Shampoo in the water supply triggers growth of deadly drug-resistant bugs

Household cleaning products are creating a bacterial timebomb in our drains and rivers

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• Robin McKie, science editor
• The Observer, Sunday 29 March 2009
• Article history

Fabric softeners, disinfectants, shampoos and other household products are spreading drug-resistant bacteria around Britain, scientists have warned. Detergents used in factories and mills are also increasing the odds that some medicines will no longer be able to combat dangerous diseases.

The warning has been made by Birmingham and Warwick university scientists, who say disinfectants and other products washed into sewers and rivers are triggering the growth of drug-resistant microbes. Soil samples from many areas have been found to contain high levels of bacteria with antibiotic-resistant genes, the scientists have discovered - raising fears that these may have already been picked up by humans.

"Every year, the nation produces 1.5m tonnes of sewage sludge and most of that is spread on farmland," said Dr William Gaze of Warwick University. That sludge contains antibiotic-resistant bacteria whose growth is triggered by chemicals in detergents, he explained. "In addition, we pump 11bn litres of water from houses and factories into our rivers and estuaries every day, and these are also spreading resistance."

The study is important because it suggests that the problem of drug resistance is not merely the result of the over-prescription of antibiotics or poor hygiene standards in hospitals. However, the team stressed the emergence of the most deadly superbugs - such as MRSA that has caused thousands of deaths in hospitals - is not linked to the use of disinfectants.

"Our research shows drug resistance is not confined to hospitals, but is out in the community. It is spreading and all the time it is eroding our ability to control infections. It is extremely worrying," said Professor Liz Wellington, also of Warwick University.

In their study, the scientists looked at quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) that are used in many household cleaning goods. Every day, huge volumes of these chemicals are flushed from homes and factories into sewers and rivers. In high concentrations, QACs kill bacteria. However, in sewage, these chemicals become diluted and bacteria have evolved resistance to them.

"That is a natural evolutionary process," said Gaze. "If other bacteria are killed, those that are resistant to QACs will survive and, without competition, will multiply in vast numbers. However, it turns out that the piece of DNA that confers that resistance also contains genes that confer resistance to antibiotics. In this way, we have created an ideal environment for the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in our drains and sewers. These microbes are now being spread round the country in river water and in sewage sludge used on farms."

As part of its study, the team - which also includes Professor Peter Hawkey of Birmingham University - looked at soil contaminated with QACs and sewage sludge in the Midlands, the Cotswolds, Hertfordshire and other areas. Using techniques similar to those involved in DNA fingerprinting, they then looked for the presence of antibiotic-resistant genes - and found these in high concentrations.

"The inference is clear," added Gaze. "We are producing sewage and river water that have more and more drug-resistant bacteria in them and that these are now poised to enter the food chain."

Wellington added: "Once they are in the land, these bacteria will get into the bodies of agricultural workers or people who use the land recreationally and will form reservoirs of drug-resistant microbes that could pose all sorts of problems. This is going to need a great deal of monitoring."

In addition, the team found that antibiotics used to treat farm animals - in particular pigs - are also helping to spread drug resistance in the soil. In their tests, the team found samples of pig slurry that possessed high levels of antibiotic-resistant genes, raising fears that strains of resistant bacteria were contaminating the land by another route and could enter the food chain.

"We might think of special measures that will help us control or localise drug-resistant bacteria in hospitals, but the problem is much more widespread than that," added Wellington. "It is now out there in the environment."

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Spread the Word

Sound the Alert! Sound the Alert!
Coming on March 17th:
the beautifully updated Perfection Pants pattern!

See a few more of the lovely photos from the pattern over here: Perfection Pants on my Flickr!

The new pants pattern will be available in the wooly wonder shop (http://www.woolywonder.com/store) and also in my ravelry pattern store (http://www.ravelry.com/stores/pamela-grossman---wooly-wonder). On Tuesday! The new pattern will be selling at the recession-adjusted price of $12. Additionally, there are some deals...

Deal #1: Current pattern holders will find a coupon code in the Wooly Wonder Perfection Pants Pattern Support forum to purchase the pattern at a discounted price. ($4 off) Thank you for your continued support!

