Submitted questions will be posted with my response by the following Tuesday or before.
Submitted comments will be moderated and approved within 24 hours.
The Toxicity of Plastic
I’ve had a few questions this past week about plastic water bottles, as some readers have budget considerations about purchasing metal resuable water bottles.
To respond to this, I want to give you a little primer on plastics and toxicity, so that you all can evaluate for yourselves which plastics are toxic and which are not.
The primary concern about plastic water bottles is the leaching of bisphenol-A, which has been well publicized. The best source I’ve found to learn about the health effects is Our Stolen Future.
There is now another website BisphenolA-Free that is posting items on the dangers of bisphenol-A as they occur in the news.
The main message is that polycarbonate plastic leaches bisphenol-A and so all polycarbonate should be avoided.
But there’s a little more to the story.
Many years ago, when I first started researching plastics, I learned three important things, which I wrote about in Home Safe Home.
1. There are many many many many plastics. Each are different in their toxicity. When we say “plastic” we are referring to a huge field of materials. So it’s not really fair to say, “It’s plastic, therefore it must be toxic.” Because that’s just not a true statement. There are plastics which are very toxic, and plastics which are pretty safe, and plastics that are in between.
How do you tell which is which? There are two very easy-to-use and helpful documents that can help you sort this out. I’m glad others put these together.
* Quick Start: Plastics at a Glance notes the plastics to avoid and those which are OK to use, giving brand names for both in different common product categories.
For water bottles, they recommend some BPA-free bottles on this guide, but I was unable to find them online. This list has been around for at least a couple of years, so my recommendation is to look on the bottom of any plastic bottles you are considering and choose those with a #4 (LDPE–low density polyethylene) or #5 (PP–polyreopylene). Check the bottles you find in local stores and search on “LDPE water bottle” and “PP water bottle” on the internet (more results came up than I can list here).
* Smart Plastics Guide has more information on identifying plastics, along with data on the dangers of specific plastics and general guidelines about what you can do.
Here’s the shortcut tip to remember: 1-2-4-5 are OK. Forget the rest.
2. The form of the plastic makes a difference. A single type of plastic can be used to make many different products. Various plasticizers are added to the basic formula to make the plastic softer. The general rule is that the harder the plastic, the less it outgasees, and the softer the plastic, the more it outgasses.
Let’s look at polycarbonate again. The polycarbonate used to make water bottles is fairly soft. The plastic itself is stiff, but you can squeeze the bottle. The Vita-Mix blender container is also made out of polycarbonate, but it is very thick and hard by comparison. You can’t squeeze this container. So, given the same conditions, the softer water bottle would release more bisphenol-A than the Vita-Mix container, which may not release any because the molecules are so tightly bonded together in the hard plastic.
3. Heat causes plasticizers to outgas. Whenevre you expose a plastic to heat, it will release molecules of plasticizer. And conversely, cold lessens the release of plasticizers. So if you have a case of plastic water bottles sitting in the sun on a truck or in front of a store, they are going to warm up and leach plastic into the water. Likewise, if you wash a water bottle to reuse it and use very hot water, it will leach. Also, whem you put plastics in the microwave they can leach, and the use of harsh chemicals like bleach can make them leach as well. So don’t try to sanitize a water bottle with hot water if you want to reuse it. Wipe it with vinegar, a natural disinfectant, instead.
I hope this has been helpful to clear up the confusions about plastics. Feel free to post any questions you have by clicking on POST A COMMENT.
Safety of Cellulose Insulation
Question from Charlotte Shoemaker
I need to supplement the existing (fiberglass) insulation in the outside walls of my home. (It is in the San Francisco Bay area; it is not terribly cold here but my heating bills are too high.) Cellulose insulation sprayed into the wall cavity from the outside would be the easiest and least expensive way to go but I am concerned whether or not the ink residues and other possible chemical additives could seep though the inside walls and make my otherwise very healthy home become a problem for me. I am chemically injured so I need to be very careful about any changes that are made to my home. I am interested in other peoples experiences with this product.
Thank you,
Charlotte
Berkeley, CA
Debra’s Answer
Readers?
Using Natural Progesterone Cream For Hair Renewal
Question from Joan E Fletcher
You recently wrote that your husband starting using a natural progesterone cream for hair loss (Q&A: Natural Hair Restoration) and it had helped. I have also been losing my hair for approximately six years. It is very thin but i am unwilling to use rogaine or other products on my head. Could you tell me if he used it as directed and how long before he noticed a different in his hair. Thank you so much for all the helpful information you provide.
Debra’s Answer
Here’s my husband’s response…
The product he uses used to be called Best Gest. It has now been renamed to Moisturizing Cream #1. It has the exact same ingredients. The website for Nature’s Botanicals, maker of the product, is currently down, but the product is available and can be ordered by calling 800-203-9668.
Teen developes natural product line…
Question from Nancy
Debra,
I don’t think I remembered to send you info on this young woman and her products. I saw her on Oprah one day. At 12 or 14 she got a bad hair product, felt she could do better, and went after it. Her parents encouraged her interest and scientific approach as she ordered herbs and natural products and learned her craft.
