The Canary Report

Perfume blogger dismisses concerns from a member of our community

Posted on Jan 19, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Susie Collins

I love it when people who have absolutely no medical expertise make flippant comments about allergies and sensitivities to chemicals.

Now Smell This: A Blog About Perfume reports on Perfume is the Rodney Dangerfield of the Art World. Angela writes:

I look forward to the day when saying “perfume stinks” is seen as a sign of ignorance. Maybe, instead, that person will lean toward a friend discreetly wearing scent and say, “Your perfume is — interesting. Tell me about it.”

In the comments she writes:

“I know a few people, too, who claim to be allergic to fragrance, but I think they’ve just had a bad reaction standing next to someone soaked in something particularly loud. All of these people can wander into a Marriott or a Hilton, where fragrance is pumped through the air, without a hitch.”

Excuse me, who’s ignorant? I love it when people who have absolutely no medical expertise make sweeping, flippant comments about allergies and sensitivities to chemicals. The truth is many of us with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity cannot wander into a Marriott or Hilton without risking our health. Neither can we visit malls or casinos or walk through an airport without a mask. Scent marketing blocks our access to banks, office buildings and even hospitals.

Now Smell This is a popular blog, and at about comment #180, a member of our community, Elaine Willis, left a comment for Angela:

People who CLAIM to be allergic to perfume most likely are! [Commenter] Klytaemnestra does not understand that someone can develop the sensitivity over time. Although I can appreciate the discussion here, I hope it can be appreciated that for 3 out of 10 people, perfume is a health hazard; and for a smaller but growing number – perfume and other petro-chemically enhanced products, are life-threatening.

Angela obviously thought Elaine was over exaggerating, and so flippantly replied: “Oh my! 3 out of 10 people! I guess I count myself as one of the lucky ones. I’d sure hate to be allergic to perfume when the world is awash in scent–everything from cleaning products to buses to malls and hotels seems to be scented these days.”

When another commenter recommends “a more judicious approach in putting perfume or scent into everything and everywhere,” Angela pronounces,”I think a lot of people don’t even notice it anymore, yet they squawk when they smell it on a person.”

The truth is that the toxicity of modern fragrance formulations is a serious health issue for everyone, not just people with Environmental Illness and/or Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

Saying “I think a lot of people don’t even notice it anymore” about what is a serious disability rights issue is 15-20 years behind the times. In America, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, which include sensitivity to modern perfume and fragrance, is recognized as a disability by the Social Security Administration, Housing and Urban Development, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, among others. Click here for a list of published peer-reviewed articles documenting the “realness” of MCS.

This chemical sensitivity condition is not rare and the numbers of people who have it are growing. A national survey found 11.2% of respondents reported increased sensitivities to common chemicals and 2.5% had been medically diagnosed with MCS. Perhaps even more relevant to this discussion here is that this same survey found 31.1% of respondents said that sitting next to someone who was wearing a scented product was “irritating.” So going without perfume in schools, hotels, banks, airports and other public places is a good idea because it improves air quality and reduces potential harm to others as well as yourself.

Toxic modern fragrance is a health issue that affects everyone and a disability rights issue that affects people with respiratory illness including people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Clean air is everybody’s business, and seeing this issue as a fundamental health issue is the only way we will ever get consensus on taking the necessary action to protect everyone.

Now Smell This is a blog with a lot of readers, why not go an tell Angela how you feel about a product made from unregulated toxic chemicals choked with phthalates known to cause reproductive harm and petrochemicals known to trigger asthma, migraines, respiratory distress, central nervous system problems and more. Tell her how you feel when your body is exposed to perfumes in public places and your eyes burn and itch, your throat and limbs swell up, your skin burns, or a migraine is triggered.

I would have forgiven Angela her blog topic had she not been so flippant when Elaine told her that perfume can indeed be life threatening. I wish Angela could experience Multiple Chemical Sensitivity for just one day, it might make her have second thoughts about flipping off someone trying to tell her perfume can be extremely dangerous for a large part of the population.

