did not have much information about the laminating process for me to evaluate. This material is apparently made to a vegan standard and has some environmental benefit, but it doesn’t appear to be made with a nontoxic intent.

I have a sample of this fabric, sent from a retailer of products made from it. I just have a small swatch, but even that piece has enough odor to it that I can’t recommend it as being nontoxic. It smells like some kind of fabric finish. I actually had to take the swatch to my garbage can outdoors, and get it out of the house.

So if you see products made from this material, now you know what it is

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) issued a report last week that shows more than 300 million children around the world are exposed to outdoor air pollution at least six times the level considered to be safe by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Clear the Air for Children is a 100-page report that shows the sources of outdoor air pollution, the impact of air pollution on the health of children, the unique vulnerabilities of children, how to protect children from air pollution.

Though the greatest numbers of children affected by the worst air quality is in India, Asia and north Africa, these same pollutants are found in indoor and outdoor air here in the United States and affect our children’s health in the same ways. And our own health as well.

UNICEF: Clear the Air For Children

THE NEW YORK TIMES: 300 Million Children Breathe Highly Toxic Air, Unicef Reports

Satellite image of areas in the United State with excessive particulate pollution in outdoor air.

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According to a new study from researchers at the University of Ottawa and Columbia University, when outdoor air pollution levels rise in Manhattan, stock prices fall.

The study tracked the S&P 500 index, the most widely cited New York Stock Exchange benchmark, over a 15-year period and compared its returns with hourly measures of fine particulate matter in lower Manhattan, where the NYSE is based.

The one standard deviation increase in air pollution decreases returns by 11.9 percent, or what the researchers deemed a “substantial effect on daily NYSE returns.”

“We hypothesize that pollution decreases the risk attitudes of investors via short-term changes in brain and/or physical health.”

CBS MONEY WATCH: Why Investors May Want to Keep Tabs on Air Pollution

THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH: The Effect of Air Pollution on Invetor Behavior: Evidence from the S&P 500

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In the past it was thought that children and elderly people were at greatest risk for heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.

But a new study suggests that even healthy people in their twenties are being harmed by particles found in air pollution.

In the new study, a group of 72 people with an average age of 23, from the city of Provo in Utah, provided blood samples during the winters of 2013, 2014 and 2015. When air pollution rose, the scientists found that the number of fragments of dead cells in their bloodstream increased.

One researcher said there appeared to be a significant effect on the health of young adults. “ These findings suggest that living in a polluted environment could promote the development of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke more pervasively and at an earlier stage than previously thought.”

“Although we have known for some time that air pollution can trigger heart attacks or strokes in susceptible, high-risk individuals, the finding that it could also affect even seemingly healthy individuals suggests that increased levels of air pollution are of concern to all of us, not just the sick or the elderly.”

INDEPENDENT: Air pollution damages arteries of even healthy young adults, new study shows

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The Breast Cancer Fund has a new report on toxic chemicals in make-up marketed to kids, including make-up used for Halloween.

I know I’m a day late for this Halloween, but all this is good to know for next Halloween and any time of year that face painting comes to mind.

Pretty Scary 2 goes beyond looking a labels and had kid’s cosmetics lab tested.

Here are some of the chemicals they found:

Seven different VOCs were found, four having the potential to lead to serious long-term health care effects:

• Toluene, a reproductive toxicant
• Styrene, a probable carcinogen and endocrine disruption compound
• Ethylbenzene, a possible carcinogen
• Vinyl acetate, another possible carcinogen

In addition they found

• fragrances
• heavy metals lead, cadmium, arsenic, and chromium
• toluene
• parabens
• formaldehyde
• ethoxylated ingredients

This comprehensive report covers insufficient regulations, what you can find on the label and what thy cab’t, and much more.

After reading this I went searching for safe face paints. After reading some descriptions of so-called “nontoxic” and “natural” face paints I decided this needed more research before I could recommend them.

But I will give you a link to How To Make Face Paint With Natural Ingredients, which is what I would do for face paint.

Face painting is fun! Just use a safe face paint.

BREAST CANCER FUND: Pretty Scary 2

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Microfibers from the washing of synthetic clothing are part of the larger problem of microplastic pollution in natural waterways. Much thinner than a strand of hair, these tiny pieces of plastic are shed by every garment made with synthetic materials when they are washed in a washing machine.

“I surveyed thousands and thousands of kilometers of ocean. We found microfibers in nearly 90 percent of the samples, and in every sample we found fibers, they were the majority of particles we identified,” said Amy Lusher, a British-based microplastics researcher and a co-author of a 2014 study of microplastic pollution in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean.

Does this affect the environment or our own personal health? Researchers are still trying to determine what effects might climb up the food chain and affect humans eating seafood and our drinking water.

Studies have found that a single synthetic garment can release from up to 700,00 microfibers each.

The solution? Researchers are working to develop a “microfiber catcher” that consumers will be able to throw into their washing machines, trapping the fibers inside the appliance rather than sending them out to sea in wastewater.

I suggest we all wear biodegradable natural fibers instead.

THE WASHINGTON POST: Are Synthetic Fleece and Other Types of Clothing Harming Our Water?
 

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Pesticide Action Network (PAN) just released an almost 100-page report titled simply Glyphosate, which compiles information on the chemical, health impacts, human exposures, poisonings, environmental effects, and alternatives. If you have ever had questions about glyphosate, the answers are probably in this report. Bookmark this page, as it is the definitive work on glyphosate, which you may need to refer to at some time.

And if your questions aren’t answered in Glyphosate, there’s even more information in this article: ACTIVIST POST: Glyphosate Contaminates The Global Ecosystem: The Damning New PAN Report. This article explains in simple terms key points from the PAN report, plus gives links to many other articles on glyphosate, including a post from this very Q&A: Glyphosate Detox: How to Remove Roundup From Your Body

Pesticide Action Network (PAN) is a global network of over 600 participating nongovernmental organizations, institutions and individuals in over 90 countries working to replace the use of hazardous pesticides with ecologically sound and socially just alternatives such as agroeoclogy. PAN was founded in 1982 and has five independent, collaborating Regional Centers that implement its projects and campaigns.

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If you experience health effects from fragrances in common consumer products, you’re not alone.

Professor Anne Steinemann—a world expert on environmental pollutants, air quality and health effects—has found that more than one-third of Americans report health problems—from asthma attacks to migraine headaches—when exposed to common consumer products that contain fragrances, such as air fresheners, cleaning supplies, laundry products, scented candles, cologne, and personal care products.

The study also found that fragranced products may affect profits, with more than 20% of respondents entering a business, but leaving as quickly as possible if they smell air fresheners or some fragranced product. More than twice as many customers would choose hotels and airplanes without fragranced air than with fragranced air.

In the workplace, over 15% of the population lost workdays or a job due to fragranced product exposure. Over 50% of Americans surveyed would prefer fragrance-free workplaces. And over 50% would prefer that health care facilities and professionals were fragrance-free.

When exposed to fragrance products, 34.7% of Americans suffer adverse health effects, such as breathing difficulties, headaches, dizziness, rashes, congestion, seizures, nausea, and a range of other physical problems. For half of these individuals, effects are potentially disabling, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“This is a huge problem; it’s an epidemic,” says Professor Steinemann.

Professor Steinemann is especially concerned with involuntary exposure to fragranced products, or what she calls “secondhand scents.”

MEDIA RELEASE: Fragranced Products: Risks for People and Profits?

FULL ARTICLE: Fragrance consumer products: exposures and effects from emissions

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“One out of five freight containers arriving in European ports [from Asia] has been fumigated with extremely dangerous, carcinogenic or neurotoxic gases.”

“These toxic gases are left over from the fumigation process, a necessary – sometimes mandatory – operation to kill micro-organisms and pests before transport, in order to prevent the introduction of parasites, bacteria and diseases into the importing country.

“In March 2010, the EU banned the use of methyl bromide, a dangerous pesticide — but many countries, including the U.S., still use it. What’s worse, very few countries actually indicate the presence of toxic gas on their containers, to avoid having to de-gas them.”

“Another more insidious source of toxicity, which puts port workers and consumers at risk, is the vapors emanating from the merchandise itself during transport. Furniture, shoes, clothes made in Asia – mostly Vietnam and China — frequently contain toluene and benzene solvents, which are carcinogen. When this is the case, there are no labels on the shipping container warning port workers to equip themselves against toxic fumes.

“97% of freight containers contained residues of pesticide fumigants and toxic industrial chemicals, mostly 1.2-dichloroethane and methyl bromide, as well as benzene and toluene. About 19% of them had levels exceeding the permitted exposure level. The German researchers told the congress that the fumigants and toxic products “contaminated the transported goods, penetrating into them and settling there.”

These are only a few of the facts reported in the article below. So now we know what some of the chemicals are on imported products and how toxic they are.

