Lead

on the label: it is not

health effects:

Lead targets the central nervous system, brain, kidneys, and reproductive system. It can have effects at extremely low doses. Lead is linked to lower IQs, brain damage, decreased ability to learn, and reduced school performance. It can also lead to miscarriages and reduced fertility. Lead accumulates in your body and is mainly stored in your bones. According the CDC, low-level environmental exposure to lead leads to reduced neurocognitive function in children and large amounts of lead can lead to anemia, kidney damage, seizures, paralysis and increased rate of spontaneous abortion in women. During pregnancy and breastfeeding lead leaches out of bones, crosses the placenta, and exposes the fetus and infant to high lead levels. Scientific studies have shown that the effects of fetal exposure to lead include impaired brain development, premature, births, smaller babies, learning difficulties, and reduced growth in young children. By reducing your exposure to lead now, you can reduce its bioaccumulation in your body, and protect your future infant. According to the CDC, no safe blood lead level in children has been identified. The CDC recommends eliminating lead in children’s environment before they are exposed.

used in:

Lipstick: Although lead is not listed as an ingredient, independent laboratory testing by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has found lead in top brand lipsticks. Two-thirds of the 33 samples tested contained lead at detectable levels.

Some of the lipsticks testing positive for lead were:
•L’Oreal Colour Riche “True Red” – 0.65 ppm
• L’Oreal Colour Riche “Classic Wine” – 0.58 ppm
• Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor “Maximum Red” – 0.56 ppm
• Christian Dior Addict “Positive Red” – 0.21 ppm
The full report can be viewed at: A Poison Kiss: The Problem of Lead in Lipstick

• Paint: Houses built before 1978 may be painted with lead paint
• House dust
• Metal jewelry and toys
• Painted products
• Plastics
• Leaded glass

Click here to learn what products the CDC has recalled http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/Recalls/allhazards.htm

reduce you exposure to lead:

Avoid lead-containing products. Even though it won’t be listed on the label, some paint containing make-ups and hair dyes may contain lead. Cheap jewelry and tows may contain also lead. Look up your product on HealthyToys.org, for independent testing for toxins in products.

Frequently check the CDC’s website for product recalls. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recalls products containing excessive amounts of lead. However, they do not test all products so even if it is not recalled, it may contain lead. See the list here: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/Recalls/allhazards.htm

Use only cold water from the tap for drinking and cooking. Plumbing in your house may leach lead. According to the CDC, most of the lead in household water comes from household plumbing, especially in older houses. Hot water is more likely to contain higher levels of lead.

more resources:

CDC’s Fact Sheet on Lead
Recommendations from the CDC to avoid lead exposure

Mercury

on the label: it is not

health effects:

Remember the “Mad Hatter” in Alice and Wonderland? His madness was the result of mercury poisoning. Mercury effects the nervous system. Mercury can cause brain damage, learning disabilities, blindness, birth defects, kidney damage, decreased motor control and loss of memory. Mercury is a persistent chemical that builds up in our bodies over time. According to the CDC, “mercury is important to monitor in women of childbearing age because mercury can cause adverse neurodevelopmental effects in the developing fetus at blood levels potentially attainable through dietary sources” -CDC, National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals. In 2000, the National Academy of Sciences measured mercury levels in the blood of 700 women and 300 children and found that one in every ten women of childbearing age has levels that put them at risk of having a child with neurological problems. We get most of our mercury from eating fish and seafood. Studies found higher levels of mercury in a newborn’s blood than the blood of the mother because mercury is actively pumped across the placenta. Studies found that children who were exposed to mercury as fetuses had deficiencies in memory, learning, and attention that were proportional to the level of mercury in umbilical cord blood.

used in:

The FDA allows for a limited amount of mercury to be used in children’s toys. Coal-burning power plants and waste incineration plants emit mercury into the air.

• Adhesives
• Inks
  
• Thermostats and thermometers
• Electrical switches
• Fluorescent light bulbs

reduce your exposure to mercury:

Check Toys at HealthyToys.org. Mercury contaminates consumer products and toys. HealthyToys.org tests products for mercury and other toxic chemicals.

Reduce your overall consumption of fish.

Limit your consumption of tuna and swordfish. Visit the Environmental Working Groups Tuna Calculator to see how much tuna you can safely eat in a week.

Recycle old mercury products. Contact your town about a hazardous waste collection schedule to recycle fluorescent light bulbs, thermostats and other mercury containing products.

more resources:

EPA’s website on human exposure to mercury
EPA’s website on health effects of mercury
CDC’s factsheet on human exposure to mercury

Polybrominated diphenylethers

PBDEs

on the label: flame resistant

health effects: According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “Although use of flame retardants saves lives and property, there have been unintended consequences. There is growing evidence that PBDEs persist in the environment and accumulate in living organisms, as well as toxicological testing that indicates these chemicals may cause liver toxicity, thyroid toxicity, and neurodevelopmental toxicity. Environmental monitoring programs in Europe, Asia, North America, and the Arctic have found traces of several PBDEs in human breast milk, fish, aquatic birds, and elsewhere in the environment.” Types of PBDEs are banned in Vermont, Washington State, and Maine. The EPA has declared the “these chemical substances may be hazardous to human health and the environment” and the must be notified before a company manufactures or imports PBDEs (EPA, Significant New Use Rule http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-TOX/2006/June/Day-13/t9207.htm ).

used in:

PBDEs were phased out of the U.S. furniture in 2005. Inspect or replace mattresses, couches, and household furniture purchased before 2005.

• Furniture foam furniture and padding
• Electronics TV components, mobile phones, fax machines, remote controls, video equipment, printers, photocopiers, toner cartridges, scanners, hard plastic casing surrounding electronics.
• Transportation electronic components, automobile fabrics, plastics and electronics.
• Household items kitchen appliances, fans, heaters or hair dryers, curtains and drapes, water heaters, and lamp sockets.

reduce your exposure (from the Environmental Working Group):

1. Inspect foam items. Replace anything with a ripped cover or foam that is misshapen and breaking down. If you cannot replace these items try to keep the covers intact. Beware of older items like car seats and mattress pads where the foam is not completely encased in a protective fabric.

2. Use a vacuum fitted with a HEPA filter. These vaccuums are more efficient at trapping small particles and will likely remove more contaminants and other allergens from your home. HEPA-filter air cleaners may also reduce particle-bound contaminants in your house.

3. Do not reupholster foam furniture. Even those items without PBDEs might contain poorly studied fire retardants with potentially harmful effects.

4. Be careful when removing old carpet. The padding may contain PBDEs. Keep your work area isolated from the rest of your home. Clean up with a HEPA-filter vacuum and mop to pick up as many of the small particles as possible.

5. When purchasing new products ask the manufacturers what type of fire retardants they use. Avoid products with brominated fire retardants, and opt for less flammable fabrics and materials, like leather, wool and cotton. Be aware that “natural” or latex foam will also contain fire retardants.

more resources:

Environmental Protection Agency’s  Guide to PBDEs
Environmental Working Group’s Guide to PBDEs