Photo credit

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Tags: Air, Asthma, Cosmetics, Environmental Illness, Fragrance, Indoor Pollution, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Perfume, Personal Care, Products, Sick Building, Stink, Toxic

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

Bronner’s soaps and fair trade

Posted on Nov 15, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Home & Garden, Media/Videos, Susie Collins

A video about Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, fair trade, and organic olive oil from the Holy Land.

I was fascinated with this video about the olive oil used in Dr. Bronner’s magic soaps. I use Bronner’s USDA Certified Organic liquid soaps head to toe, usually the lavender. Dr. Bronner soaps are not safe for everyone who has Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, so always proceed with caution when trying a new product. I have heard some complaints about cross contamination with mint in the non-mint soaps, and I occasionally detect mint in the lavender liquid soap (I do not like mint in soap!). But many peeps with MCS use Bronner’s for bathing and housecleaning with great success, so if you are looking for safe soap you might like to give it a try. I like the liquid because it rinses better than the bar soaps, and I can use it for a household cleanser.

My favorite all-round nontoxic cleaning solution is:

2 gallons hot water
1/4 cup borax
1/4 cup vinegar
A squirt of Bronner’s liquid lavender soap

I use it for everything: counter tops, floors, tub, toilet, walls, garbage pails, kitty litter pan, porch floor, mudroom, muddy shoes, everything. It rinses off very easily. You’ll be amazed at what that solution can clean!

Link to Bronner’s website.

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Tags: Children's Health, Cosmetics, Environmental Health, Healthy Living, Home, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Nontoxic, Organic, Personal Care, Products, Video

The pampered canary

Posted on Sep 03, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Kimberly Shaw, Personal Care

“There’s no better way to energize your body, mind, and spirit than by taking care of yourself.” ~Stephanie Tourles

Post by Kimberly Shaw.

One of the ways I take care of myself is to make time to pamper myself with my own homemade organic personal care products. When I make something myself, I know exactly what goes into it and can use ingredients that work for me.

The recipes below include a basic unscented version and also variations with organic essential oils. If you have very severe Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, are currently in a “universal reacting” stage and/or are recovering from a recent exposure, I’d strongly suggest NOT trying the essential oil variations. Even natural and organic scents can and often will trigger reactions. Some with MCS can tolerate organic essential oils in moderation and even find they have aromatherapy benefits. For many years, I could only use unscented products. After much recovery and studying aromatherapy, I find that some essential oils in moderation work well for me.

If you have extremely sensitive reactive skin, keep things very simple. When my MCS was really severe I cleaned my face with just organic jojoba oil.

Feel free to omit any ingredients you are sensitive to or substitute for another ingredient. You are welcome to email me, if you need help tailoring a recipe to work for you.

Due to the nature of these ingredients, products should be used within six months. Before trying something new on your face or large parts of your body, you might want to do a small skin test on the inside of your arm. As with any skin care products, discontinue use if any skin reaction or rash appears.

~~~

Relaxing Bath Salts

• ¼ to ½ cup Epsom salt
• ¼ to ½ cup Dead Sea Salt or any type of sea salt
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon organic jojoba oil

For a regular size bath, use ¼ measurements, for a larger bath use ½ measurements. Add salts and oils to running bath water. Soak and relax for at least 20 minutes.

Variations:

Add several drops of an organic essential oil such as lavender or vanilla.

Add some green tea (or your favorite herbal tea) to the bath. I tend to use about 6-8 tea bags or about 6 teaspoons loose tea in a cheesecloth bag or stainless steel tea infuser.