Deal #2: Social Networking Discount Experiment: Place the information shared in this blog post onto your blog (cut and paste the whole thing, including the picture), facebook ("share on fb"), twitter (just place a link to pamelamama's blog entry) or other social networking location, forum, etc (be creative!) and email me a link or screen shot... (my contact-us page) I will email you a coupon code of your very own to use in my shop. (And they told two friends, and they told two friends,and so on...) ($2 off)

The pattern won't be available for download until Tuesday, so thank you for your patience and for helping me spread the word! Knit your own darn perfect-fitting baby pants -- now with an updated, beautified, clarified, but still chatty and loads o'fun pattern.

Top 12 Fruits and Vegetables You Should Buy Organic

(Click on the title of this post to see the video)

Here is a list of the top 12 fruits and vegetables you should always purchase Organic. Why? You can't wash off the pesticides and chemicals because it is inside the fruits and veggies. As the plants are sprayed, the fruits and vegetables grow with the actual pesticides and chemicals within the harvest. You always want to wash your fruit and vegetables before eating because of any dirt, debris, wax and any antidessicants. But you can't wash off the harmful chemicals and negative effects of pesticides.

According to Discovery Health's "Why Organic Food" video you should ALWAYS purchase the following ORGANIC fruits and vegetables. Otherwise, you risk feeding your family high levels of pesticide and chemicals. They are -
1. Peaches
2. Strawberries
3. Apples
4. Spinach
5. Nectarines
6. Celery
7. Pears
8. Cherries
9. Potatoes
10. Bell Peppers
11. Raspberries
12. Grapes
Other interesting facts on the video include correlations between chemicals and the rise in ADD and ADHD, and other childhood maladies. There are many new nutritional items that can help with ADD and ADHD. You can always find more information about safer healthier products at www.livetotalwellness.com/maryann

Hazardous Chemicals in Children's Products and more

Chemicals Not Listed on Product Labels Due to Weak Regulatory Standards

This is the reason why I will only purchase safe, healthier products. For more information about where to purchase these products go to www.livetotalwellness.com/maryann
You can have safer products delivered right to your door while paying less per use than name brands purchased at your regular store. Let me show you how.


For Immediate Release: March 12th, 2009
Contact: Stacy Malkan, 202-321-6963, stacy@safecosmetics.org; Jovana Ruzicic, 202-667-6982, jovana@ewg.org; Stephenie Hendricks, 415-258-9151, stephdh@earthlink.net

For a list of the products tested, and the findings, click http://safecosmetics.live.radicaldesigns.org/search.php

Washington − Despite marketing claims like “gentle” and “pure,” dozens of top-selling children’s bath products are contaminated with the cancer-causing chemicals formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, according to product test results released today by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. The chemicals were not disclosed on product labels because contaminants are exempt from labeling laws.

This study is the first to document the widespread presence of both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane in bath products for children. Many products tested for this study contained both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, including the top-selling Johnson’s Baby Shampoo and Sesame Street Bubble Bath.

Formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane are known to cause cancer in animals and are listed as probable human carcinogens by the Environmental Protection Agency. Formaldehyde can also trigger skin rashes in some children.

“Given the recent data showing that formaldehyde and the formaldehyde-releasing preservative, quaternium-15, are significant sensitizers and causal agents of contact dermatitis in children, it would be prudent to have these removed from children’s products,” said Sharon Jacob, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics at the University of California San Diego and contact dermatitis specialist at Rady Children’s Hospital.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says that “the presence of 1,4-dioxane, even as a trace contaminant, is cause for concern.”

Contrary to industry statements, there are no regulatory standards that limit formaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane or most other toxic chemicals in personal care products sold in the United States. Other nations have stricter standards. Formaldehyde is banned from personal care products in Japan and Sweden. The European Union bans 1,4-dioxane from personal care products and has recalled products found to contain the chemical.

But there are signs the U.S. is gearing to catch up. Key Congressional leaders point to the findings of this report as further evidence of the need for action. “When products for babies are labeled ‘gentle’ and ‘pure,’ parents expect that they are just that,” said Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.). “To think that cancer-causing chemicals are contaminating baby shampoos and lotions is horrifying. I intend to soon introduce legislation requiring greater oversight of our cosmetics industry. We need to ensure that the chemicals that are used in our everyday products are safe.”

