WOMEN, TOXINS, & CANCER & OTHER TOXIN RELATED PROBLEMS

 

Did you know?

In 1901, cancer was rare: 1 out of 8,000. Since the Industrial Revolution, the cancer rate today has risen to 1 in 3 and by the year 2002, it will be 1 in 2.[Source: The American Cancer Society]

We spend 90% of our time indoor, and 65% of our time at home. Moms, infants and the elderly spend 90% of their time in the home.

National Cancer Association released results of a 15 year study concluding that women who work in the home are at a 54% higher risk of developing cancer than women who work outside the home.

There has been a 26% increase in breast cancer since 1982. Breast cancer is the Number ONE killer of women between the ages of 35 and 54. Primary suspects are laundry detergents, household cleaners and pesticides.

In one decade, there has been a 42% increase in asthma (29% for men, 82% for women). The higher rate for women is believed to be due to women’s longer exposure times to household chemicals. [Source: Center for Disease Control]

Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, circulatory disorders, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and hormonal problems are diseases commonly related to chemical exposure.

 

Did You Know?

 

Formaldehyde, phenol, benzene, toluene, xylene are found in common household cleaners, cosmetics, beverages, fabrics and cigarette smoke. These chemicals are cancer causing and toxic to the immune system.

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has found more than 2500 chemicals in cosmetics that are toxic, cause tumors, reproductive complications, biological mutations and skin and eye irritations.

Of the chemicals found in personal care products:
·884 are toxic
·146 cause tumors
·218 cause reproductive complications
·778 cause acute toxicity
·314 cause biological mutations
·376 cause skin and eye irritations
[Source: United States House of Representatives Report, 1989]

An EPA survey concluded that indoor air was 3 to 70 times more polluted than outdoor air.

CMHC reports that houses today are so energy efficient that "outgassing" of chemicals has no where to go, so it builds up inside the home.

Bleach is being linked to the rising rates of breast cancer in women, reproductive problems in men and learning and behavioral problems in children.  See Info Below There has been a call from the U.S./ Canadian Commission to ban bleach in North America.

 

Why is this happening? 

 

The United States of America Federal Code of Regulations exempts manufacturers from full labeling of products if used for personal, family or household care.[Source USA FCR: Section 1910.1200C, Title 29, Section 1500.82 2Q1A]  this must chnge.

Inert (or inactive) ingredients in products are protected by trade secrets and very dangerous. In the work place Material Safety Data Sheets must accompany any product used. The work place and the outdoors are considered legal environments while the air in homes is not.

Government regulations require that only the most EXTREMELY toxic substances must contain a warning label. Labels that say the following should be removed from your house immediately:
·“Do not induce vomiting”
·“Corrosive – rinse from skin immediately”
·“Harmful or fatal if swallowed”
·“Call physician immediately”
·“Warning!” (may mean that as little as 1 teaspoon of product can harm or kill adult)
·“Danger!” (means that as little as 5 drops can harm or kill an adult)
   this must chnge

Right-To-Know laws only cover the workforce.

Warning labels on containers refer only to toxic hazards from ingestion; however, only 10% of health problems from chemicals are caused by ingestion. 90% are caused by the inhalation of vapors and absorption of particles.

Pesticides only have to include active ingredients on the labels, even though the inert (inactive) ingredients may account for 99%, many of which are toxic and poisons. 

The New York Poison Control Center reports that 85% of product warning labels were either inadequate or incorrect for identifying a poison, and for first aid instructions.

Chemical names are often disguised by using innocuous trade names, and most chemicals can be listed under several different synonyms to make it even more confusing.  this is  crime

A product that kills 50% of lab animals through ingestion or inhalation can still be designated "non-toxic."

More than 72,000 synthetic chemicals have been produced since WW II.

Less than 2% of synthetic chemicals have been tested for toxicity, mutagenic, carcinogenic, or birth defects.

 

 

 

 

Bleach

Did you know that a pesticide is added to your washing machine to help keep your white clothes white? This pesticide is also found in many household cleaning products that contain a "disinfectant" to kill germs. And it is found in household products used to clean mold and mildew from your shower or tub. Can you guess what this pesticide is? Chlorine Bleach!

