The Canary Report

The Canary Report launches online shop!

Posted on Feb 25, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Products, Susie Collins

I’m pleased to announce the launch of The Canary Report online shop!

Women's Organic Cotton T

Men's Organic Cotton T

I’ve started us off with some organic women and men’s t-shirts; a darling organic infant “onesie”; some buttons, magnets, keychains and bumperstickers (made with sustainable paper products).

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The Canary Report Cap

Of special interest, as we approach MCS Awareness Month in May, is our yellow hat, designed specially for the Yellow Hats and Feathers Multiple Chemical Sensitivity awareness campaign! (Come join our Yellow Hats and Feathers Group on our network and post a photo of you in your yellow bling!)

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Our 2010 Calendar, “The Naked Truth About Multiple Chemical Sensitivity,” is still available for purchase, but is hidden from view on the public shop because of the nudity and strong language. Here are the direct links: Version 1 and Version 2. All profit from sales of the calendars goes to The Environmental Working Group.

I’ll be launching a T-shirt slogan contest very soon! So put on your thinking caps, Canaries, and come up with some brilliant slogans you’d like to report to the world on your t-shirts. More soon on that! (And yes, the contest will offer a chance at some free merchandise! WoOt!)

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Tags: MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Products

CFL bulbs are not a safe choice for people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Posted on Feb 09, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Products, Susie Collins

Lighting can be a difficult issue for people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, but compact fluorescent bulbs are not the answer.

Compact fluorescent lighting (CFL)  is a classic example of something being touted as green but in fact being anything but. While CFL bulbs use less electricity, and therefore are lessening the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, they contain trace levels of mercury, which can be released into the environment if they are accidentally broken, like in your home. In many states, CFL bulbs are regarded as hazardous waste, and in those states it is illegal to just throw out the old bulbs with the regular trash; they must be recycled at hazardous waste recycling centers. Of course the problem with this is that most people are not doing that, they just toss out the bulbs with the trash.

But getting back to the topic of CFLs in regards to people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Here are my thoughts on the topic:

CFL bulbs are toxic, period. If one breaks, trace mercury is released into the environment– that means if the bulb breaks in your bedroom, the mercury is in your bedroom and you are at risk for breathing vapors. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin. Clean up would be an expensive nightmare. Here’s an article “objectively” arguing that if you break a CFL bulb, there’s really nothing to worry about because only trace amounts of mercury vapor are released and so it probably won’t do any harm– the problem with that argument is that people with MCS can be made seriously ill from trace levels of toxic chemicals, especially neurotoxic.

The very first rule for someone with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is to limit exposure to toxic chemicals, limit risk. I don’t care how much electricity you save with a CFL bulb, it is not worth the risk to have a bulb break inside your home.

Further, many people with MCS also have problems with the flicker of fluorescent bulbs. It’s simply not the best choice for someone whose body is stressed from chemical injury.

Right now, Light Emitting Diode or LED (at left) is the best lighting choice if you can afford it. While some people with light sensitivity may have problems with the brightness of LED, there are things you can do to lesson that brightness like shades, filters, or fixtures that create indirect light in the room. Otherwise, halogen or plain old light bulbs are best for canaries (you can play with full spectrum to see if it works for you or not). Try to stay away from fluorescent and CFL lighting as much as possible; I do not recommended that you bring CFLs into your home at all.

Thanks to Dennis, Connie, Hank, Linda, and Katrina for their contributions to this report!

Photo credit

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Tags: Environment, Healthy Living, Home, Indoor Pollution, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Products, Toxic

Chemically-safe building practices: what we did when we renovated our bathroom

Posted on Jan 29, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Guest Bloggers, Products

Many of the resources used were environmentally-friendly, but it should be noted that “green” does not always mean “chemically safe.”