WORLDCRUNCH: Toxic Shipping Containers May Be Contaminating Your Food And Clothes

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Question from Joelle

Hi Debra,

thanks for all you do in helping families try to live as non-toxic and cleanly as possible!

I have read every single one of the Q&A’s regarding non-toxic, green, eco-friendly, sofas and I am still at a loss. I cannot afford the $5000 price tag for an organic sofa and to be honest, I do not like the looks of most of the options out there. This being said, here is my question and I would truly appreciate your input.

I am at the point where I would like to purchase the most non-toxic sofa that I can afford (Pottery Barn eco-friendly) and add [one of the room air purifiers]=(link to air filters page of Debra’s List) that you did a show on into the room. I used to have an “all or nothing” attitude about detoxing our home but the reality is that the budget will simply not allow for that and we need to get on with joyfully living!

Debra’s Answer

I think you’ve made the best decision that meets your needs.

I once had to make the decision to go work in a toxic office building, so I just took my air filter with me and put it on my desk.

It’s better that you make a less toxic choice that you can afford than make no improvement at all.

As a consumer advocate I have to give you the best choices I can and educate you about the options, and then it’s up to you to choose what is right for you. That’s why I often don’t recommend products that still have some toxic exposures that may be acceptable to some people in some circumstances.

I think you’ve done a great job at figuring this out for yourself.

The old sofa is on its last leg and its time for me to make a decision. Thanks for your help!

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Question from Cheryl

Hi Debra,

I plan on building a home with radiant in-floor heat. What type of flooring will be safe for me with MCS?

Debra’s Answer

Well, this is a very easy question to answer because the best flooring for anyone to install over radiant heat is also the best flooring for MCS: porcelain, stone, or ceramic tile.

The radiant heat will increase the emissions of any toxic chemicals in other types of flooring, but porcelain, stone, and ceramic tile have no toxic emissions. And These materials are excellent conductors of heat (so they will collect heat and continue to release it after the radiant heating is turned off), do not expand and contract with heat, and are resistant to warping or cracking.

There may be some odor from the mortar, that should outgas quickly, and DO NOT USE GROUT SEALER. Grout sealer is very toxic.

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Here’s a place we can cut the budget.

“Researchers estimate the United States economy takes a $340 billion hit annually as endocrine-disrupting compounds lower IQs, increase behavior problems and exacerbate health woes like obesity and diabetes.”

And that’s only endocrine disruptors.

According to a new analysis, exposure to chemicals in pesticides, toys, makeup, food packaging and detergents costs the U.S. more than $340 billion annually due to health care costs and lost wages.

“My prediction is that the calculated costs to society will increase substantially once we get better documentation on … additional substances and additional adverse effects.”

—Philippe Grandjean, Harvard University

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS: Toxic Economy: Common Chemicals Cost US Billions Every Year

THE LANCET: DIABETED & ENDOCRINOLOGY: Exposure to Endocrine-disrupting Chemicals in the USA: A Population-Based Disease Burden and Cost Analysis

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Question from Steve

Hi Debra,

I came across some of you posts and writings as I was searching for bedsheets. I would like to know if all flannel sheets are free from hazardous chemicals. Is it safe to buy flannel sheets that are not organic? Must they state that they are free from chemicals on packaging or are all flannel sheets safe because/if they are not treated to be wrinkle free, easy care, etc? I greatly appreciate your advice.

Thanks,

Steve.

Debra’s Answer

All flannel sheets are “safe” in the sense that they

• have no harmful finishes (they are naturally wrinkle-free because of the weave”)
• pesticides are removed as a by-product of processing in raw cotton into fabric
• dyes are “color-fast,” which means they stay in the fabric

Organic flannel sheets would be even better, though the benefit is more environmental.

I myself sleep on non-organic flannel sheets and have for years.

The only problem I’ve ever had is sometimes they use plastic printing for certain designs. Otherwise, a quick tumble in the washer and dryer and I’m always happy with them.

Today Larry is working on removing the latex strips that we glued to the slats on our wood bed frame about ten years ago.

It sounded like a good idea at the time: latex strips just on the slats, which would give extra cushioning and still allow the natural wool mattress to breathe. I don’t like the odor of latex, so I didn’t want a whole mattress.

I did have to endure the outgassing of the latex for some weeks, but then it was tolerable and comfortable.

But about a year or two ago I started noticing a lot of dust and bits of latex under the bed. The latex was disintegrating!

This has gotten to be such a problem that Larry has taken the entire bed apart this morning and is pulling the latex strips off the slats. It is creating so much dust he had to bring in the shop vac because our little household Miele couldn’t handle the amount of dust that is being created.

I don’t know if this is a problem for pillows and mattresses, but it is a problem for our two-inch square strips. They just dried out. Maybe they were dehydrated by six months of air conditioning. I don’t know. I just know that it became such a mess we had to remove them.

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STINK! opens with a foul smell and a pair of kids pajamas. And a single father trying to find out what that smell could possibly be. But instead of getting a straight answer, director Jon Whelan stumbles on an even bigger issue in America, which is that some products on our store shelves are not safe — by design.

Stink! tells us about our exposures to toxic chemicals from consumer products and lack of regulations through the eyes of a father who has lost his wife to cancer. He buys pajamas for Christmas presents for his two tween daughters and is appalled by the overwhelming odor.

Stink! takes us through his journey to find out what’s in the pajamas that causes the odor, shows the world of undisclosed “fragrance” chemicals, and even includes a a teenage boy who cannot attend high school because he goes into anaphylactic shock when he breathes a certain body spray used by many of his classmates.

There’s a lot of good information about toxics in this film that shows the problem. It’s well worth watching and a good movie to show others, so they can get an idea of the problem.

[Just as an aside I want to say that this film is full of interviews with people who are working to change the chemical industry and lack of regulation. One of them shown over and over is Jeffrey Hollander, founder of Seventh Generation, who just sold Seventh Generation to Unilever, manufacturer of the product that won’t disclose the chemicals in the body spray product that sends the teenage boy into life-threatening anaphylactic shock. This is the company that is now manufacturing the Seventh Generation brand.]

At the end of the film, the solution presented is

•  manufacturers need to disclose their ingredients and

 

•  there needs to be better regulation. And the closing scene is his daughter calling an online business that is offering “flame-proof” pajamas, asking them if the pajamas contain flame retardants.

What this movie is missing is any mention at all that there ARE toxic-free products available.

A big message of this movie is that we can’t make decisions as consumers unless the big corporations disclose the ingredients of their toxic products. Well, I would like to see that happen too, however, it’s not a prerequisite for us to determine the products are toxic or for us to have the power to identify, find, choose and purchase toxic-free products.

My concern about the film is that it leaves the viewer with the idea that the world is 100% toxic, and there are no safe alternatives. That may be the filmmaker’s world, but I know that’s not true.

So if you see this film and share it, tell everyone to come to my website after to find out how to live toxic free.

Watch STINK! Free for the Month of October

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Project TENDR is a collaboration of leading scientists, health professionals and children’s and environmental advocates who came together in 2015 out of concern over the now substantial scientific evidence linking toxic environmental chemicals to neurodevelopment disorders.

These disorders include autism spectrum disorder, attention deficits, hyperactivity, intellectual disability and learning disorders.

In July, Project TENDR is releasing a scientific Consensus Statement as a national Call To Action to significantly reduce exposures to chemicals and pollutants that are contributing to neurodevelopmental disorders in America’s children.

The “prime examples” of neurotoxic chemicals listed in the Statement are

• Organophosphate (OP) pesticides

• PBDE flame retardants

• Combustion-related air pollutants, which generally include PAHs, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, and other air pollutants for which nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter are markers

• Lead

• Mercury

• PCBs

Check their Chemicals & Pollutants tab on the main menu for more information about how these chemicals can affect children’s development.

TENDR Consensus Statement

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If you’re trying to get pregnant, here are two resources to read.

One from Rodale Wellness and one I wrote when I was invited to speak at a summit on infertility

RODALE WELLNESS: 9 Everyday Chemicals That Could Be Screwing with Your Fertility

DEBRA LYNN DADD: Protect Your Baby From Toxics Before Birth

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Question from Rose

Hi Debra,

Can you recommend a toothpaste without mint, which is similar to Sensodyne in being: less abrasive/easy on sensitive teeth/ and generally helpful in preventing erosion?

I like Tom’s toothpaste, but the dental tech recommended Sensodyne.

I am allergic to processed Mint, alas.

I checked out Merz Apothecary here in Chicago, but all of the tooth pastes have mint.

Thank you.

Ciao’

Rose

Debra’s Answer

There are actually a number of toothpastes that don’t contain mint. They either have no flavoring, or flavors such as lemon or anise or simply the flavors of active ingredients.

See the Dental Care page of Debra’s List.

Readers, what mint-free toothpastes do you like?

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Question from Leslie

Hi Debra,

Have you seen the study that claims the Diva Cup menstrual cup can cause endometriosis? I want to use one but obviously after reading that study I’m very conflicted. It claims that since the blood is not absorbed it can funnel back up to the ovaries and cling to them. If I understood correctly.