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) said, “The fact that we are bathing our kids in products contaminated with carcinogens shows how woefully out of date our cosmetics laws are and how urgently they need to be updated. The science has moved forward, now the FDA needs to catch up and be given the authority to protect the health of Americans.” Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) commented that “Formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane are better suited for the chem lab, not a child's bathtub. This important report shows that 'No More Tears' can trigger toxic fears, and it provides another reason why these and other cosmetic products must be further regulated. ”

For the study, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics commissioned an independent laboratory to test 48 top-selling children’s products for 1,4-dioxane; 28 of those products were also tested for formaldehyde. The lab found that:

* 17 out of 28 products tested – 61 percent – contained both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane; these included Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, Sesame Street Bubble Bath, Grins & Giggles Milk & Honey Baby Wash and Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wash.
* 23 out of 28 products – 82 percent – contained formaldehyde at levels ranging from 54 to 610 parts per million (ppm). Baby Magic Baby Lotion had the highest levels of formaldehyde.
* 32 out of 48 products – 67 percent – contained 1,4-dioxane at levels ranging from 0.27 to 35 ppm. American Girl shower products had the highest levels of 1,4-dioxane.

“There is absolutely no reason why manufacturers can’t remove hazardous chemicals in products being applied to babies’ bodies every day,” said Jeanne Rizzo, R.N., president and CEO of the Breast Cancer Fund. “Children are exposed to toxic chemicals from many sources. We need to protect them from these kinds of repeated, unnecessary exposures.”

“Products made in the U.S. and marketed for children should not contain chemicals linked to cancer or any other health problem,” said Jane Houlihan, vice president for research at Environmental Working Group and creator of the Skin Deep cosmetic safety database (www.cosmeticsdatabase.com). “Congress urgently needs to reform federal policy to protect the most vulnerable members of our society by ensuring that the personal care products we use every day are free from harmful chemicals.”

Devra Lee Davis, Ph.D., M.P.H., professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, said that the usual regulatory approach of assessing risk one chemical at a time does not account for the combined effects of very low levels of hidden contaminants in personal care products and from other sources. “Rather than waiting for definitive proof of human harm, we must lower exposures to controllable agents that we know or suspect cause cancer," Davis said.

The full results of the study can be found in the report, “No More Toxic Tub” at http://www.safecosmetics.org/toxictub.

# # #

Founding members of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics include: Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, Breast Cancer Fund, Clean Water Fund, Commonweal, Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth, Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, National Black Environmental Justice Network, National Environmental Trust and Women's Voices for the Earth. www.SafeCosmetics.org

Partner organizations in the following states assisted in the release of this report and may be available for interviews and local angles. Please contact Shannon Coughlin, scoughlin@breastcancerfund.org or 415-336-2246, for more information.

Health Alert

This a an urgent communication to our opt-in Action eAlert system.

Please open this link for the full eblast:

http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/?p=2220

From the eAlert -

Action Item: Protect your right to refuse medical experimentation
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/568/t/1128/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26830
___________________________________________________________

The General's Communiqué
Maj. Gen. Albert N. Stubblebine III
(US Army, Ret.)

Big Pharma Company "Accidentally"
Contaminates Vaccines With LIVE
AVIAN FLU VIRUS in 18 Countries

Dr. Rima and I are still in Germany where the talk of health freedom advocates is this horrifying late-breaking story, though you may already be aware of it. Although it is being widely reported around the world, the US MMD (media of mass deception) appears to have a blackout placed on this story.

World media are reporting that Baxter Pharmaceuticals has admitted that it "accidentally" contaminated various vaccine batches with Avian Flu viruses. These batches were shipped to 18 countries. Clearly, either 1. stupidity and incompetence or 2. intentional contamianation of flu vaccine lots was at work...

[This ebalst continues on www.HealthFreedomUSA.org - we have been trying to send this eblast out for two days, but it continues to be blocked, so we are sending this "no html" version with the full ebast posted on our Health Freedom Blog.]

To read this very important eblast please click here:

http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/?p=2220

General Stubblebine
Dr. Laibow
Counsel Fucetola

Look UP!!!

In honor of Paul Harvey who passed away at the ripe old age of 90 yesterday I thought I'd send out one of my favorite stories of his. It's a great reminder in life. I hope you all continue to "Look Up"!