By Guest Blogger Catherine Ockey

Background

In the spring of 2009 we discovered a leak in a shower faucet in our home. Upon further investigation it was determined that water had been leaking down an inside wall for some time and had caused damage to the bathroom walls and subflooring. The process of repair and reconstruction occurred over a three-week period in the fall of 2009. Before the actual work began, however, I did a lot of research into chemically-safe (or safer) building products and found a contractor willing to follow my instructions explicitly. I am happy to share more details of my experience with anyone by phone or through email. Following is a summary of what we did.

Contractor

We found a contractor with experience in environmentally friendly building practices. He had previously built an entire house for a person with MCS, so he had some familiarity with the issues. However, every person with MCS has slightly different issues, so I micro-managed the entire project myself from start to finish. I let the contractor know upfront that this is how it would be done and also had this written into our contract with him.

Resources

Books

Prescriptions for a Healthy House, 3rd edition: A Practical Guide for Architects, Builders & Homeowners by Paula Baker-Laporte, Erica Elliott and John Banta. (Both my contractor and I had a copy of this book. It was our most valuable resource.)

The Healthy House by John Bower. (I have an older edition of this, but I believe it has been updated.)

Magazines

Fine Home Building
Green@Home
Mother Earth News

Web sites

Care2 Green Living
Safer Building

Various manufacturer’s Web sites

Lassen Technologies
Ecohaus
Healthy House Institute
Guide to Less Toxic Products
Safe Shopper’s Directory: Building Materials

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Tags: Healthy Living, Home, Mold, Products

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity housing survey

Posted on Jan 21, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Healthy Living, MCS, Products, Susie Collins

Home renovation expert launches survey to discover the housing needs of people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Please take a moment to participate!

James Van Raden, doing home renovation services under the name Paragon Renovations in North Dakota and Minnesota is starting a new “energy efficient affordable housing” business called Building Impressions. He’s expressed interest in including safe homes for people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity as part of his services. To that end, he’s currently conducting an exploratory survey to discover the needs of people with MCS.

James is a member of our Canary Report social network and I’ve had the pleasure of chatting with him. I think he’s genuinely interested in exploring the housing needs of people with chemical sensitivity and sees as his goal the creation of safe housing for people with MCS. I hope you’ll join me in supporting his efforts.

Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey so James has the information he needs to develop this aspect of his business.

Hello Everyone!

The housing study is ready and can be accessed by visiting

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB22A53MHW7T7

Thanks everyone for your willingness to participate and the survey is limited to 100 responses and I hope that there are many more that wish to take the survey than that!

If there is more interest in participating than 100 I will create another study so PLEASE visit the study page and answer as many questions as you are willing.

Also, for those NOT afflicted with MCS please leave the study for those that are and I appreciate your cooperation and understanding.

Warmest regards,

James Van Raden

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Tags: Environmental Health, Home, Housing, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Products, Support

Xtrema cooking

Posted on Jan 20, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Food, Products, Susie Collins

Founder of Xtrema cookware says it’s made of nontoxic material that can be left on the heat indefinitely and not emit toxic fumes even if boiled bone dry.

This Xtrema cookware looks interesting, coated in a nontoxic ceramic glaze that will not emit toxic fumes even if cooked bone dry on high heat. The high heat safety factor is in comparison to Teflon, which studies show emits dangerous toxic fumes when overheated. Xtrema also claims their nylon lids and utensils are nontoxic.

Feature: High temperature, ultra-durable non- scratch finish, inside and out.

Benefit: Xtrema products feature a revolutionary and technologically advanced ceramic non-scratch ceramic glaze on the inside and outside of every vessel. This ceramic-glaze consists of 100% natural ceramic materials and is completely environmentally safe. The glaze will never emit gaseous or toxic odors (at any temperature), it will not be damaged by the use of metal cooking utensils, and will never peel or flake off into the food. The ceramic glaze on the outside of the cookware also provides faster clean-up and helps keep Xtrema cookware looking brand new, year after year.

The flash graphic on the header on their website is a little scary: thick black smoke curling and swirling. But they say their product is as nontoxic as they come.