This is the report I read. http://assocpharmtox.org/pages/CupsIntro3.html

Thanks

Debra’s Answer

The study you read is ten years old.

There is more recent information.

Menstrual Cups and Endometriosis gives a good review of the dilemma. Basically, there is no longer a concern that menstrual cups are a cause of endometriosis. This website lists all the companies that now make menstrual cups, but they also have resources for cloth pads and organic pads and tampons. So it’s basically a good site for considering all your natural options.

The Endometriosis Foundation has no obvious warnings about not using menstrual cups that I could find on their website.

Menstrual cups are made from either rubber or medical-grade silicone. Both these materials are unlikely to cause harm for this use.

So if you want to use a menstrual cup, I see no reason not to.

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Environmental Working Group (EWG) released another report last week on our exposures to toxic chemicals in everyday life.

If you remember the true-story movie Erin Brockovich from 2000, chromium-6 was the chemical discovered to cause numerous cancer cases in the town of Hinkley, California. Now EWG has tested samples of tap water across the nation and found this same chromium-6 in 75% of water supplies in America.

According to EWG, “In 2008, a two-year study by the National Toxicology Program found that drinking water with chromium-6, or hexavalent chromium, caused cancer in laboratory rats and mice. Based on this and other animal studies, in 2010, scientists at the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment concluded that ingestion of tiny amounts of chromium-6 can cause cancer in people, a conclusion affirmed by state scientists in New Jersey and North Carolina.”

In 2010, an EWG investigation found chromium-6 in the tap water of 31 cities. This prompted the EPA to order local water utilities to begin the first nationwide tests. From 2013-2015 more than 60,000 samples of drinking water were taken. EWG’s analysis of the test data estimates that water supplies serving 218 million Americans – more than two-thirds of the population – contain more chromium-6 than the California scientists deemed safe.

EWG: ‘Erin Brockovich’ Carcinogen in Tap Water of More Than 200 Million Americans

EWG: ‘Erin Brockovich’ Carcinogen in Tap Water of More Than 200 Million Americans – The Study

Are You One of the 218 million?

EWG has provided an interactive map of the USA,where you can click on the county you live in and find out if you have chromium-6 in your water.

I checked Pinellas County, Florida—where I live—and found that chromium-6 was detected in 87% of samples tested.The range was from “none detected” to 0.620 parts per billion (ppb). The California Public Health Goal is 0.02 ppb.

What to Do

So, OK, I have my local numbers from the interactive map, but, is the water from MY tap “none detected” or 0.620 pub or somewhere in between?

Since I have a PureEffect Water Filter, I asked founder Igor Milevskiy if I needed to be concerned about chromium-6 in my water.

Igor said, “Due to varying water chemistry from place to place, and the heightened concern for Cr6 across a wide span of water supplies, we highly recommend to test your specific water at home with inexpensive and very simple to use test strips. This way you will know for yourself how much Chromium (if any) is in your water and how well the filter is performing on this contaminant.”

He recommends Waterworks Chromium test strips.

PureEffect water filters contains the type of filter media that removes chromium. “Our 3 and 4 chamber systems have 3 different types of metal removal media, which also target Chromium. The principles of the media are such, that they should have a good effect on reducing this contaminant.”

Again, test strips.

Igor said, “In the event it becomes necessary to provide even greater Cr6 removal power, if your readers let us know their test results, we can make a custom cartridge for those with extra stubborn situations.”

Seeing this report again reinforces for me the need for every home to have an effective water filter system that removes a broad spectrum of pollutants. You never know what might be in your water.

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Well, the world is changing.

Pioneering green products company Seventh Generation was just purchased by Unilever for $700 million.

It was actually an emotional shock for me to get this news

I remember when Seventh Generation was started in 1988. It was just before Earth Day 1990 and the book 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth, which brought awareness to the mass market that what we do in our homes every day has an effect on the environment—for better or for worse.

Seventh Generation really was the first company to develop products with health and environment being the guiding star. And they did Read more about Seventh Generation…

For Seventh Generation to sell to Unilever…it’s the end of an era. Seventh Generation was an innovator, they were visionaries who changed the marketplace. And now decisions will be made based on mass market values instead of life values.

All I can say is thank goodness for all of the small businesses that are independently producing toxic free products. Please support them.

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Unilever Buys ‘Green’ Products Maker Seventh Generation

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France has become the first country in the world to ban disposable, plastic cups and dishes.

The new law, which passed last month, requires all single-use cups, plates and other dishware sold in the country to be compostable and made at least partly of bio-sourced materials. Businesses have been given until Jan. 1, 2020 to comply.

A ban on plastic bags has been in place since July.

The decision to do this was made based on environmental considerations—France currently throws away more than 4.7 billion plastic cups every year. But it will also reduce exposure to toxic chemicals in plasticware as well.

Manufacturers, of course, are opposing the law, asserting that lower-income families regularly use disposable tableware because they can’t afford reusable tableware. I can’t agree with that argument. I once was living in a rented apartment by myself and I had one fork, one spoon, one knife, one plate, one bowl, one cup, and one glass. That’s all one person actually needs. Anyone can obtain these for practically nothing at any thrift store.

I think this is a good move, but we also need to consider the use of disposable products altogether. It is possible to have a society where everything is reusable and biodegradable. We don’t need plastic at all. Indeed, as a species we survived perfectly well without it until the twentieth century (the first plastic was bakelite, invented in New York in 1907).

ASSOCIATED PRESS: France to bid adieu to plastic dishes with controversial ban

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Question from Mimi

Hello Debra,

This is an area in need of change!!

We have been staying hampton Inns for many years and have always called before to ask them not to use fabrezee and any fragrance in the rooms.

For a couple of years we found most of the rooms to be at least ‘liveable”

But, for the last two years we have traveled Florida panhandle, and up and back on the I 77/ I81 corridor from Fl to NH…and had some horrible experiences.

At the Hampton Inns in Florida and Virginia.. the one in Tallahassee reaked so badly that we had to leave the property at 3 AM and drive for more hours to our home,because my husband and I were getting sick. it took us two weeks to recover.

We contacted the customer service department many times and they just kept referring us to one new person after another . Yes, they compted the room, but that means nothing when you have a whole night without sleep and have a full drive the next day!

We are very upset about this!!! There are so many of us out here wanting to travel and having chemical sensitivity.

Can you recommend a hotel chain or group that would identify which hotels have nontoxic options as of Sept 2016.

We support your work and will spread the word .. thank-you for any info you can give us! And keep up the good work. More of us need to join in and change this!

Thank-you Mimi

Debra’s Answer

I totally agree with you!

I have a page about travel on Debra’s List.

I just went there and unfortunately found that the Safer Travel Directory website is no longer there.

And I searched online for anything new. Nothing. Old links broken.

I read that Hyatt Hotels and Fairmont Hotels are offering hypoallergenic rooms, but that was an old post, so I don’t know the current status. Would you contact these chains and see what the story is, and let us know?

We really need some improvement on this. Let me think about what we can do.

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Last year there was a big change in the furniture world. A California law went into effect that allowed furniture manufacturers to make and sell upholstered furniture—such as sofas, loveseats, and chairs—without toxic fire retardants. That’s certainly good news!

The problem is that while the fire retardants are gone, most of the affordable sofas and chairs are still made with synthetic materials and toxic finishes like stain repellants.

Less toxic to be sure…but not toxic free yet.

Since January 1, 2015 the CA labeling law has required all upholstered furniture (couches, sofas, loveseats, and recliners) to have a label that states whether or not harmful flame retardant chemicals were added to the product.

I could have told you this last year but didn’t, because it only applied to upholstered furniture manufactured after January 1, 2015. Stores were still filled with furniture manufactured before this date.

Now, furniture manufactured since the beginning of 2015 is more widely available.

If you are buying upholstered furniture, what you want to look at is the “law label.”

And now I’m going to send you over to an article that has a very clear explanation of how to find the label, the three different labels you might see, and how to find the information about flame retardants—complete with pictures.

NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL: Want to Avoid Toxic Couch Chemicals? Just Look for New Label!

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I know a lot of you are concerned about toxics in products from China.

Here’s a website that recently came my way via Q&A comments. I’m pulling it out and making a post so we can all find it easily.

Campaign to Halt the Import of Chemical-Emitting Smelly Plastic from China

If you know of any other sites with specific information about toxics in products from China, please post a comment with the name and link.

Thank you.

Debra 🙂

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FDA has found residues of the weed killer glyphosate even in a food that is not produced with the use of glyphosate: honey.

All of the samples the FDA tested in a recent examination contained glyphosate residues, and some showed residue levels double the limit allowed in the European Union. There is no legal tolerance level for glyphosate in honey in the United States.