LOOK UP!
Newscaster Paul Harvey once related a story about a woman from Michigan who vacationed in Florida. She found a secluded spot on the roof of her hotel to soak up a few rays of sunshine, and in order to get a "total" tan, she removed all her clothing. Within a half-hour, the hotel manager was beside her insisting that she cover up. She argued that nobody was in sight. He agreed. Problem was -- she was stretched out over the hotel skylight!

It occurs to me that the hotel's problems began because somebody was looking up! Which normally is an excellent thing to do. At least in attitude. And what a surprise lay in store that day for those who were looking up!

You see, some folks spend their lives looking down. Downcast in spirit, they hang their heads and lead negative and joyless lives. Others are constantly looking out. They live in fear and watch vigilantly for problems, real or imaginary, that threaten their happiness.

Still others seem always to be looking around. Forever searching for a better partner, a better job or a better deal, they keep a watchful eye out and seldom experience a lasting commitment.

But a few vibrant folks can usually be found looking up! These resilient individuals have learned how to look beyond problems to solutions; beyond discouragement to hope. And quite often, the pay-off is joy.

No matter if your habit is to look down, look out, look around, or look up, the only important question is, in which direction will you look today?

New Study Finds Toxic Chemicals in Many Conventional Cleaners

You don't have to purchase products that are hazardous to you and your family's health. Go to www.livetotalwellness.com/maryann and find out how you can be safer and healthier.

New Study Finds Toxic Chemicals in Many Conventional Cleaners
Contributed by Seventh Generation

Call it another nail in the coffin of conventional cleaning products: A new study has found that literally dozens of popular household cleaners contain undisclosed toxins that have been linked to asthma, fertility and other problems. The research points out something most consumers still don't realize. Namely, that the household products they think are safe really aren't.

The new report, from Montana-based non-profit Women's Voices for the Earth, examined Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for dozens of top-selling conventional cleaning products and found that most of formulas they studied contain one or more chemicals linked to any number of negative health effects.

MSDS are chemical information summary sheets whose use in manufacturing and commercial settings is required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. These standardized forms provide varying degrees of additional data about the chemicals, products, or formulas used by a specific facility or in a specific product. They must be prepared for the employees of any company that handles the chemicals or products in question so that everyone can better understand the hazards associated with the materials with which they're working. Since federal regulations do not require cleaning product manufacturers to fully disclose all the ingredients their formulas contain on product labels, an MSDS for a particular product is usually the best and often only way to figure out what hazards it contains.

Even so, MSDS do not necessarily list all the ingredients a cleaner contains. The law requires that only those hazardous ingredients present in levels above one percent (or one tenth of one percent for carcinogens, neurotoxins, and teratogens (chemicals capable of affecting fetuses) need be disclosed even though many chemicals pose a clear and present danger in lesser amounts. In addition, MSDS' need only list materials that meet the agency's official definition of hazardous. If a chemical has not yet been formally placed on OSHA's lists of known hazardous materials, it doesn't need to appear on an MSDS.

In studying cleaning product MSDS, Women's Voices for the Earth found that a number of chemicals linked to asthma and reproductive disorders kept appearing, including:

• Monoethanolamine (MEA), a solvent that appeared in laundry detergents, and all-purpose and floor cleaners.

• Ammonium quaternary compounds, disinfectants used in disinfectant sprays and toilet cleaners.

• Glycol ethers, like 2-butoxyethanol, solvents added to glass cleaners and all-purpose spray cleaners.

• Alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APEs), surfactants used in laundry detergents, stain removers, and all-purpose cleaner.

• Phthalates, fragrance carriers that were discovered in glass cleaners, deodorizers, laundry detergents, and fabric softeners.

Scientific studies have linked EGBE to reproductive problems like testicular damage, reduced fertility, death of embryos, and birth defects. People exposed to high levels of EGBE for a few hours experience nose and eye irritation, headaches, vomiting and a metallic taste in their mouths. A 2006 California Air Resources Board study on indoor air quality and cleaning products found that people using common products that contained EGBE could be exposed to amounts up to 12 times higher than that state's one-hour safe-exposure standard.