The founder of Xtrema is Rich Bergstrom, a former Corning representative. I love my Corning baking dish–I’ve had it for 30 years–and I often recommend Corning to canaries asking about cookware. Bergstrom has something interesting to say about Corning:

Corning Ware manufacturing facility in Martinsburg, WV was closed and dismantled in 2002. Corning Ware is still being marketed today by World Kitchen but the product is now being made of stoneware and not the patented pyro-ceram material that made Corning Ware so recognizable.

Hmmm. Not sure I can recommend that product anymore, at least not until I am convinced the new material is as superior and nontoxic as the old Corning. Is anyone using Corning purchased after 2002?

Has anyone tried Xtrema? It’s not cheap. This darling tea set is $129 and their most basic skillet about $100. But I think it’s going on my wish list. Right after the new HEPA air filter and organic cotton futon for the bedroom.

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Tags: Children's Health, Food, Healthy Living, Home, Indoor Pollution, Nontoxic, Products

New website launched on fragrance-free living

Posted on Jan 15, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Products, Susie Collins

New website warns of the dangers of toxic fragrance in personal care products and other consumer goods.

A new website just came up on my radar about Fragrance-Free Living. It’s run by former auto mechanic David Tywoniuk, who now owns an auto body shop in Edmonton, Canada. He and Judy Sterling put the website together.

Here is a really good reason as to why you might want to try “Fragrance Free Living”. Did you know that the ingredient “Fragrance” used in most of the above products can indicate the presence of up to 4,000 separate, mostly man-made ingredients? Many compounds in fragrance are human toxins and suspected or proven to cause cancer. Symptoms reported include: headaches, dizziness, rashes, skin discolorations, violent coughing and vomiting and allergic skin irritation. Observations by medical doctors have shown that exposure to fragrance can affect the central nervous system, causing depression, hyperactivity, irritability, inability to cope, and other behavioral changes. 100% of perfumes contain toluene, which can cause liver, kidney and brain damage as well as damage to a developing fetus.

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Tags: Air, Asthma, Chemicals, Cosmetics, Fragrance, Healthy Living, Home, Indoor Pollution, Perfume, Personal Care, Sick Building, Stink, Toxic

Toxic tiny bubbles in the tub

Posted on Dec 27, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Keith Carlson, Products

Post by Keith Carlson.

Come follow our RV traveling adventures at Mary and Keith’s Excellent Adventure.

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Tags: Chemicals, Children's Health, Home, Indoor Pollution, Products, Toxic

U.S. senator responds to a canary by talking in circles

Posted on Dec 22, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Products, Susie Collins

“Many consumers are concerned that the cosmetics industry is using chemicals in its products that are linked to cancer and other health problems,” answers Sen. Tom Carper to a canary constituent’s pleas for action. But what are lawmakers actually doing about it?

Canary Report community member Linda Delp asked me to share this with you. It’s a letter to her from her state of Delaware’s senator, Tom Carper. “The letter just shows how they talk in circles don’t you think?” says Linda. “I have so many letters from him and Senator Biden, it just gets exhausting.”

December 22, 2009

Dear Mrs. Delp:

Thank you for contacting me to express your support for legislation to strengthen oversight and regulation of the cosmetics industry. I appreciate hearing from you about this important matter.

As you know, many consumers are concerned that the cosmetics industry is using chemicals in its products that are linked to cancer and other health problems. A class of industrial chemicals, phthates, are commonly used as fragrances in shampoo and lotion, but have been shown to lead to birth defects, asthma, and impaired development. Under current law, manufacturers are not required to list the individual ingredients of fragrance on labels, which limits consumers’ ability to avoid potentially hazardous chemicals.

As you also may know, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the federal agency that regulates cosmetic safety. However, the FDA has different legal authority over cosmetic products than it does over drugs, food, and medicine. Unlike these products, cosmetics are not subject to a FDA premarket approval process. Instead, cosmetic firms are responsible for ensuring the safety of their products and ingredients before marketing. If infractions of safety regulations or consumer complaints arise, the FDA can take regulatory action. For more information concerning the FDA’s regulation of cosmetics, please visit http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/default.htm.