~~~

Body Scrub

• 2 cups organic sugar or sea salt
• ¾ to 1-cup organic oil (jojoba, olive, grapeseed, sunflower, and/or other organic oil of your choice)

Variations:

10-30 drops organic essential oils, if desired. Tangerine or grapefruit work well.

~~~

If you can use essential oils, here is one of my favorite recipes:

Kimberly’s Mojito Sugar Scrub

• 2 cups organic sugar
• ¾ cups grapeseed oil (I use it because it is naturally green in color)
• 20 drops organic lime essential oil
• 10 drops organic spearmint essential oil

(When I make it for gifts for friends and relatives, I add a dash of rum.)

Mix well and store in a glass container. Use in the bath or shower. Be careful may make surfaces slippery. Do not use on face or sensitive areas.

~~~

Face and Body Wash

• 8 oz. organic unscented castile soap
• 8 oz. distilled water
• 1 tsp organic jojoba oil

Variation:

• 8 oz. organic unscented castile soap
• 4 oz. organic hydrosol* (I often use calendula hydrosol)
• 4 oz. distilled water
• 1 tsp organic jojoba oil
• (10-20 drops organic essential oils, if desired)

*I find since most hydrosols contain less than 5% essential oil they are mild and subtle and some with MCS can tolerate them.

I put this recipe in glass pump dispenser bottles and use as a basic liquid hand and body soap for the whole family.

If you have really dry skin, add extra jojoba oil to the mixture.

~~~

Organic Eye Butter

• 3 Tablespoons organic shea butter
• 2 Tablespoons organic avocado oil
• 2 Tablespoons organic coconut oil
• ¼ teaspoon organic rosehip oil
• ¼ teaspoon organic calendula oil
• 2 drops organic carrot seed oil (optional)

Gently melt shea butter in a double boiler. Add all oils and blend well. Store in glass container. If storing in warmer environment, keep in refrigerator. Use within three months.

Apply a small amount around eye to help hydrate and soften wrinkles. It also works great on lips!

~~~

There are many places to get organic ingredients, one of my favorite places is Mountain Rose Herbs.

In the coming months, I’ll be sharing more organic body care recipes!

Enjoy!

Come visit me at Serendipity.

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Tags: Cosmetics, Healthy Living, Home, Leisure, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Nontoxic, Organic, Personal Care, Products

Endocrine disruptors, pesticides, and a lawsuit

Posted on Jul 09, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, News, Susie Collins

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kritof reports on endocrine disruptors in an op-ed called It’s Time to Learn From Frogs. The essay comes on the heels of Kristof’s appearance on The Colbert Report, where he bantered with the comedy host about endocrine disruptors, hormones and genitalia. The importance of two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Kristof choosing the topic of endocrine disruptors cannot be over emphasized; he is known for reporting on serious topics that mainstream media ignores such as human trafficking and the Darfur genocide. He has a huge following that listens to what he has to say. My hope is he will continue to write and speak out about endocrine disruptors with the same courage and vigor he’s shown with other major issues of our times.

AP reports the Center for Biological Diversity on Wednesday gave 60-day notice it will sue the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to consider the effects of pesticides on polar bears and their Arctic habitat.

The Los Angeles Business Journal reports Dole Food Co. Inc. filed a defamation suit against a Swedish filmmaker over a documentary that chronicles the legal battles between an L.A. plaintiff’s attorney and the Westlake Village food giant over its use of pesticides on Nicaraguan banana plantations.

Environmental Working Group reports on the American Chemistry Council’s strategy to influence reform of the outdated Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

The Think Before You Pink campaigns asks you to tell Avon, Estee Lauder, Revlon and Mary Kay: We Demand Safer Cosmetics!

Mail Online reports Piers Morgan the beefcake advertises new Burger King perfume (with a whiff of fakery).

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Tags: Chemicals, Children's Health, Cosmetics, Environment, Environmental Health, EPA, Food, Fragrance, Personal Care, Pesticides, Research, Stink, Toxic

Researchers show common household products are poisoning us

Posted on May 09, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Media/Videos, Research

Seven toxic chemicals show up in high levels in blood and urine tests conducted on volunteers.

