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 [...]
Awareness of BPA in plastics is becoming more common, but did you know that children’s lunch boxes, binders, backpacks and nap mats can contain chemicals linked to learning disabilities, ADHD, obesity, and asthma? A new 2011 study found PVC is one of the most widely used hazardous plastics in the world because it’s made with [...]
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 [...]
If this most recent news highlighting the woes of PVC doesn’t convince America that it’s time to make a major move toward PVC-free alternatives, then nothing will! The nonprofit Ecology Center tested over 1,000 flooring samples and nearly 2,300 types of wallpaper for substances that have been linked to asthma, birth defects, learning disabilities, reproductive [...]
As parents experience more recalls related to lead in children’s products, we continue to receive ever more questions about descriptions used on product labels. Many parents confess feeling like manufacturers are trying to sneak something by them, so we’re hoping to help clear up some of the confusion. As The Smart Mama explained in our [...]
At first glance, artificial trees seem to make more sense as a long-term solution when considering cost, ease of use and the reusability factor. Artificial trees actually have some eye appeal these days, as compared to the days when they were manufactured by a toilet brush company. Cutting down a living tree seems like a [...]
We recently shared our thoughts on the test results obtained by Health Canada as well as our questions regarding the testing methods used. Now, thanks to a tip from Kevin Brodwick (Thinkbaby’s founder), we’ve learned that Health Canada has released the results! The study investigated migration of BPA from both polycarbonate and non-polycarbonate baby bottles [...]
Wow. I’ve been immersed in the world of environmental toxin hazards for years, but The Disappearing Male documentary was shocking. It has a Doomsday feel to be sure, but the dramatic increases in genital deformities, low sperm count, sperm abnormalities and testicular cancer in males can no longer be ignored. We’re just beginning to see [...]