With that said, I have heard from a number of constituents who believe that current regulation of cosmetics under the FDA are inadequate. While there is no current legislation that would provide the FDA with stricter oversight of cosmetics, I will be sure to share your comments with my colleagues on the Senate Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over this matter. Thank you again for contacting my office. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or other matters of importance to you.

With best personal regards, I am

Sincerely,

Tom Carper
United States Senator

To send another message please visit my website at http://carper.senate.gov/contact and fill out the webform for a prompt response. Thank you.

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Tags: Chemicals, Children's Health, Environmental Health, FDA, Home, Indoor Pollution, Policy, Products

Our feathered friends know: Teflon cookware can be toxic

Posted on Dec 07, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Products, Research, Susie Collins

Dupont wants you to know that overheating their nonstick Teflon cookware could result in the death of your pet bird. The Environmental Working Group says the problems are triggered at much lower heat than Dupont claims, and that it’s not just the pet bird who is feeling the effects.

The wonderful folks at Dupont have a brochure warning bird owners to keep their feathered friends out of the kitchen. Why? Because non-stick Teflon surfaces, when overheated, emit toxic fumes.

If accidentally overheated, nonstick cookware can emit fumes that may be harmful to pet birds, as any type of cookware preheated with cooking oils, fats, margarine, and butter. This is why you should always move your birds out of the kitchen before cooking.

The Environmental Working Group thinks the warning about the dangers of nonstick cookware should be expanded to include people, too. The toxic chemical watchdog group reported in 2003 that EWG finds heated Teflon pans can turn toxic faster than DuPont claims.

In two to five minutes on a conventional stovetop, cookware coated with Teflon and other non-stick surfaces can exceed temperatures at which the coating breaks apart and emits toxic particles and gases linked to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pet bird deaths and an unknown number of human illnesses each year, according to tests commissioned by Environmental Working Group (EWG).

I stopped using Teflon cookware years ago, I hope you have, too. Stay safe out there!

Thanks, Linda!

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Tags: Chemicals, Children's Health, Home, Indoor Pollution, Research, Toxic

Air freshener damages car’s interior

Posted on Jul 17, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Media/Videos, Products, Susie Collins

A $3.00 air freshener commonly used in cars could cost thousands of dollars in damage.

My Fox Atlanta reports Air Freshener Linked to Car Damage. A woman accidentally installs an air freshener upside down, causing the “scented oil” to leak out, which destroys part of the dashboard, control buttons and veneer.

No word on what happened to the occupants’ lungs or central nervous system.

Valvoline would not disclose the name of the chemical used in the air freshener, but it also requires a poison control warning that says “keep out of reach of children and pets” and if ingested to call a physician or poison control center immediately.

The air freshener is made in China.

“I am shocked that an air freshener is out there and it can leak and cause and that extensive damage to the vehicle and I worry about kids, children, dogs anybody in the car that can potentially like that, because if it actually literally ate my dashboard, I can imagine what it does to your insides?” said Napatilano.

After searching the internet, Napatilano found that she wasn’t alone. Napatilano said she found other complaints about the Arometrics air freshener.

Thanks, Linda!

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Tags: Air, Chemicals, Environmental Health, Fragrance, Perfume, Products, Stink, Toxic, Video

How to make laundry soap

Posted on Jul 06, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Home & Garden, Media/Videos, Products

Note to people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Be sure to use bar soap, washing soda and borax brands you can tolerate. You may need to experiment at first to see what works best for you.

Link

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Tags: Children's Health, Healthy Living, Home, Nontoxic, Products, Video

A Chemical Reaction

Posted on Jul 01, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Media/Videos, Products

A Chemical Reaction is a documentary movie scheduled for release in 2009 that tells the story of one of the most powerful and effective community initiatives in the history of North America.