Health Zone reports two researchers directly dosed themselves by eating certain common foods and using familiar chemical-laden products, then underwent blood tests.

Commonplace things – an upholstered chair, deodorant, non-stick cookware, stain-repellent clothing, bath toys – are poisoning us.

That’s the message in Slow Death by Rubber Duck: How the Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Life Affects Our Health by Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence, and Bruce Lourie, environmentalist and president of the Ivey Foundation. They write about seven troubling substances showing up in high levels in blood and urine tests conducted on volunteers.

As an experiment, Smith and Lourie directly dosed themselves by eating certain common foods and using familiar chemical-laden products, then underwent blood tests. The Toronto-based environmentalists talked to the Toronto Star about the test results and the toxicity of tuna and toy boxes.

Why be guinea pigs?

Smith: In our Toxic Nation campaign, we’ve now tested 50 people across the country and everybody has the same questions: How did this get into me? What can I do to prevent it? They want specific answers. So it was a desire to answer those questions, to manipulate the levels of pollutants in our own bodies in real time and demonstrate cause and effect.

What did you take and what were the results?

[...]

Smith: Phthalates are associated with fragrance in personal care products. I steer away from scented products, but for this research I showered for two days with highly scented products – soaps, shampoo, conditioner, shaving products – all brand names off the drugstore shelf that millions of people use every day. As a result, my levels of monoethyl phthalate (MEP), one of the most common, went up 22 times.

These products also contained triclosan, present as an “antibacterial” agent. My levels for that went through the roof, increasing 2,900 times.

For bisphenol A, I mostly ate for two days canned food reheated in plastic containers in the microwave and drank out of a polycarbonate baby bottle. My bisphenol A levels went up more than seven times.

Link to full report at Health Zone.

Thanks, Linda!

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Tags: Air, Asthma, Books, Chemicals, Children's Health, Cosmetics, Fragrance, Home, Indoor Pollution, Personal Care, Products, Research, Stink, Toxic

Leading research group asks you to get political

Posted on Apr 22, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Policy

Environmental Working Group wants us to fight the good fight against chemical companies influencing the nation’s chemical policies.

An Earth Day message from the Environmental Working Group:

Dear Supporter,

We work to provide useful, science-based information to help you safeguard your family from environmental hazards.

We also work to reform federal policy on toxic chemicals so that the Earth is a cleaner, safer place for us all.

Please join us in celebration of Earth Day by changing how you live, then by letting government know that you want better protection from chemical pollution.

Make a personal change:

• Switch to earth-friendly light bulbs. Start with our Green Lighting Guide to identify which energy-efficient bulbs have the least mercury, where in your home they should go and how to use them safely.

• Eat organic when you can.  Put our Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in your wallet or on your iPhone (now!) so you can eat organic without breaking the bank.

• Do that dusting. Pets and young children are the most vulnerable to dust-bound pollutants, but cleaning your home is free, easy, and everyone benefits from cleaner indoor air.

Get political:

• Ask the Energy Star program to reduce mercury in compact fluorescent light bulbs. The program requirements lag behind industry advancements; Energy Star should lead, not follow. Click here to email the Energy Star program director.

• Tell the EPA to set a truly health-protective safety standard for perchlorate in drinking water. Perchlorate is known to interfere with thyroid hormones essential for brain development, so it poses particular risks to the fetus, infants and young children. Click here to send your message to the EPA.

Support EWG so we can get political:

We need your help to counter to the chemical industry’s busy and well-funded lobbyists. Without financial support from donors like you, the nation’s chemical policies will be more heavily influenced by chemical companies than the health interests of you, me and our families.

Click here to support our advocacy work today – so we can get political together.

Let’s make meaningful progress this Earth Day.

In partnership,

Ken Cook
President, Environmental Working Group

Learn more about EWG’s project on the Kid Safe Chemical Act.