According to the FDA records, samples tested by an FDA chemist showed these residue levels:

Sue Bee is marketed by a cooperative of American beekeepers as “pure, all-natural” and “America’s Honey.” Customers “can be assured that Sue Bee Honey is 100% pure, 100% all-natural and 100% American,” the Sioux Honey Association states.

The obvious recommendation is to choose organic honey, but I’m not sure it has less glyphosate. What is becoming more and more evident is that glyphosate is now widespread in the general environment, and not limited to GMO foods.

The good news is that honey has a tremendous amount of nutrients and inherent healing qualities. Of all foods, honey is the food most likely to have the ability to counteract the negative affects of glyphosate.

I would still choose organic honey.

THE HUFFINGTON POST: FDA Finds Monsanto’s Weed Killer in US Honey.

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This week, researchers, public health advocates, government officials, and industry spokespersons will meet at National Institutes of Health (NIH) to celebrate 25 years of scientific research on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs).

Here is a good commentary on what we’ve learned about this chemicals, and where we need to go to learn more.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS: 25 years of endocrine disruptor research – great strides, but still a long way to go.

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An interactive version of this graph can be found here (scroll down the page).

A new study came out this week that gives us more data than ever about what types of toxic chemicals are found in household dust and amounts.

The fact that household dust contains toxic chemicals is not new—but this study is the first to make a comprehensive assessment of consumer product chemicals of concern in the dust found in US homes, provide a picture of the toxic chemicals in the home, estimate potential exposures for children and determine heath threats.

The study identifies 45 chemicals from five chemical classes—phthalates, phenols, flame retardants, fragrances, fluorinated chemicals—that were measured in dust in US homes.

Some phthalates, fragrance, flame retardants, and phenols were consistently found in 90 percent or more of dust samples across multiple studies.

The articles below do a great job of explaining the problem, but fall short on giving workable solutions.

Here’s my advice.

1. All the things you are already doing to reduce your use of chemicals in your home that you are learning on this website are also reducing toxic chemicals in your house dust. So keep finding toxic products in your home and continue to replace them with nontoxic products.

2. Get an air filter that removes both particles (dust) and gasses (chemicals. Check out my recommended brands at Debra’s List: Air Filters.

Find out what’s in your indoor air and take steps to improve it. This could make a big difference in your health.

CBS NEWS: Household Dust is Laced With Toxic Chemicals, Study Finds
a news story

NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL: Not Just Dirt: Toxic Chemicals in Indoor Dust
an analysis

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: Consumer Product Chemicals in Indoor Dust
the study

NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL: Toxic Dust: The Dangerous Chemical Brew in Every Home
another blog post about toxic dust

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Abstract

Mobile phone usage has become an integral part of our lives. However, the effects of the radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) emitted by these devices on biological systems and specifically the reproductive systems are currently under active debate. A fundamental hindrance to the current debate is that there is no clear mechanism of how such non-ionising radiation influences biological systems. Therefore, we explored the documented impacts of RF-EMR on the male reproductive system and considered any common observations that could provide insights on a potential mechanism.

Among a total of 27 studies investigating the effects of RF-EMR on the male reproductive system, negative consequences of exposure were reported in 21. Within these 21 studies, 11 of the 15 that investigated sperm motility reported significant declines, 7 of 7 that measured the production of reactive oxygen species documented elevated levels and 4 of 5 studies that probed for DNA damage highlighted increased damage, due to RF-EMR exposure. Associated with this, RF-EMR treatment reduced antioxidant levels in 6 of 6 studies that studied this phenomenon, while consequences of RF-EMR were successfully ameliorated with the supplementation of antioxidants in all 3 studies that carried out these experiments.

In light of this, we envisage a two-step mechanism whereby RF-EMR is able to induce mitochondrial dysfunction leading to elevated ROS production.

A continued focus on research which aims to shed light on the biological effects of RF-EMR will allow us to test and assess this proposed mechanism in a variety of cell types.

PUBMED: The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation on sperm function.

The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation on sperm function Full PDF

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Question from Jody

Hi Debra,

Do you know of any health concerns related to infrared heaters? I am considering installing this:

http://biosmartsolutions.com/shop/heating/on-wall-heaters/bio-1500owa-onwall-heater-and-airpurifier/

Thank you. Jody

Debra’s Answer

This looks fine to me as a heater.

However, the “air filter” is only a UV lamp and negative ion generator. This removes some particles and no gasses, but does kill bacteria and viruses and other micro-organisms.

The same caveat applies to this heater as to all others: the paint may emit odors when the heater is on until the paint is fully outgassed. But when outgassed, this heater should be fine.

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Question from Bonnie

Dear Debra,

I had wanted to buy a new 2016 car until I smelled the chemicals. I was shown a 3 year old prior leased car as I would still have warranty and thought I detected new car smell, but less. When my friend was talking with the salesperson I decided to find where the 2016 odor was coming from – It is from the AC vent!

I can not put charcoal pads on that. I saw you mentioned a filter – does it sit in the car with me or does it get installed into the car?

I would rather have a very old car, but I am concerned financially I may not be able to cover repair costs.

How well does the filter work? What year car do you think is safe from offgasing.

Do you think some models are more safe than others? Foreign cars can last many decades – so I rather take an old car.

I checked some and the seats are squashed, but a friend said a upholstery shop could replace them.

Would like to give a big thank you for the suggestion you gave me many years ago about the sleep number bed. The odor is not detectable with the charcoal blankets. It was the only bed I could use due to a medical problem. THANK YOU.

Debra’s Answer

You are very welcome.

The filter I have used in the past is from E.L. Foust It’s 160AN Auto/RV Air Purifier. It plugs into your cigarette lighter and sits on the floor on the passenger side. I found it to work very well. You plug it in and turn it on.

I try to purchase cars that are at least five years old. I manage to find used cars with low miles.

The car I currently have was only two years old when I bought it. It still smells like a new car. Mostly I drive it with the sunroof open so the fumes can escape.

Yes foreign cars last longer than American cars. Larry just bought an old Prius. They can last more than 200,000 miles.

Right now the choices seem to be 1) old and outgassed 2) use an air filter 3). Reupholster.

If you think the smell is coming from the AC, use the air filter.

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Question from Melanie 

Hi Debra,

I hate vinyl, but need a thin pad to go under my dining room tablecloth.

I have searched the Internet thinking I could find latex or rubber padding but was not successful. Thoughts?

There has got to be something less toxic than vinyl…

Thanks so much, Melanie

Debra’s Answer

First, for those who don’t know why you might need a dining table pad…

If you have a nice wood dining table, it can be damaged by heat, scratches, and spills.  A pad can protect the surface of your table from these accidents.

This is good for the table, but may not be so good for health.

The industry standard is to use vinyl and other possibly toxic materials and adhesives to make these pads.

There seem to be two types:
* solid, about 11/2” thick
* flexible, like a table cloth with thin padding.

The industry standard is to use vinyl and other possibly toxic materials and adhesives for both,

So the challenge here is to come up with some type of padding that will protect the table. I’m thinking if we can find a nontoxic foam in a thin layer, that should do it. And then put a tablecloth on top.

I actually did find something I think will work, but haven’t tested it.

There’s a website called Foam Order that sells thin sheets of foam made from EVA or polyethylene. Either of these would be fine to use. I don’t know if these are waterproof, however you can get it as thin as 1/8”. Call them and ask if this would meet your needs and let us know.

If it’s not waterproof, you could add a waterproof layer of something else. But this would give you the padding.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has finally told manufacturers they can no longer put triclosan in consumer soaps.

The FDA says antibacterial do little or nothing to make soap work any better and the industry has failed to prove they are safe.

Manufacturers have one year to comply.

Triclosan is still allowed as an antibacterial in other consumer products.

NBC News: FDA Orders Antibacterials Removed From Consumer Soaps

Listen to these shows on Toxic Free Talk Radio about antibacterials:

TOXIC FREE TALK RADIO: How Antibiotics and Antibacterials are Compromising Our Health

TOXIC FREE TALK RADIO: The Dangers of Antimicrobials and How to Choose Products Without Them

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An interesting article entered my email inbox the other day from the environmental blog Treehugger.

It was about the change that’s occurring in the way people buy soap.

Bar soap sales are declining and liquid soap sales are gaining.

I was sorry to read this. From a toxics viewpoint, soap is one of the few products that can be very pure.

I love to buy soap from a local soap maker who doesn’t even put a wrapper on the soap. They just stamp the information right into each bar. Whenever I drive in that direction, I stop and buy a few bars.

One of my pleasures in life is buying all different kinds of handmade soaps at various craft fairs and trying them out.

But I can understand about soap in a bottle.

Reading about this, I took a conscious look at whether I was using bar or bottle soap. I hadn’t really thought about it.

What I observed was that I use bar soap in the shower and bathroom sink, and liquid soap in the kitchen.

For me, the issue is soap melting all over the soap dish. In the kitchen I often need to wash my hands because I have been cutting up chicken, and I don’t want to put bacteria on the soap. A squeeze of foaming soap from the bottle seems to be much more sanitary in that regard.

