There are a lot of opinions out there about whether Wal-mart’s decision earlier this year to impose their own ban on polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) found in couches, computers and baby strollers was the right one. They basically circumvented the US regulatory system to impose what many refer to as “retailer regulation.” But aren’t PBDEs [...]
A few years ago, I never would have imagined that dust could be such an issue. I saw it as nothing more than an “unsightly” lack of motivation on my part. Much to my dismay, house dust now tops the list as one of the most significant sources of childhood exposure to toxic substances. Chemicals [...]
Have you heard? The Toxies is less than two days away! Being filmed live from Hollywood on June 16th, the Toxies is the annual awards ceremony for the worst-of-the-worst “bad actor” chemicals like halogenated flame retardants and BPA. You can learn all about each chemical’s M.O. by browsing their ingeniously designed characters at Toxies.com where [...]
We recently delved into toxic flame retardants used in foam in part 2 of our series on the topic. And now a new study confirms that we are literally surrounded by these chemicals, from cushions to pillows, strollers, nursing pillows and rocking chairs. The study authors raised concerns that babies are at risk of [...]
In Part 2 of our series investigating flame retardant chemicals, we’re looking at another of the most common flame retardants used in the United States, Chlorinated Flame Retardants (CFR’s). I realize that we may not be able to avoid this group of chemicals, but it’s important to learn where they’re found so that we can [...]
We recently introduced a new series investigating flame retardant chemicals and today we’re looking at the most common group of flame retardants used in the United States.
These chemicals are full-fledged members of the endocrine disruptor family. They have routinely been added to consumer products for over 30 years in an effort to reduce fire-related injury and property damage.
The Ecology Center (HealthyStuff.org) tested 68 Christmas light sets and found that a shocking 54% of the products contained more than 300 parts per million of lead in PVC …
We learned a lot about PVC and lead last year in our research on artificial Christmas trees. The toxic couple made yet another grand appearance as we turned our attention to Christmas lights this season. It turns out that lead is specifically chosen as the main stabilizer in the PVC casing used on the electrical [...]