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Tags: Chemicals, Children's Health, Cosmetics, Environmental Health, Healthy Living, Home, Indoor Pollution, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Personal Care, Policy, Research, Toxic

Parkinson’s, chemicals, and polluted waterways

Posted on Apr 19, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Media/Videos, News

Canary’s Cry for Sunday, April 19

The Los Angeles Times reports Parkinson’s is partially linked to pesticides.

The Washington Post reports endocrine disruptors pollute the Potomac.

Related: PBS reports airing of “Poisoned Waters” on Frontline, Tuesday, April 21 at 9:00 p.m. Frontline examines the newest health hazards in nation’s contaminated waterways: chemicals in consumers’ face creams, deodorants, prescription medicines and household cleaners that find their way into sewers, storm drains, and eventually into America’s waterways and drinking water.

Chicago Tribune reports on poison in the well: Crestwood officials cut corners and supplied residents with tainted water for two decades.

AP reports a large chemical spill early Saturday at an east-central Ohio plant spawned a massive vapor cloud that took hours to dissipate.

The Connecticut Post reports the state is moving closer to banning bisphenol-A, or BPA, a chemical commonly used to harden plastic and make it shatterproof, and to line the insides of certain food containers. It’s often found in baby bottles. Reacting to scientific concerns about abnormalities and cancers thought to be caused by BPA, officials in Canada last year banned the use of the substance in baby products; the declaration became official this past weekend. Other entities in this country are following suit, with Suffolk County, N.Y., becoming the first government in the nation to enact a ban.

In Canada, The Star reports Premier Dalton McGuinty has broken another election campaign promise, this time to reduce the amount of poisonous chemicals industries put into the environment.

SF Gate reports activist crusades against toxic waste in Russia.

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Tags: Air, Canary's Cry, Children's Health, Cosmetics, Environment, Environmental Health, Indoor Pollution, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Personal Care, Pesticides, Toxic, Water

Monsanto, nanoparticles, and greenwashing

Posted on Apr 03, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, News

Canary’s Cry for Friday, April 3

Monsanto wants to play with us on the interwebs. The darling kids at Monsanto’s public relations department have started a cute little blog, where they write about their adorable co-workers and how they are all just like us. Oh, and also about how green Monsanto is.

Related: WebEcoist reports on the world’s 10 worst greenwashers. Oh look, there’s Monsanto:

Monsanto, the world’s largest seed and pesticide company, is working to convince us that they are supporters of sustainable agriculture – all while monopolizing and homogenizing the world’s food supply. Hardly sustainable. Monsanto, the maker of toxic pesticide RoundUp, has a long history of producing genetically modified seeds, including ‘terminator’ seeds that cannot reproduce on their own, forcing farmers to go back to Monsanto again and again for more seeds.  They’re also the creators of rGBH (recombinant bovine growth hormone), which is given to cows to increase production and often ends up in our water supply.

Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database reports on What Not To Buy when shopping for cosmetics:

Major gaps in public health laws allow cosmetics companies to use almost any ingredient they choose in everything from sunscreen and mascara to deodorant and baby shampoo, with no restrictions and no requirement for safety testing. To help you navigate your store’s aisles, Environmental Working Group researchers have scoured thousands of ingredient labels to bring you our top recommendations for what not to buy — products with worrisome or downright dangerous ingredients that don’t belong in your shopping cart or on your skin. Read more about why this matters.

Environmental Health News reports nanoparticles in sunscreens, cosmetics and other consumer products may pose risks to the environment by damaging beneficial microbes.

The Environmental Protection Agency reports on the latest information on toxic chemical releases. Releases are down overall, but mercury and PCBs are up.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics reports on contaminants in children’s bath and personal care products.

Green Directory Montana reports on non-organic panic.