But it makes sense to stick with bar soap. We certainly don’t need yet another plastic bottle.

What do you think about this?

TREEHUGGER: The Sad Slippery Slope of Bar Soap

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There have been so many questions about finding affordable sofas I thought I would make a separate post to answer this question.

First, there are no ready-made affordable sofas that I would call toxic-free.

All the ready-made sofas cost thousands of dollars.

But there are some things you can do. [I’ve mentioned these before in other places, but am gathering them all together in one place for you.]

My first nontoxic sofa was a sectional sofa where the pieces were made with cotton canvas over metal frames, with toxic pillows on top. I just replaced the toxic pillows with 100% cotton pillows stuffed with some of the first organic cotton batting that was available. It was a great sofa and I wish someone would make this type of frame now.

Here are three strategies I know of. Please comment if you know of any others.

REUPHOLSTER

My current sofa started as an old frame, which I stripped and had reupholstered. I bought the sofa frame at a storage auction for $50. The upholsterer said it had “nice bones.” It’s a beautiful, old, solid wood frame.

I chose a 100% linen upholstery fabric in a plaid to honor my Scottish heritage. The cushions are old spring cushions covered with wool batting.

All in all the total cost was about $1500. That was maybe 20 years ago. It’s held up very well, It still looks the same as it did 20 years ago. No wear and tear.

My sofa with linen uphostery, purple cotton quilted throw and cotton throw with words

FILL A FRAME

Ever since futons became popular in the 1980s, there have been wood frames available to turn those futons into sofas. Today they are also available made of metal. And you can fill them with any kind of cushions you can imagine.

Wood frames for futons come in two designs: clamshell (sofa only) or bi-fold (which converts into a platform bed).

Here are some sofa frames from White Lotus Home made out of sold wood with water-based glues and nontoxic finishes. But there are many more online. Just search on “futon frame for sofa.” Even places like overstock and wayfarer have them for only a few hundred dollars (be sure to check materials before buying).

There are many more frames online—I just checked. Search on “sofa plans” and other similar terms.

Here are hundreds of futon frames online.

Some frames come complete with pillows you probably don’t want, but other frames you can purchase separately (and you can always toss the pillows if necessary and replace them with natural ones.

This complete sofa is only $259 at amazon (click on image for link]

Doesn’t say what pillows are but I assume they are synthetic. I would replace the cushions and pillows.

Wow. Just exploring futon frames for just a few minutes showed me there are MANY more inexpensive sofas in this category than ever before, but you’ll need to provide your own cushions.

BUILD YOUR OWN

And it turns out nowadays you can even get plans for making your own sofa.

DIY may be the way to go if you are handy or can enlist help (I am fortunate that Larry is always willing and able to repair or build anything I want). You could also get the plans and materials and hiring someone to put it together and it would still be affordable. And you could modify the plans to get exactly the sofa you want.

Here are some plans sent by a reader. There may be more:
http://www.ana-white.com/2016/03/free_plans/modern-wood-storage-sofa
http://www.ana-white.com/2010/11/build-your-own-storage-sofa.html
http://www.ana-white.com/2015/06/free_plans/one-arm-outdoor-sectional-piece
http://www.ana-white.com/2014/05/modern-sectional-sofa

Here’s a massive  Use this for ideas and plans, but substitute your own toxic-free materials.

WHAT ELSE?

Please comment with your ideas, questions, and photos of affordable sofas (if you have one) and even a natural sofa that’s not affordable (if you have one).

The Cornucopia Institute has a new report on toothpaste that is exceptional, It covers regulations, and ingredients and ends with a list of toothpastes that contain organic ingredients and how to make your own at home.

CORNUCOPIA: Behind the Dazzling Smile

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Question from Katherine

I’m confused about PET and PETE. Are they the same thing or different?

Debra’s Answer

PET and PETE are both acronyms for polyethylene terephthalate.

Polyethylene terephthalate is a clear, tough plastic in the polyester
family. It is made from only two chemicals that are tightly bonded together.

PET has been approved as safe by the FDA and the International Life Sciences Institute
(ILSI). In 1994, ILSI stated that “PET polymer has a long history of safe consumer use,
which is supported by human experience and numerous toxicity studies.”

There is one important thing to know about polyethylene terephthalate.

Because it has “phthalate” in its name, some people think PET contains toxic “phthalates.” This is not correct.

The toxic “phthalates” that leach out of plastics are “orthophthalates,” which is a completely different type of chemical than “terephthalate.”

I also researched to see if there was any outgassing from PET into the air. NASA has a website (outgassing.nasa.gov) where you can look up all kinds of materials they have assessed for outgassing because they need to choose materials for spaceships that do not outgas. They found that PET needed zero curing time to be used in a spaceship.

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There have been some questions about what type of colorant is use to make brightly-colored silicone products.

I’m in the process of reading a book called Advances in Polymer Coated Textiles=which states that coloring agents for silicone coatings need to be chosen carefully because organic pigments are not suitable for high-temperature uses. [Organic pigments are carbon based and can be natural or synthetic. Synthetic organic pigments are made from petroleum.]

Therefore inorganic pigments such as iron oxides and titanium dioxides are used.

I’m thinking this would hold true for silicone kitchenware as well.

I also found a study that measured color leaching from silicone: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTISTRY: Color Stability of Silicone or Acrylic Denture Liners: An in Vitro Investigation. Their tests show the silicone dental liners showed far less change in color than the acrylic liners.

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Question from Sicili

Hi Debra. I noticed on one of your comments, you said you hardly have any plastic in your home at all. I just wanted to ask ,what type of hand dish washing soap do you use for doing dishes ? I am trying to figure out if I should use the natural ones listed on EWG or if I should try to avoid the plastic and use bar soap to wash the dishes? I try to learn as much as I can from your books and website but for some things I would just really like to know what you use right now. How do you feel about Tropical Traditions, household traditions dish soap? Thank you so much for your time.

Debra’s Answer

Right now I use BioKlenn All Natural Dish Soap.

The one I get has a citrus scent that I like and it cleans really well.

I’ve also recently used Earthview Dish Detergent, which I liked a lot. It’s made for people with MCS.

Tropical Traditions is a good company with very high standards. Their Dish Liquid is developed by and for people with allergies, asthma, and MCS. However, they do not give a complete list of ingredients. Only “surfactants,” “emulsifiers,” etc.

I am a stickler for wanting to know the actual ingredients, which are listed on the brands I use.

I’m not saying there is anything wrong with Tropical Traditions. I just don’t know because they are not disclosing their ingredients.

The dish soap I use comes in a plastic bottle. I wouldn’t use bar soap to wash your dishes unless it is a very plain soap or a bar soap developed specifically for dishes. Bar soap is designed for skin, not for eating.

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Tests Reveal Nature Valley Products Contain Glyphosate,
an Ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup

Washington, DC – Today, three non profit organizations filed a lawsuit against General Mills for misleading the public by labeling their Nature Valley brand granola bars “Made with 100% NATURAL whole grain OATS.” It was recently discovered that the herbicide chemical glyphosate, an ingredient in Roundup and hundreds of other glyphosate-based herbicides, is present in the Nature Valley granola bars, which consumers expect to be natural and free of toxins.

Moms Across America, Beyond Pesticides and Organic Consumers Association with The Richman Law Group filed jointly on behalf of the non profit members in Washington DC under the District of Columbia’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act.

“As a mother, when I read “100% Natural” I would expect that to mean no synthetic or toxic chemicals at all. Glyphosate is a toxic chemical that the EPA recognizes as a “reproductive effector” which “can cause liver and kidney damage” and “digestive effects.” It is unacceptable that Nature Valley granola bars contain any amount of this chemical.” Zen Honeycutt, Founder and Executive Director of Moms Across America.

A national survey conducted by Consumer Reports in 2015 finds that sixty six percent of consumers seek out products with a “natural” food label under the false belief that they are produced without pesticides, genetically modified organisms, hormones, and artificial ingredients.

“Glyphosate cannot be considered ‘natural’ because it is a toxic, synthetic herbicide,” said Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides. “Identified by the World Health Organization(WHO) as a carcinogen, it should not be allowed for use in food production, and certainly not in food with a label that suggests to consumers that the major ingredient –oats– is 100% natural, when it is produced with and contains the highly hazardous glyphosate,” he said.

“Food grown with dangerous pesticides like glyphosate isn’t natural. Consumers understand this. That’s why sales of natural products are booming. Unfortunately, companies’ misleading claims trick consumers into buying just what they’re trying to avoid. This has to be stopped.” -Alexis Baden-Mayer, Political Director of the Organic Consumers Association

The case specifically cites the use and presence of the weedkiller glyphosate in General Mills’ Nature Valley Granola products. The hazardous chemical is used during the production of oats, the major ingredient in these products, which are marketed as “natural” and labeled “Made with 100% Natural Whole Grain Oats.” As a result, glyphosate is present in the natural-labeled products.