Because manufacturers rarely offer complete ingredient disclosure on their cleaning products' labels, there's really only one thing consumers can do to protect themselves and their families from any hidden hazards those products contain: Only buy products whose labels tell you everything they contain. Don't rely on promises of safety or environmental benefits. Even products marketed as earth-friendly can contain toxic ingredients. Where cleaners are concerned, ingredients labels speak louder than claims. Knowing what ingredients are in the products you use, and keeping your family away from any that keep secrets is the healthiest advice a person can receive.

To find out more about conventional cleaning products, obtain a free on-line copy of the new study, and learn about the Women's Voices for the Earth Safe Cleaning Products initiative visit http://www.womenandenvironment.org/.

[To find cleaning products on OTA's searchable directory, click here]

To find products that are safe for you, your family and the environment that are made without the toxic chemicals go to www.livetotalwellness.com/maryann

What Does Mercury Have To Do With It?

Sweetness and Blight
Why is the FDA unwilling to study evidence of mercury in high-fructose corn syrup?

Last month, two new studies reported traces of mercury in products made from high-fructose corn syrup, the food industry's favorite sweetener. Rather than act to correct the situation, the FDA has hewn closely to the corn industry's party line: 1) no mercury shows up in HFCS (although we haven't tested it); 2) and besides, detected levels are so low that they could cause no harm. Really?, asks Tom Philpott. He shines a hard light on the FDA's claims, asking why the agency won't ban the mercury-associated industrial chemical used to make high-fructose corn syrup -- and he explains what Erin Brockovich has to do with it all.

Do you still want to use products in your home that are causing indoor air pollutants and health issues?

Look for safer, healthier products go to www.livetotalwellness.com/maryann or www.200Green.com/abiz4health

Environmental Protection Agency
studies have shown that indoor air pollutants are
3 to 70 times higher than outdoors.

The following information came from a conference call with Kay Heizer, Director of “Healthy Choices” (a non-profit organization comprised of doctors, nurses, environmental scientists and educators committed to teaching the public about the hazards of chemicals in our home and how we can avoid or minimize the risks):

50% of all illness is due to poor indoor air quality[Source: 1989 State ofMassachusetts Study]

Ø Since 1950, at least 70,000 new chemical compounds have been invented and dispersed into our environment. Only a fraction of these have been tested for human toxicity. We are, by default, conducting a massive clinical toxicology trial, and our children and their children are the experimental animals. [Source: Herbert L. Needleman, M.D., Philip J. Landrigan, M.D., Raising Children Toxic Free]

150 Chemicals found in the home are connected to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological disorders. [Source: Consumer Protection Agency (CPA)]

The United States of America Federal Code of Regulations exempts manufacturers from full labeling of products if used for personal, family or household care. [Source USA FCR: Section 1910.1200C, Title 29, Section 1500.82 2Q1A]

Ø 3 groups of people are primarily affected by indoor chemical concentrations because they spend more time indoors and their immune systems are weaker. The 3 groups are:

· Infants and toddlers

· Chronically ill

· Elderly

[Source: 1988 EPA, 5-year study]

Ø In 1901, cancer was rare: 1 out of 8,000. Since the Industrial Revolution, the cancer rate today has risen to 1 in 3 and by the year 2002, it will be 1 in 2. [Source: The American Cancer Society]

Ø The top 12 cancer-causing products(called the “Dirty Dozen”) in the average home include the following:

· Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder w/Talc

· Crest Tartar Control Toothpaste

· VO5 Hair Conditioner

· Clairol Nice-n-Easy Hair Color

· AjaxCleanser

· Lysol Disinfectant

[Source: The National Cancer Prevention Coalition]

Liquid dish soap is the leading cause of poisonings in the home for children under the age of six (over 2.1 million accidental poisonings per year). Most brands of liquid dish soap contain formaldehyde and ammonia.