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Tags: Canary's Cry, Chemicals, Children's Health, Cosmetics, Environment, EPA, Personal Care, Pesticides, Products, Toxic

Everything you ever wanted to know about toxic chemicals in the marketplace

Posted on Mar 07, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Law, Media/Videos, Products, Research

…but were afraid to ask.

Interview with investigative journalist Mark Schapiro author of “Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What’s at Stake for American Power.“

Mark Schapiro discusses toxic chemicals in everyday products, the lack of regulation in the United States, and the European Union’s emergence as the driver of chemical regulation reform in the global marketplace.  A must-see for every person with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (and everyone else as well).

Link

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Tags: Chemicals, Children's Health, Cosmetics, Environment, Environmental Illness, Environmental Medicine, EPA, FDA, Health, Healthy Living, Home, Law, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Personal Care, Policy, Research, Toxic, Video

Mold, consumer product safety, and Popcorn Lung

Posted on Feb 11, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, News

Canary’s Cry for Wednesday, February 11

Environmental News reports just breathing in Katrina-flooded homes poses health risks. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) warns that exposure to mold can cause respiratory tract infections, especially for infants, children, immune-compromised patients, pregnant women, the elderly and individuals with existing respiratory conditions, allergies, multiple chemical sensitivity, and asthma.

Central Florida News reports the new federal law regulating toxic chemicals in children’s toys goes into effect today. Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, in the summer of 2008, imposing tough standards for lead and certain chemicals, called phthalates, in products for children ages 12 and under. Some toy retailers were caught off guard when a judge last week refused to authorize a delay that would have provided 12 more months for compliance.

News Inferno reports on manufacturer trying to block investigation of Popcorn Lung chemical. Popcorn Lung, or Bronchiolitis obliterans, is making headlines again because  a federal investigation into the disease at the Sensient Flavors International plant in Indianapolis is being blocked by the manufacturer.

Green Biz, Ontario, reports the EcoLogo Program is reviewing its personal care products standard. The EcoLogo Program is revising its 9-year-old standard for certifying personal care products, taking public comments until early March.

PubMed reports on a study that found a link between sleep disturbances and occupational exposure to solvents.

Minnesota Medicine reports on the Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership and its role in the health of the public. The executive director says that in order to truly improve people’s health, the housing and public health sectors need to communicate better.

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Tags: Air, Chemicals, Children's Health, Cosmetics, Environment, FEMA, Health, Home, Housing, Indoor Pollution, Law, MCS, Mold, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Personal Care, Work

A chemical spill, a river, and chewing gum

Posted on Feb 01, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Products

Canary’s Cry for Monday, February 1

The Chicago Tribune reports that a chemical spill fouls St. Marys River in Fort Wayne.

Talk Shoe has the January 29 Talkcast with Dr. Anne Steinmann about toxins in products and the home.

The Times of the Internet reports that a family gets $4.75M in mold sick house suit.

The Bristol Press reports a man pleads guilty to fraud involving mold in schools.

The Evening Telegram reports on a town in New York that’s launched The Ilion Project to investigate the cases of rare and unusual cancers from around the area.

The Union Reader reports on the foreclosure market, with a mention about mold contamination killing some sales.

Canada.com reports the federal government has backed down on plans to declare two chemicals found in some chewing gum and cosmetics as toxic. But the ministries of health and the environment on Friday also moved ahead with plans to declare three chemicals used in everyday products as toxic to the environment.

Photo by Northeast Indiana. St. Mary’s River at Fort Wayne.

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Tags: Cancer, Cosmetics, Environment, Health, Home, Indoor Pollution, Mold, Products, Research, Toxic

Canary’s Cry for January 30

Posted on Jan 30, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, News

The Environmental News Service reports the Canadian government declared chemicals used in cosmetics to be toxic.

HealthZone reports that toxic air raises risk of death.

The Los Angeles Times reports pool workers poured large amounts of chlorine and acid down a rooftop drain causing a gas cloud in a nearby Metro station. Officials initially suspected terrorism.