Proponents of glyphosate herbicide use may claim that the residue levels found in many foods and beverages in America recently are below the EPA allowable levels established in 2014, and therefore consumers have no reason to be concerned. However, a 2015 study published in the journal Environmental Health finds that chronic, low-dose exposure to glyphosate as low as .1 parts per billion leads to adverse effects on liver and kidney health. A study released in early 2016 finds that glyphosate can cause changes to DNA function resulting in the onset of chronic disease, including diabetes, obesity, and Alzheimer’s disease.

The lawsuit alleges that, when marketing Nature Valley products, General Mills misleads and fails to disclose to consumers of the use and presence of glyphosate and its harmful effects. Plaintiffs are asking a jury to find that General Mills’ “natural” labeling is deceptive and misleading and therefore a violation of law, and require its removal from the market.

View a web version of this press release with links here

Download complaint

Debra’s Answer

I just have to comment on this.

I have no problem with these groups filing a suit, however the logic just boggles my mind.

1. There is NO legal definition of “natural.” It is widely used in the marketplace in reference to ingredients being of plant, animal or mineral origin, and not petrochemical.

2. ALL so-called “natural” products contain pesticides, which are intentionally added to the ingredients during the growing of the plants and animals. Also other toxic chemicals may be used. This is all that “natural” means: the ingredients are not made from petrochemicals.

3. If General Mills is false and misleading, so is every other product that claims to be natural.

Part of the problem in the marketplace is our really inadequate labeling laws. Labels on food and personal care items require only that the ingredient that “goes into the pot” (so to speak) be on the label. Its like a recipe tells you only what to put in the bowl. Labels only list the end ingredient, even if it contains many other sub-ingredients.

For example, if “ham” is and ingredient in a food product, labeling laws do not require the label to list the nitrates that are in the ham. Nor do labeling laws require that pesticides or other processing chemicals be listed.

If I were labeling supermarket applesauce, I would say
* apples (with a list of pesticides commonly used on apples)
* GMO corn syrup
* water (with chlorine, fluoride and other water pollutants)

And then I would label organic applesauce
* apples
* water

But instead we have to say
* organic apples
* filtered water

And the toxic product requires no qualifiers to indicate that it is toxic.

We need a MASSIVE overhaul of labeling in order for consumers to know what is actually in products.

I would say most products on the market today are false and misleading with their labeling. General Mills Nature Valley is not the only one.

However, there is actually something that is false and misleading about Nature Valley, and it’s not the glyphosate. It’s that Nature Valley gives an impression that it is natural in it’s name, packaging and advertising.

I wonder if any of these products would sell if manufacturers were required to show consumers right on the label what’s in them.

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Question from Katie

Hi Debra,

Glad to be able to ask advice on nontoxic glue for a patch job. We had to remove several planks of engineered hardwood flooring in front of our back sliding door. We will be putting down new planks but I am concerned about fumes from the glue.(I will outgas the new planks…)

I read on your site that you recommend. Titebond II yellow glue for this. We are on a concrete slab.

Our handyman looked into it and thinks Titebond 771 would be better.

What would you recommend? I am very chemically sensitive.

Thank you for your help.

Debra’s Answer

No, I wouldn’t recommend Titlebond 771.

Here is the SDS for Titebond II

Here is the SDS for Titebond 771

Notice that 771 says “: This material is considered hazardous by the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200).”

!! says “this material is not considered hazardous by the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.”

I am confident Titebond !! will do the job. I’ve used it to attach wood to concrete with no problem.

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Last week I had an interesting experience on a private Facebook group I belong to.

A pregnant woman with a 1 1/2-year-old posted that she had just moved into here new house the day after renovations were done and she could still smell new paint, floor adhesive and lacquer. She was trying to “get these toxins out of the house FAST!”

Given that this is a private group and anyone can post on any subject, she got quite a few well-intended recommendations. They were not, however, the correct actions to take to remove volatile chemical gasses from her home.

Here are some of the suggestions (and my comment on them on the indent lines after each comment):

• I have a floor fan you can use.

Inadequate.

• Do a wipe down with vinegar and water.

This will do nothing for paint fumes.

• Leave all windows open so fumes can vent out of the house. Can also put 2 or 3 box fans in windows on one side of house in open windows drawing air OUT of the house. This will pull in fresh air from the remaining open windows. You need to let the fumes escape from the walls and flooring, and then be vented out of the house. It may take some time.

Ventilation is always good, but in this case what is needed is to accelerate the release of the VOCs in the paints and adhesives.

• Place bowls of baking soda with lemon squeezed on top (leave the lemons in the bowl too) around the house.

Baking soda does remove odors, but not specifically paint fumes.

• Take big bowls full of ammonia and place them in every room, shut the door, it absorbs the smells.

This may remove odors, but ammonia itself is a toxic chemical and will not remove toxic gasses.

• Buy an air purifier from Target for around $100.

Air filters sold at Target and other such stores do NOT remove paint fumes and other VOCs. They are designed to remove particles such as dust and pollen, which are larger than chemical gasses.

• There are a number of plants that remove toxins from the air , floors etc and then give you fresh air. You can google the list. I believe there are about 12 different ones you can choose from.

Plants are not adequate to handle the toxic chemical gasses in this home. You would need hundreds of plants. I did the math once on this to see if I could recommend this instead of air filters. Not in a situation like this. A 9×12-foot room with an 8-foot ceiling is 864 cubic fee, so you would need 72 plants to duplicate the results from Wolverton labs—a virtual jungle!

Here’s what to do in a situation like this:

1. Get yourself and your family out of the house. Find somewhere else to stay until you have handled the toxic exposure.

• Close the windows and “bake” the house. Follow the instructions at QA: Intructions to “Bake Out Toxic Fumes

• Get an air filter that removes toxic gasses. The best air filter I know of for removing toxic fumes from an area fast is the EnviroKlenz Mobile Unit.

Of course it’s always best to paint with a zero-VOC paint to begin with.

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Last week I finally changed my HVAC filter and it made so much difference that I had to tell you about this.

Just to be clear, an HVAC filter removes dust and other particles from the air. It has nothing to do with removing toxic gasses (for toxic gasses you need something like the EnviroKlenz HVAC filter. The purpose of the particle filter is to remove particles so they don’t clog up the HVAC.

HVAC particle filters are designed to last for three months, and then you need to change them. I was one month overdue because I can’t climb up there and change it myself. I need to get someone else to do it.

When we took the filter out, it had a lot of dust buildup all over it.

What was amazing to me was how much BETTER the air conditioning worked after the filter was changed!

I leave my A/C on 72 degrees. With the new filter, it was way too cold. I now have my A/C set to 74 degrees and am entirely comfortable. A new filter made that much difference.

I’ll save more than the cost of the filter this month on my power bill, and create fewer air pollution emissions from the generation of electricity to keep the air cool.

Now I want to give you a tip too about choosing a dust filter for your HVAC.

I chose a Honeywell Allergy Plus Air Filter, which I purchased at my local Home Depot.

All HVAC filters have a rating that tells you how much they will filer from the air.

Here is the rating from the filter I purchased. I like this label because it clearly shows that as you move up the ratings the filter removes more volume of particles and more different types of particles.

I bought a 7 because it removes more than 4, and they didn’t have any 9 or 10s on the shelf.

What you want to look for is a MERV rating or an FPR. The difference is:

• MERV is a universal industry rating
• FPR is a made up rating by the manufacturer.
• MERV 8 is considered the best choice to protect your HVAC without spending more money than you need to. FPR 7-9 is equivalent to MERV 8.

If you think ahead, you can order a box of four filters online and save money. And you’ll be good for a year.

Filters are supposed to last 90 days, but not every day is the same. If you’re not running your HVAC, you don’t need to change the filter. Check it every 90 days. If it’s grey, change it. If it’s still white, let it go a little longer.

But changing your filter at the right time DOES make a difference in your power bill and pollution. So pay attention and change your filter when it needs to be changed.

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Question from Carol

Hi Debra,

I’ve been using melamine for dinner plates, but I worry that they’re toxic. I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter. I need a lightweight plate because I have RSI and some disc trouble. What would you recommend? I couldn’t find anything through Google search.

Debra’s Answer

I think what you want is enamelware. It’s steel with a baked-on enamel coating, which is basically glass. It’s the dinnerware you take camping, but now it’s in a lot of stylish colors and patterns.

Here are a lot of choices for enamel dinnerware online.

You can also just search on your favorite search engine for “enamel dinnerware.”

Some people are concerned about heavy metals in enamel. So before you buy, contact the manufacturer and ask if there are heavy metals in the enamel. You can check for yourself with a Lead Check kit.

From West Elm

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Question from Patricia

Hi Debra,

I continue to reference your website as the go to place for info on MCS safe products. Thank you!