She just celebrated her Sweet 16. I haven’t ordered anything yet. Here’s Jasmine Lawrence’s website: www.edenbodyworks.com
Nancy
Debra’s Answer
I didn’t see any ingredients on the website, so I can’t evaluate these products for their naturalness, but they claim to be. If anyone tries them, let us know.
Is Bon Ami Cleaning Cake Available Anywhere?
Question from Nancy Jacokes
Is is possible to find the Bon Ami Cleaning Cake? The last I found was in a very old hardware store and it is now closed. Is it still manufactured?
Thank you for any help you may give me
Nancy Jacokes
Debra’s Answer
I did a search around and couldn’t find it anywhere. It is no longer in production.
The “Bon Ami 1886 Formula Cleaning Powder” in the can is the very same formula as the bar, except ground up into a powder.
This can be ordered on the internet, if you don’t find it in a local hardware store (it’s not usually in supermarkets.
Pickle Recipes
Question from Maria
I’ve been looking online for Pickle Recipes altough I keep finding some that dont tell me how to make them home made step by step without add pickle flavoring mixes
Debra’s Answer
Organic Beds that can withstand humidity
Question from Julie
Hi Debra,
We live on the ocean and are trying to buy a bed that is organic but that can also handle humidity. Rubber and wool seem to need a very dry environment. Any ideas?
Debra’s Answer
I’m going to let my readers answer this one. I live in Florida, where it is very humid, and have a wool bed, but we have the air conditioning on when it’s humid because it’s also hot, and the air conditioning removes the humidity from the indoor air.
I used to live right near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. It was very humid and I had a real problem controlling mold. It would grow on my cotton espadrilles and cotton-covered binders. So I know your humidity problem near the ocean is different that mine here in Florida.
Laundry Fumes
Question from Laura
Can laundry fumes permeate the ceiling and go into the room above? I have extreme MCS, do not work, and am living in my parents beautiful, but toxic, house. I sleep on synthetic carpet (I can’t even sit on the two regular beds in the room) above the laundry room where “regular” products are used. Recently it seems that I smell the fumes in that space where my bedding is and the last few months my eyes are irritated whenever I am here. I keep the window that is near the exhaust vent always closed and my bedding and clothes I wash by hand in borax and baking soda. I can’t even sit on chairs where people who are wearing laundered clothes have been sitting. Can the fumes permeate the ceiling?
Debra’s Answer
My sense is that they can. I think that a ceiling with a floor above is not particularly constructed to act as a vapor barrier, but it really depends on how the particular floor/ceiling is constructed. All the materials that would be generally used would be porous (i.e. wood, insulation, etc). Fumes would not get through if there was an aluminum foil layer (like might be on insulation) or some kind of vapor barrier. So it really depends on the materials used and how the floor/ceiling was constructed.
Mold on Shower Curtain
Question from mindy goldis
I bought a linen shower curtain from gaiam and I didn’t know that it was supposed to be used on the outside of the tub and needs an inside liner because the catalog didn’t say so.
I’ve had it almost a year and noticed the other day that there are black spots along the bottom that touches the tub. I called the company and asked them and that is how I know it needs a liner.
Does anyone know of any natural product that will take the mold off the curtain? The company said they’d replace it, if it doesn’t come off.
They said I would still need a liner for the inside of the shower. I want to know if there is a resource for a liner that isn’t made of toxic PVC that outgasses and is harmful to breathe? Such as made from a material that can act like plastic, but isn’t (i.e. cellulose or the material used for utensils made from corn or soybeans)
Debra’s Answer
Is Fresh Cut Lumber Toxic?
Question from wen
My husband is building bed frames for my family. The wood was purchased at a local Lowe’s. It’s unfinished wood. However, the smell of the wood is quite strong. It causes me to feel a bit nauseated and headachey. Which causes me to wonder. if plain lumber is typically treated with something? Or is it just the old fashion smell of wood that’s bothering me?
Is raw wood purchased at the local hardward store potentially toxic?
Thank you kindly.
Debra’s Answer
Originally I answered this question with the following:
I’ve purchased a lot of raw wood from various lumberyards and home improvements centers, and it’s been my experience that it’s simply the smell of the wood itself. I’m not aware that ordinary lumber is treated with anything, unless it is specifically stated.
Many people do have reactions to the smell off wood itself, particularly pine and cedar. I’ve found that the smell of the wood dissipates within a week or two, as the fresh cut is exposed to air.
I wouldn’t say that raw untreated wood is potentially toxic in the sense that it can damage cells, but I would say that some people can have symptoms as a result of being exposed to raw wood.
However, I later received a comment on this post, which I made into a post of it’s own. There are toxic chemicals in framing lumber, and there is no indication on the lumber itself that they are present. You can’t tell which is toxic and which is not. Read about it at QA: Toxic Chemicals in Framing Lumber