Link to the movie’s website

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Tags: Chemicals, Children's Health, Environment, Film, Home, Pollution, Toxic, Video

Choosing better body care products

Posted on Jun 26, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Home & Garden, Personal Care, Products

Under-regulated chemicals are causing concerns for human health and the environment, whether they seep through your skin or wash down your drain.

The Environmental Working Group continues its Healthy Home Tip series with “Choosing Better Body Care Products”:

Dear Supporter,

Most people use around 10 personal care products every day with an average of 126 unique ingredients. We’d like to believe that the government is policing the safety of all of these mixtures we’re putting on our bodies, but they’re not. Instead, these under-regulated chemicals are causing concerns for human health and the environment – whether they seep through your skin or wash down your drain.

We think you deserve better than that. So we’re sending you our Healthy Home Tip Series to make it easier to safeguard your family’s health. This month’s tip is: Choose better body care products.

What makes a body care product “better”?

Better products meet their claims and are free of ingredients that could harm our health or the environment. Labels might claim that a product is “gentle” or “natural,” but with no required safety testing, companies that make personal care products can use almost any chemical they want, regardless of risks. So, always read product labels – especially the ingredient list – before you buy.

Learn how to choose better body care products

We make these choices as simple as possible on our Healthy Home Tips page, where you’ll learn:

• How to read a label
• How to shop for the grown-ups in the house
  
• How to find the safest body care products for your kids

Tell your friends about our Healthy Home Tips

We know you’re not the only one who wants to choose better body care products. Tell your friends about our Healthy Home Tip Series so they, too, can be informed when faced with rows of under-regulated products at the store.

Talk to you in a month when we discuss our next Healthy Home Tip: going organic and eating fresh foods.

Thanks for reading,

Lisa Frack
EWG Online Organizer

PS: Last month we introduced this Healthy Home Tips Series. Click here to read about it.

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Tags: Air, Asthma, Chemicals, Children's Health, Environment, Environmental Health, Healthy Living, Home, Indoor Pollution, Nontoxic, Personal Care, Products, Stink, Toxic

More on water and water filters

Posted on Jun 03, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Government Regulation, Home & Garden, Products, Susie Collins

Water systems thoughout the US are adding toxic chemicals to your water source. You should have a good water filter at the faucet where you pull your drinking water, one that is specifically addressing the contaminants in your water.

Yesterday, Amy reported on the importance of pure water. Today, I thought I would pick up on the water theme, and talk a little about the problems with obtaining pure water, and give you some solutions for people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

The Maneater reports the city of Columbia, Missouri, will undergo a new disinfection process to reduce carcinogenic by-products. The goal is to lower trihalomethane levels in the city’s water; THMs are by-products of the city’s disinfection process, formed after chlorine breaks down organic material. Some THMs are considered carcinogenic.

To reduce the THM levels, says Maneater, the city will add ammonia to the already chlorinated water, a method used by many water systems in the United States. But dig this: “Adding ammonia to chlorinated water will form the chemical chloramine, which will help slow the formation of THMs.”

The report goes on to explain:

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Tags: Chemicals, Children's Health, Environment, Environmental Illness, EPA, Healthy Living, Home, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Policy, Pollution, Products, Toxic, Water

Challenges in finding safe building materials for the chemically injured

Posted on May 16, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Products, Susie Collins

What’s so tough about home repairs, maintenance and construction? It’s not easy when you’re living with a family member who has chemical injury.

Tau Topics reports on the hurdles chemically injured people must go through when building or renovating. As someone with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity who just renovated the bathroom, I can totally relate! It was hit and miss with the materials and products we used, and I got sick from some, such as the mortar for the tile. The authors of this article understand well the complexity of building and renovating for the chemically injured.

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Tags: Children's Health, Healthy Living, Home, Indoor Pollution, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Nontoxic, Products, Sick Building, Toxic