Ø Of 2,983 chemicals found in personal care products:

· 884 are toxic

· 146 cause tumors

· 218 cause reproductive complications

· 778 cause acute toxicity

· 314 cause biological mutations

· 376 cause skin and eye irritations

[Source: United States House of Representatives Report, 1989]

Ø The State of California recently passed legislation requiring a 45% reduction in the amount of toxins found in:

· Hairspray aerosols

· Furniture polish

· Window cleaners

· Air fresheners

· Shaving cream

· Laundry detergents

· Nail polish remover

· Insect repellent

· Hair styling gel and mousse

[Source: Healthy Homes in a Toxic World]

Ø Out of 2,435 pesticide poisonings in a one-year period, over 40% were due to exposure to disinfectants and similar cleaning products in the home. [Source: State of California Study]

Ø Just by reducing (not eliminating) environmental carcinogens alone, we would save at least 50,000 lives taken by cancer annually. [Source: Dr. Lee Davis, former advisor to the Secretary of Health]

Ø Most laundry detergent contains a form of NTA. NTA is a substance we may reasonably anticipate to be a carcinogen. [Source: The Merck Index]

Ø Household bleaches which claim to disinfect are classified as pesticides under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. Inadvertently mixing bleach with other cleaners that contain ammonia produces a toxic chloramines gas. These toxic gases can cause coughing, loss of voice, a feeling of burning or suffocation, and even death. [Source: Guide to Hazardous Products Around the Home, Household Hazardous Waste Project, 1989]

Ø Women who work in the home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than women who work outside of the home. [Source: 17- year EPA study]

Ø 150 chemicals found in the home have been connected to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological disorders. [Source: The Consumer Protection Agency)

Ø As more toxic chemicals have been introduced to our everyday environment in greater amounts over the last 20 to 30 years, the level of toxins stored in adipose tissues (fat cells) of our bodies have risen. Bioaccumulation studies have shown that some toxins store in our bodies for life. Greater and greater amounts are being stored at younger ages. One study showed that in the fat of 100% of the people tested was 1,4-Dichlorobenzene, a chemical found in most household deodorizers and room fresheners.

Ø Diseases that used to occur later in life are now appearing at younger ages. Diseases that used to be rare are more frequent. For example: There has been a 28% increase in childhood cancer since the addition of pesticides into household products. Cancer is now the #2 killer of children – second only to accidental poisonings. Since 1977 the rate of cancer among American children has been steadily rising at a rate of nearly 1% each year. [Source: National Cancer Institute]

· There is an increased risk for leukemia in children where parents have used pesticides in the home or garden before the child’s birth. [Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute]

Ø Some products release contaminants into the air right away, others do so gradually over a period of time. Some stay in the air up to a year. These contaminants, found in many household and personal care products can cause dizziness, nausea, allergic reactions, eye/skin/respiratory tract irritations and some cause cancer. [American Lung Association]

Ø Asthma was once a very rare disease. Now the condition is extremely common – the asthma rate has tripled in the last 20 years with nearly 30 million Americans currently afflicted. [Source: Consumer Federation of America , 1997]

Ø In one decade, there has been a 42% increase in asthma (29% for men, 82% for women). The higher rate for women is believed to be due to women’s longer exposure times to household chemicals. [Source: Center for Disease Control]

Ø Childhood asthma has increased by more than 40% since 1980. [Source: Environmental Health Perspectives, June 1997; 105 (6)]

Ø Asthma death in children and young people increased by a dramatic 118% between 1980 and 1993. [Source: Environmental Health Threats to Children, Environmental Protection Agency 175-F-96-001, September 1996]

Ø The average child visits the doctor 23 times in the 1^st 4 years of life, with the most common complaint being respiratory ailment. [Source: National Center for Health Statistics, 1997]

Ø Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) in adults and children is also rising – in 1993, 4.5 million children took the drug Ritalin so they could sit still long enough to learn. By 1998, 11.4 million children were being drugged with this powerful Class-2 narcotic. [Source: Your Children and Ritalin, The Detroit news (March 8. 1998)]

Ø Even small doses of neurotoxins, which would be harmless to an adult, can alter a child’s nervous system development. [Source: Environmental Health Perspectives 106 Supplement 3:787-794 (June 1998)]

Developing cells in children’s bodies are more susceptible to damage than adult cells that have completed development, especially for the central nervous system. During the development of a child, from conception through adolescence, there are particular windows of vulnerability to environmental hazards. Most disturbing – until a child is approximately 13 months of age, they are virtually no ability to fight the biological and neurological effects of toxic chemicals. [Source: Herbert L. Needleman, M.D., Philip J. Landrigan, M.D., Raising Children Toxic Free]

