February 4th, 2010
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The January 30th issue of The Economist arrived at our house last week. As a rule I don’t read any of the articles in the magazine, and I’m pretty certain the only reason we get the magazine is that I had a bunch of frequent flyer miles that were expiring, and was given an option of transferring some of the miles in for magazine subscriptions.
However, last week there was an article that caught my eye about flame-retardants and fertility. The flame-retardants, known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), are widely used in a number of products- everything from furniture, to textiles, carpeting, electronics, and plastics. They are used to slow the rate of burning, and to lower the risk of ignition.
It turns out that PBDEs may also decrease fertility. A recent study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found that the higher the blood concentrations of PBDEs in the study group of women, the lower the chances of becoming pregnant. Fertility issues are not the only adverse health affects associated with PBDE exposure- neurological damage has been identified in animal studies, along with nervous system damage. So, next time you’re making a mattress purchase, consider shopping at a store like The Clean Bedroom that offers safer, organic mattresses – the variety that don’t have the unwanted added feature of messing with your neurological and reproductive health systems.
For more information about PBDEs:
January 13th, 2010
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Refill Station
I did something cool today. I took empty laundry detergent and dish detergent containers to a new store in downtown Portsmouth, NH called 1 World Trading Company. In the back of the store they have three 55 gallon drums of bulk Biokleen cleaning products- liquid dish soap, liquid laundry soap, and liquid dishwasher detergent. They have a green cleaning products refill station!
Those of us who live on the Seacoast of NH are lucky to have this option. Actually, it turns out that Nashua, NH residents were lucky first- Nashua is home to the first 1 World Trading Company store, which also has a Biokleen refill station. The products are super concentrated, very green (plant-based, biodegradable, etc.) and the ability to buy in bulk and reuse containers is a great way to minimize packaging and the footprint made getting the products from the factory to our homes. Hats off to 1 world Trading Company!
Does anyone know of other retailers with a green cleaning product refill station? If your favorite brand of all-purpose cleaner or floor cleaner was available in a super concentrated formula, would you buy it? Come on! 90 to 95% of many of these products are water, so why not? Consider putting in a request at your local store selling green goods for the option to buy in bulk, or consider sending an email to your favorite green cleaning products company asking for super concentrated products. One thing we are in North America is responsive to customer demand, and movements in this direction will leave all of us, and the planet, in better shape.
November 17th, 2009
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It can be confusing to sort out which variety of plastics is safest for food and beverage storage. My hunch is that this is in part due to the fact that the toxicity of plastics is not well understood at this point in time. Until it is, here are some pointers for how to deal with plastics in your kitchen.
- Opt for glass, ceramic or other types of food preparation and storage containers if possible.
- Avoid microwaving or heating (even in the dishwasher!) plastic containers, as this is believed to increase the rate at which the plastic compounds leach out of the container.
- Avoid letting plastic wrap touch food in the microwave. Consider using wax paper or paper towels instead.
- 1,2,4, and 5: Plastic containers marked with these numbers do not contain phthalates (BPA) and are thought to be the safer plastics to use.
- 3,6, and 7: Avoid plastics with these numbers; they can contain PVC, phthalates, polystyrene and other polycarbonates. Exposure to these compounds is implicated in numerous adverse health effects.
November 9th, 2009
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Did you know the largest organ in your body is your skin? It is! Another little known fact is that your skin absorbs up to 60% of what’s applied to it. Think of the nicotine patch as an example- if pharmaceuticals are delivered through the skin, then certainly other things can be delivered that way too.
There has been a fair amount of publicity about the link between aluminum in antiperspirant and the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. The reality is that aluminum in your deodorant is only one of a handful of ingredients you might consider avoiding. Other ingredients to avoid include fragrance, which likely includes phthalates, triclosan, parabens, and talc.
Five tips for choosing a safer deodorant:
- Do just that- opt for deodorant rather than an antiperspirant. Antiperspirants tend to work by blocking the body’s pores so that sweat that would like to escape can’t. Generally speaking, deodorant contains ingredients that neutralize odors.
- Experiment: when I tried to find a safer deodorant, it took a while to find one that worked. The first few attempts left me wanting to run away from myself. My untested theory here is that everyone has different body chemistry, so a deodorant that works for me, may not work for you.
- Ask yourself if you need it. Some lucky people don’t really need deodorant, or they may only need it during the warmer months of the year.
- Use the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database to check out the relative safety of your favorite deodorant
Listed below are some safe brands of deodorant to look for, however I encourage you to use the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database as a reference, because both the product landscape and product formulations change over time.
What works for you? What doesn’t?
October 20th, 2009
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Are you interested in greening your lifestyle, but conscious of the cost? Green cleaning is a great place to start. Many household cleaning products can easily be made with a few basic ingredients at a fraction of the cost of the store bought equivalent.
Perhaps a more compelling reason to green your cleaning is the fact that many of the synthetic chemicals found in common household cleaning products contain ingredients that are potentially hazardous to us, our children and the environment. (For more on why children are uniquely vulnerable to these types of exposures, click here.)
Here are just a few examples:
- Dryer sheets: many conventional brands contain chloroform, a carcinogen that is also an anesthetic.
- Dishwasher detergent: most dishwashers contain chlorine, a severe upper respiratory tract and skin irritant.
- Glass & oven cleaners: some brands contain butyl cellosolve, (also known as butyl glycol, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, or EGBE), a neurotoxin that is also implicated in reproductive problems and birth defects.
Try these five tips to green your cleaning:
- Adopt a shoes off in the house policy! This keeps everything from dirt to pesticides out of your home.
- Removing our shoes is a good start, but floors still tend to be one of the dirtiest surfaces in our homes. Try mopping once a week with a gallon of hot water, 1/8 cup of castile or other liquid soap, and 1/8 cup of white distilled vinegar. You’re not baking, so precise measurements aren’t necessary!
- Replace conventional cleaning products with homemade solutions or brands that do not contain potentially hazardous ingredients. Check out this list of recommended safe brands
- Open the doors and windows to let the old air out and fresh air in on the days you clean.
- Naturally remove polluted air from your home with any or all of the following houseplants, proven by NASA to be effective air purifiers: Areca Palm, Boston Fern, English Ivy, Peace Lily, Rubber Tree, Philodendron, Golden Pothos, or Weeping Fig.
Following these tips will improve the air quality in your home, keep money in your pocket, and leave your house clean.
The January 30th issue of The Economist arrived at our house last week. As a rule I don’t read any of the articles in the magazine, and I’m pretty certain the only reason we get the magazine is that I had a bunch of frequent flyer miles that were expiring, and was given an option of transferring some of the miles in for magazine subscriptions.