You wouldn't think that ordinary chlorine bleach is a pesticide - but it is. Because it kills bacteria- and viruses it is called a disinfectant or an antimicorbial pesticide. And because it kills fungi and molds it is also known as a fungicide.

If you are responsible for doing laundry or other types of cleaning as some of your chores around the house, you may be using liquid chlorine bleach to do the job. If so, you need to be sure to always "Read the Label First" to know how to properly use this product and for safety information. Also, be sure your parents know what household products you are using. They can make sure you use them safely.

What's in it?

Standard household bleach contains the chemical sodium hypochlorite.

What health and safety things do you need to think about with chlorine bleach?
Liquid bleach in the bottle is a 5.25% sodium hypochlorite solution. That means 5.25% of the liquid is the chemical sodium hypochlorite and the rest is mostly water. The number 5.25% tells you how strong the concentration of a chemical is. Look at the labels of other household cleaning products that contain bleach in your home. Some contain sodium hypochlorite or chlorine bleach in concentrations of .7%, 1.8% and 2.4%.

Never mix a chlorine bleach with any other household or cleaning products. Doing so can result in different types of harmful acids being formed. Poisonous gasses can also be released that will cause very serious breathing problems.

Always be careful when using chlorine bleach. Because it comes in 1 gallon jugs the container can be a little hard to handle. Spills and splashes happen. Not only will the bleach damage your clothing but it is irritating to your skin and can cause serious damage to your eyes, even blindness. As with any chemical, your exposure to it is important to know.

Mercury

Got Mercury? Get Tested

How much mercury do you have in your body? Mercury affects the health of everyone, especially women and young children. One in six women of childbearing age in this country has enough mercury in her body to put her baby at risk. The Sierra Club is cosponsoring a project to raise awareness about the dangers of mercury pollution. For a small fee, you can order a test kit to find out how much mercury you have in your body. Just snip a small sample of hair and send it to an academic laboratory at the University of North Carolina-Asheville, which will process your results.

New Hampshire state legislators took the test. Read about it in the Concord Monitor.

Teflon

A new study by John Hopkins University has found a chemical pollutant from the production of grease-proof food wrapping and Teflon (PFOA) in the umbilical chords of nearly every baby tested. The test found that 298 out of 300 blood samples from umbilical chords tested positive for PFOA, which has been categorized as a likely carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency's Science Advisory Board. The EPA has also accused DuPont of covering up a 1981 study that found PFOA passed from DuPont's pregnant employees to fetuses. Late last year, DuPont agreed to pay a record $10.25 million fine for failing to tell the EPA about its studies that found PFOA to be "extremely toxic".
http://www.organicconsumers.org/toxic/teflon2.cfm

More interesting information

Toxic chemicals common in body
 By Robert Hager
NBC NEWS
Jan. 30, 2003

When scientists sampled Andrea Martin’s blood and urine to see what toxins she’d picked up from the world around her, she got a surprise. “I had 95 chemical contaminants in my little body. And it was very mind blowing,” said Martin. The test results indicate that we all pick up tiny amounts of an astounding number of chemicals that are known to be dangerous in larger doses.

MARTIN AND eight others were tested by Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York and an advocacy organization called
the Environmental Working Group.  On average, the nine participants had traces of 53 chemicals known to cause cancer in human or animal tests. In addition, they had an average of 62 chemicals toxic to the brain or nervous system, plus 55 associated with birth defects.  The scientists did not find any single substance in amounts the government describes as unhealthy, but said the sheer number of chemicals was unnerving, especially given the uncertainty about the health effects of trace amounts.

For the rest of the story go to MSNBC:
Toxic Chemicals Common In The Body
http://www.msnbc.com/news/866641.asp?0cv=CB10
When you get to the site be sure to view the video clip with Tom Brokaw on NBC news day.

What is in your blood?

Body Burden

Scientists refer to this contamination as a person's body burden. Of the 167 chemicals found, 76 cause cancer in humans or animals, 94 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 79 cause birth defects or abnormal development. The dangers of exposure to these chemicals in combination has never been studied.

Go to the website to see the results in detail. There are subsequent pages to the study to be found there.
http://www.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden/es.php