Ø Today, children have chemical exposures from birth that their parents didn’t have until they were adults. Because children are exposed to toxics at an earlier age than adults, they have more time to develop environmentally triggered diseases, with long latency periods, such as cancer. [Source: Environmental Policy and Children’s Health, Future of Children, Summer/Fall 1995; 5(2): 34-52]

Ø Formaldehyde is a highly toxic substance. It is a highly suspected cancer-causing agent. It damages the neurological connectors in the body. It is an irritant to the eyes, nose, throat and lungs and may cause:

· skin reactions

· ear infections

· headaches

· depression

· asthma

· joint pain

· dizziness

· mental confusion

· nausea

· disorientation

· phlebitis

· fatigue

· vomiting

· sleep disturbances

· laryngitis

Ø One in five people are sensitive to formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is commonly found in:

· drugs

· mouthwash

· hairspray

· cosmetics

· cleaning products

· perfumes

· waxes

· hair setting lotions

· shampoo

· air fresheners

· fungicides

· fingernail polish

· floor polishes

· dry cleaning solvents

· toothpaste

· laundry spray starch

· antiperspirants

· … just to name a few

DO YOU STILL WANT TO USE PRODUCTS IN YOUR HOME THAT CONTAIN FORMALDEHYDE?

Ø Due to the increase in toxic buildup in our bodies, including the toxic buildup of formaldehyde, dead bodies are not decomposing as fast as they used to.

· Bodies now start to decompose within 7 to 10 days after death.

· During the Vietnam War, Vietnamese bodies started to decompose within 24 to 48 hours. However, Americans didn’t start to decompose for 4 to 5 days.

· Twice as much formaldehyde was needed to embalm a person 20 years ago compared to today.

How many of these names would you have recognized as formaldehyde?

· Formalin

· Methanal

· Methyl Aldehyde

· Methylene Oxide

· Oxymethylene

· Bfv*

· Fannoform*

· Formol*

· Fyde*

· Karsan*

· Methaldehyde

· Formalith*

· Methylene Glycol

· Ivalon*

· Oxomethane

· Formalin 40

· Formalin

· Formic Aldehyde

· Hoch

· Paraform

· Lysoform*

· Morbocid

· Trioxane

· Polyoxmethylene

* denotes trade name

Ø The following products are just a few that are so toxic that they should be disposed of in a toxic waste dump:

· floor care products

· furniture polish

· window cleaners

· bug spray

· nail polish remover

[Source: Water Pollution Control Federation]

Ø Warning labels on containers refer only to toxic hazards from ingestion; however, only 10% of health problems from chemicals are caused by ingestion. 90% are caused by the inhalation of vapors and absorption of particles.

Ø Government regulations require that only the most EXTREMELY toxic substances must contain a warning label. Labels that say the following should be removed from your house immediately:

· “Do not induce vomiting”

· “Corrosive – rinse from skin immediately”

· “Harmful or fatal if swallowed”

· “Call physician immediately”

· “Warning!” (may mean that as little as 1 teaspoon of product can harm or kill adult)

· “Danger!” (means that as little as 5 drops can harm or kill an adult)

Ø Phenolis an extremely caustic chemical that burns the skin. Absorption of phenol through the lungs or skin can cause:

· central nervous system damage

· pneumonia

· respiratory tract infection

· heart-rate irregularities

· skin irritation

· kidney and liver damage

· numbness

· vomiting

· and can be fatal

Ø Phenolis a very common chemical and is regularly found in the following common products:

· air fresheners

· aftershave

· bronchial mists

· chloroseptic throat spray

· deodorants

· feminine powders & sprays

· hair spray

· decongestants

· mouthwash

· aspirin

· solvents

· acne medications

· antiseptics

· calamine lotions

· cleaning products

· detergents

· furniture polish

· hair setting lotions

· lice shampoo

· polishes

· cold capsules

· all-purpose cleaners

· aerosol disinfectants

· anti-itching lotions

· carnex

· cosmetics

· disinfectant cleaners

· hand lotions

· lip balms

· sunscreen and lotions

· insecticides

· cough syrups

· … just to name a few

DO YOU STILL WANT TO USE PRODUCTS IN YOUR HOME THAT CONTAIN PHENOL?

ASK me how you can find safer, healthier products!

www.200Green.com/abiz4health