The State Journal Register in Illinois reports tenants of 10 apartments in the Macoupin County Housing Authority complex have signed a petition complaining of mold problems.

Globe and Mail reports food may not be sole BPA source.

Science Direct reports on a study about the association between prenatal exposure to phthalates and the health of newborns.

Environmental Health News reports plasticizer is related to lower hormone levels in men and that phthalates worsen skin allergies in newborn mice exposed through their mothers.

Photo by Auntie P

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Tags: Air, Canary's Cry, Chemicals, Children's Health, Cosmetics, Environment, Health, Home, Indoor Pollution, Mold, Pollution, Products, Research

Perfumes are hazardous to airline passengers

Posted on Jan 26, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Products, Susie Collins

Airlines need to tell passengers not to bathe in their stinky perfume; writers need to do their homework about toxic chemicals in fragrances

A “Q & A” advice column in The Baltimore Sun on the topic of perfumed passengers in airplanes keeps Multiple Chemical Sensitivity misunderstood and trivialized.

The question is about how to stop perfume-drenched passengers on airplanes from wearing so much stinky fragrance that fellow passengers gag from the smell. While the writer, Catherine Hamm, in her answer points out that some “businesses, schools, even hospitals have instituted fragrance-free policies because they are concerned about reactions to odors,” and then makes note that there are people “who say they suffer from multiple chemical sensitivity,” she quickly clarifies by pointing out, “Some scientists, we should note, do not believe in MCS.”

It’s that disclaimer that kicks those of us with MCS in the gut. Why would Hamm add that? She does not clarify what “scientists” are doing the non-believing nor how long ago they came up with that conclusion. The truth is, MCS has not been definitively studied, certainly not by physicians or neurological specialists well versed in toxicology and the effects of toxic chemicals on the body. If Hamm is referring to studies conducted by the psychiatric profession, which pronounced MCS a psychosomatic disorder years ago, then she should clearly state that.

If Hamm were to do further research into current scientific study, she’d learn that most of the chemicals used in fragrances today are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum, including known toxic chemicals capable of causing cancer, birth defects, central nervous system disorders and allergic reactions. Further still, if she dug a little more, she’d learn that scientists are just now starting to look at and take very seriously the negative effects of persistent low levels of toxic chemicals on the body.

Trivializing an illness such as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity by pointing to less than conclusive “studies” conducted by “scientists” not versed in toxicology or physiology as it relates to chemical poisoning is irresponsible writing. The fact is that exposing sensitive individuals to toxic synthetic perfumes in the confines of an airplane cabin is very troubling, as troubling as exposing them to cigarette smoke.

Here’s the column:

[...]

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Tags: Air, Chemicals, Cosmetics, Fragrance, Health, Indoor Pollution, Law, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Perfume, Personal Care, Policy, Toxic, Work

Be a smart cosmetic shopper

Posted on Nov 04, 2008 by Susie Collins in Blog, Home & Garden, Products, Susie Collins

Yesterday’s post in Enviroblog entitled “Tips from the make-up artist” makes a good point about the importance of paying attention to the ingredients in our personal care products. Those of us with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity are probably more concientious than the average shopper, but I have to admit that up until very recently, I relied more on what my nose and body told me than what was on the label.

But now, I not only do the sniff test for all my cosmetics and personal care products, I also check labels and consult the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, the bible of concientious shoppers. I do this because it’s not just the toxic chemicals that trigger MCS symptoms that I need to eliminate from my life, it’s all toxic chemicals and products.

Here are some practical shopping tips from Skin Deep, most of which I’m sure you are already following, but it never hurts to review, especially for those of you who do not have MCS but are interested in living a healthier lifestyle:

[...]

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Tags: Air, Chemicals, Cosmetics, Fragrance, Healthy Living, Perfume, Personal Care, Research, Stink