I was wondering if you had ever heard of these allergen – free Pure Rooms? They use a multiple step process to clean and purify hotel rooms for people with allergies. There is also an air purifier in each room.

www.pureroom.com

I have MCS and have been able to tolerate some of these rooms. I think the ones I was able to tolerate better were in hotels that hadn’t been remodeled recently.

Unfortunately, the number of Pure Rooms available at any hotels is dwindling. I’m guessing that the cost of maintaining the rooms and / or lack of bookings due to price is resulting in their demise. This is disappointing as these rooms were the only way I could get away for a little vacation.

Do you consider these Pure Rooms MCS safe due to the process used to purify? It seems that the Pure Rooms need more publicity and feedback so people will book them and then hotels could offer more of them.

Pat in Cleveland

Debra’s Answer

Well…not much information on their website.

I don’t see anything about what they do to make the rooms PURE.

Buried in a blog post I found this description of the air purifier:
Each PURE Room is treated according to a patented 7-step purification process and features an air-purifier powerful enough to be classified by the FDA as a Class II medical-grade device. Scientifically proven to eliminate and protect against 98-100% of viruses, bacteria and other harmful irritants, this technology provides superior air-quality and a more rejuvenating environment during recovery.

No mention is made of removing toxic gasses or heavy metals. Sounds like it basically and allergen filter, not a toxics filter.

I think it’s a great idea to have PURE rooms, but I’d like to see them have a toxic-free criteria.

And these rooms should be widely promoted so hotels will have more and more of them.

Oh here, I finally found a link to the PURE PROCESS on the page where you book a room:

Nothing refreshes a room like PURE. Our patented, 7-step purification process treats every surface, including the air, removing up to 99% of pollutants so you can breathe easy, and rest peacefully. PURE’s leading air-purification system protects you from airborne irritants, and eliminates odors at the source, leaving your room smelling fresh and clean. PURE’s unique, hypoallergenic mattress and pillow encasements provide soft, breathable coverings to protect you even further. Carpets, upholstery and all surfaces are deep cleaned and specially treated. Our rigorous maintenance is performed regularly to keep PURE Room’s certified allergy-friendly. When you stay in a PURE Room, you are free to live without boundaries, confident you have the freshest air quality in the hotel industry.

PURE’S Patented, 7-Step Purification Process

1. Deep Clean Air-Handling Unit. Deep Clean Air-Handling Unit. A PURE heating and air conditioning unit along with air clean filters results in healthier air circulating throughout the room. Coils are deep cleaned and disinfected using PURE’s advanced treatment. And finally, an enzyme-based drip-pan tablet is in place to ensure maximum protection and minimum allergy at home or in partner hotels.
2. PURE Tea Tree Oil Cartridge. Tea tree oil is a natural substance known for its antimicrobial and disinfectant properties. A cartridge of this tea tree oil is installed in the air-handling unit to maintain sanitized conditions.
3. Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning. Our patented PURE clean solution is used to maximize the removal of dirt, bacteria and mold from all soft surfaces that traditional cleaners leave behind.
4. One Time Shock Treatment. This advanced shock treatment destroys nearly all of the mold and bacteria in every nook and cranny of the room, removing any lingering odors caused by these and other contaminants, including but not limited to cigar or cigarette smoke, pets, or other unpleasant sources. The result is a fresh, crisp, environment.
5. PURE Shield. This bacteriostatic barrier is applied to all room surfaces to repel microorganisms that cause illness and discomfort, and prevent their growth. Our advanced shield process makes it nearly impossible for bacteria viruses to survive in a PURE environment.
6. Air Purification System. PURE’s air purifier is 24-hour defense against airborne irritants. Listed by the FDA as a Class II Medical Device, PURE’s state-of-the-art system is proven to kill 98% to 100% of bacteria and viruses.
7. Allergy-Friendly Bedding. PURE’s personal protection continues. Aside from air clean filters, PURE uses only micro-fiber, mono-filament mattress and pillow encasements for lesser risks of allergy at home.

So…nothing about toxics. Bedding is synthetic. It’s all about bacteria and viruses and allergens.

But it may be better than most hotel rooms. I don’t know. I’ve never stayed in one.

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Question from Sue

Hi Debra,

I found a Zen style nightstand I love at Room and Board. It’s walnut veneer over plywood and MDF (argh) so I called them to inquire. They told me all of their products have 0 VOC’s by the time they leave the warehouse, meet California standards, and many are Greengard certified (but they don’t spend the $ to test all of their products for that, they test mostly the kid stuff). They use all non-toxic glues. Do you think it’s safe?

www.roomandboard.com/catalog/bedroom/nightstands/copenhagen-nightstands

Thanks Deb!

Debra’s Answer

You are telling me that it’s made from materials that usually are red flags for me, but Room & Board seems to be aware of the outgassing issues and say they don’t exist.

So I would proceed with caution, bring it home, and be prepared to return it if you find it does outgas after all.

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Question from Dianne

Hi Debra,

Do you know if Villeroy and Boch fine china and bone china is safe to use or has too much lead content?

Debra’s Answer

I don’t know off hand.

But instead of me finding out, I’ll tell you how to find out so you can check any china you want to.

1. Go to the manufacturer’s website: www.villeroy-boch.com

2. Look for the “Contact Us” link which is usually in the top navigation bar or in the footer: www.villeroy-boch.com/shop/contacts/

3. Often there is a phone number you can call for Customer Service, but not on this site. They have only a contact form. Fill it out and ask your question. They may or may not respond.

Ask them if their china is lead free. Some china companies have a statement. This one does not.

Look in the product descriptions for “lead-free” or a State of California Proposition 65 warning label.

If there is a Proposition 65 label, there is lead in the glaze. If not, or if it says “lead-free” that means there is no lead added. But there is often lead in the materials that is naturally occurring.

See the Dinnerware page on Debra’s List for the dinnerware I recommend.

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Question from Sicili

Hi Debra,

Will you please tell me what type of towels you use in the kitchen and bathroom? Like for doing dishes, taking baths and drying off. Do you use non organic 100% cotton towels of different colors or do you stick to GOTS certified ? I am just curious because I am trying to figure out what to do as far as my wash cloths and such and I greatly value your opinion. Thank you so much for your time Debra.

Debra’s Answer

If I had all the money needed to buy everything in the world I want, I would choose GOTS certified organic natural fibers for everything.

The reality is that I buy what I can afford, which is 100% natural fibers, without finishes. This type of textile uses chemicals in growing and processing, but there is little, if any, exposure at the user end.

For my dishes, I now use 100% linen towels because they absorb water sooo much better than cotton. Just a wipe and dishes are completely dry. They cost about twice as much as cotton, but they are also more durable. I bought a few at IKEA. They were $3.99. VARDAGEN. They are not sold online but they probably have them at your local IKEA store. I used to use just non-organic cotton towels of various colors.

I also have some linen dish towels on the Kitchen Linens page of Debra’s List.

My bath towels are currently 100% cotton terry cloth that I bought at Bed Bath & Beyond about ten years ago. They are blue. But I have my eye on buying some linen bath towels because, as I said above, they are so absorbent, and get softer and softer with every wash.

I have some linen bath towels on the Bath Linens page of Debra’s List.

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In 2013, Wal-Mart asked it’s suppliers to reduce certain toxic chemicals from personal care, cleaning, and beauty products and promote alternatives. The program affects about 90,000 items from 700 manufacturers.

Last week, Wal-Mart announced the chemicals on the list and reported that to date its suppliers have removed 95 percent of the chemicals on the list, by volume weight, from products sold in U.S. Was-Mart stores covered by the policy.

The eight chemicals being reduced by Wal-Mart are:

• Formaldehyde
• Triclosan
• Toluene
• Diethyl phthalate
• Nonylphenol exthoxylates
• Butylparabens
• Dibutyl phthalate
• Propylparaben

Brian Yarbrough, an analyst at Edward Jones & Co. said, “The retailer’s move makes sense. Customers are seeking more information about the substances in the products they buy. This is just the natural evolution of consumers today. From Wal-Mart’s standpoint, it’s kind of the way they need to be moving.”

So, see…our purchase of nontoxic products IS making a difference. The mass market is clearly moving in the direction of less toxic products.

This list of chemicals is interesting. It’s not the list I would have chosen, but it’s a step in the right direction. This list has chemicals that vary widely in toxicity. Toluene, for example, is tremendously more toxic than propylparaben.

I’m happy to see the reduction, but this doesn’t make Wal-Mart a place where all products are safe. I wish they would identify their nontoxic products with shelf-talkers to make it easy for consumers to find them.

This is progress!

BLOOM BERG: Wal-Mart Asks Its Suppliers to Stop Using Eight Chemicals

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Read this inspiring story about how the city of Irvine, California got pesticides reduced in public places.

Anyone can do this anywhere, for any chemical.

Let’s get going with this everywhere.

OC WEEKLY: How Irvine Became SoCal’s First Non-toxic City

NONTOXIC IRVINE

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The cover of First for Women on magazine racks this week says

THE NEW WATER CURE

Oxford University researcher confirm drinking H2O speeds weight loss by 550%

But 95% of women don’t see results because the water they’re drinking is slowing their thyroid

Well, I had to read that!

Unfortunately, First for Women doesn’t cite their studies, and I couldn’t find a study online to support the claim in their headline.

But it is widely known and documented that fluoride in tap water can effect your thyroid gland. Since the thyroid gland regulates weight gain and loss, drinking fluoridated water would impair your body’s ability to lose weight. Fluoride in tap water may even contribute to weight gain—so yes, one can get fat from drinking water.

It’s no secret that drinking water can help you lose weight, but drinking fluoridated water may defeat the purpose.

Since fluoride has many other health effects, it’s always best to drink fluoride-free water.

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I first observed a connection between food allergies and toxic exposures more than thirty years ago when I was working in the office of a doctor who was treating patients with multiple chemical sensitivities.

They would come in reacting to chemicals and foods and the doctor would send them off to the beach for a couple of weeks to give their bodies a break from the bombardment of toxic exposures. This was the treatment then, before we knew about saunas.

And it worked, too. Patients would come back from the beach happy and excited that they could eat any food they wanted without reaction.

And that’s how I made the connection between toxic chemicals overloading your body and food allergies.

This week two emails came in regarding toxic chemical exposure and food allergies.

One was the RODALE WELLNESS: 10 Crazy Things Pesticides Do to Your Body.

The other is WHOLE LIFE NUTRITION: How Chemicals Increase Food Allergies and Food Sensitivities. This well-documented post shows how toxic chemicals damage your immune system, leading to food allergies (and allergies and sensitivities of all sorts).

I was happy to see the scientific support for this, after observing it all those years ago.

The pieces of this toxic puzzle are coming together.

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Fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas inside. Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure which allows the gas to flow out to the head of the well.

 

You may not have considered fracking operations as a source of toxic chemical exposure, but it’s something you should check on. 12.4 million people live in the threat radius. CHECK MAPS HERE to fnd out if your home or school is within a 1/2 mile of an active oil & gas well, and more about the pollutants that may be present from fracking. Thankfully, I’m not in a fracking zone here in Florida, but if you live in the midwest, northeast, or California, please check the map.

A new study has found that many of the toxic chemicals used at fracking sites may be present in higher concentration in the bodies of people in nearby communities.

A first-of-its-kind study combining air-monitoring methods with new biomonitoring techniques detected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from natural gas operations in the bodies of nearby residents at levels that were as much as 10 times that of the national averages.

The study focused on measuring ambient levels of a specific family of VOCs named BTEX chemicals — which include benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes — because these chemicals are known to be hazardous to human health even at low levels. Researchers then used new biomonitoring methods to detect these chemicals in 11 local residents who volunteered to participate in the study by wearing air quality monitors and providing blood and urine samples, and found evidence of eight hazardous chemicals emitted from Pavillion gas infrastructure in the urine of study participants.

EARTH ISLAND JOURNAL: High Levels of Toxins Found in Bodies of People Living Near Fracking Sites

EARTHJUSTICE: Unfractured: Joining Together ro Fight Fracking

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Question from Jan

Hi Debra,

Have been researching safe Bassinetts/cosleepers. The best I have found are Nuna Sena and Lotus.

Do you have an opinion on these?

Debra’s Answer

Lotus website says they are “nontoxic” (and do extensive testing to ensure the bassinets are free of a long list of chemicals, and also that they are GREENGUARD GOLD Certified (they are the only travel crib in the world to receive this certification).

These are both good indicators that the product is nontoxic. However, I don’t see their materials listed, so I can’t verify for myself.

Nuna Sena is made with OEKO-TEX certified materials, but again, I don’t know what they are.

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Here’s a great overview of 10 documented health effects of pesticides:

RODALE WELLNESS: 10 Crazy Things Pesticides Are Doing to Your Body

Of course the answer is to eat organic, but this post might make the connection between pesticide exposure in foods and a condition you or a loved one may have.

For example, did you know pesticides in food are liked to memory loss, diabetes, and obesity?

And there’s more…

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Hi Debra,

I saw that you haven’t posted much about asbestos and I wanted to share my experience with this dangerous mineral. Exposure to asbestos is a truly silent killer and something that everyone should be aware of.

Many people think asbestos is a problem of the past, as laws were passed in the 1970’s that limited its use. While asbestos production took a sharp turn and began to decline around the time these laws were passed, it is still NOT banned in the US and Canada. It can still be found in older homes and buildings, schools, naval yards, automobiles, and even consumer products- leaving everyone at risk for exposure. Until asbestos is totally banned and eradicated, the potential for asbestos exposure will remain.

Exposure to asbestos is something that changed the path of my life forever. I am a mesothelioma survivor and advocate. I was initially exposed to asbestos through wearing my father’s work jacket. I wore his jacket to do outside chores so I wouldn’t get my clothes dirty. Little did I know that asbestos fibers were embedded into that jacket and would lead to a diagnosis of mesothelioma in 2005 when I was just 36 years old. My prognosis was not good; I was only given 15 months to live. Luckily, I was a candidate for a dangerous surgical procedure that involved the removal of my left lung. Recently, I am happy to say I celebrated my 10-year survival anniversary and I use my second lease on life to continue the exhausting fight for an international ban on asbestos.

Asbestos was originally thought of as a “miracle mineral”. It is extremely flame retardant, heat resistant and very cheap. Because of its cost-effectiveness and many benefits, it was produced in major quantities. However, people working with the product were found to have associated health problems as early as the 1900’s. The major health issue that asbestos causes is mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer that doesn’t show symptoms until 20-40 years later. Mesothelioma is usually found in lining of the lungs, heart and stomach, and leaves those diagnosed with a prognosis of about 12-21 months to live.

For more information about this dangerous cancer caused by asbestos, head over to mesothelioma.com/mesothelioma.

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In an extensive analysis of official EPA violation and enforcement records, NRDC mapped lead-related issues in drinking water systems across the United States. Our research illustrates the extraordinary geographic scope of America’s lead crisis. In 2015, 18 million people were served by water systems with lead violations

NRDC:
What’s in Your Water? Flint and Beyond (article)

NRDC:
What’s in Your Water? Flint and Beyond (study)

Just a few days ago, The New York Times reported that toxic pollutants in the air can affect the skin’s aging process. A study done on data from subjects in Germany and China found an association between air pollution and brown spots on the skin.

In response, major beauty companies are now offering a new type of skin care product: “pollution protection.”

Read the article for all the technical details of how pollution is affecting your skin.

But skip all the expensive recommended beauty products listed. I haven’t checked all the labels, but I suspect they contain their own pollutants.

The article clearly states the best defense against air pollution is a regular routine of gentle cleansing and application of vitamin C serum or vitamin E to the skin on your face.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: What’s All the Fuss About Pollution-Fighting Skin Care?

JOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE DERMATOLOGY: Expanding Our Understanding of Human Skin Aging

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We’ve heard this before—BPA is leaching from the interior linings of cans into canned food—but a new study shows that different types of food leach different amounts of BPA.

The study suggests that canned soups and pasta can expose consumers to higher concentrations of BPA than canned vegetables and fruit — and although those foods are tied to BPA concentrations, canned beverages, meat and fish are not.

Researchers found that people who consumed one canned food item in the past day had about 24% higher concentrations of BPA in their urine compared with those who had not consumed canned food. The consumption of two or more canned food items resulted in about 54% higher concentrations of BPA.

Once the researchers evaluated what types of canned foods were consumed, they found that eating canned soup resulted in a whopping 229% higher concentration of BPA compared with consuming no canned foods. Canned pasta resulted in 70% higher concentrations, and canned vegetables or fruit resulted in 41% higher concentrations.

In the past, researchers tested can linings for the presence of BPA. This study shows that BPA from can linings actually do elevate levels of BPA in the body.

CNN: Canned foods linked to BPA risk in new study

ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH: The consumption of canned food and beverages and urinary Bisphenol A concentrations in NHANES 2003–2008

Cook without cans at Toxic Free Kitchen.

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I happened to run across a how-to webpage that gave six methods for waterproofing fabric:

1. waterproof sprays
2. laundry detergent and alum
3. turpentine and soybean oil
4. iron-on vinyl
5. beeswax
6. linseed oil

Most of these are pretty toxic, but beeswax is actually a great solution.

I used to have a “waxed” raincoa oil clothe that was cotton coated with wax. This is apparently how they made raincoats before we had modern waterproof fabrics.

You may have heard of “oilcloth,” which is fabric treated with boiled linseed oil to make it waterproof. This was used for tablecloth. Today “oilcloth” is fabric with a layer of plastic.

Here are the instructions for waxing fabric to make it waterproof:
www.wikihow.com/Waterproof-Fabric