MOM’s UNITE!!! And you, too dads, aunts, and uncles…

Jennifer here.

I’m not an “overprotective” mom. I’m not a germophobe either. But right now, I’m on high alert for protecting the BLOOD of my 3 children from chemicals and I’m angry. I’m angry that I have to protect them from CHEMICALS at all. I’m angry that I haven’t had easy access to critical information about the products I have been using to feed them, clothe them, clean my home with or sleep on with them. I’m angry that my kids are getting poisoned even though I try my best to keep them safe and keep myself informed.

There is a glimmer of hope though, I believe, because information is getting out and mom’s are taking a stand and getting involved.

They are getting involved right now to help pass a new bill has been introduced in Congress called the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010 that could really make a difference in how we regulate the chemical industry.I am also hopeful because I know a lot more now thanks to groups like Healthy Child, Healthy World, Three Branches Healthy Living, New Living (of which I am partner) Air Alliance Houston, and more. I thought I was doing everything I could by giving birth to them naturally, breastfeeding, and eating a balanced diet. Little did I know……

Here’s the top 5 things I’m pissed about and I’m going to do something about it:

1. The BOTTLES I had to use when I had trouble with my milk production were likely leaching toxic chemicals like BPA and phthalates into the milk they were drinking. Read more.
2. The PJs they were sleeping in given to me by generous and loving friends and family members were treated with flame retardants that can get into their bloodstream and cause developmental problems. Read More.
3. My own BREASTMILK was probably laced with chemicals. In a study done in 2003 women from the U.S. had the highest concentration of FIRE RETARDANTS found in our breastmilk. It was 75 times the average found in European women’s breastmilk. Fire retardants effect human fertility among other things.
4. Not to mention the untested, chemicals such as stain proofing or waterproofing on the fabrics in their CAR SEATS or the lead that is in the buckles. Read more and find out what’s in your child’s car seat here.
5. The PLAYGROUND. YES. The PLAYGROUND. Laced with pesticides, pressure-treated lumber that leaches arsenic, artificial playing fields made from crushed rubber tired that off-gas VOCs and the list goes on.

Why did those chemical companies get to DUMP THOSE CHEMICALS into everyday household products, into our COMMUNITIES into OUR KID’S BODIES??????  Why haven’t these products been tested or outlawed? Who is studying these chemicals?  Who is regulating them?  Who is protecting our kids?

VOTE WITH YOUR DOLLARS AND YOUR TIME.

Here’s 5 things you can do:

1. Read the book, Healthy Child, Healthy World, by Christopher Gavigan or Toxic Bedrooms, by Walt Bader to find out more you can do to clean up your home and community.
2. Learn about the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010 making its way through Congress right now.
3. Pass around this blogpost and tell your friends about how they can get involved, too.
4. Contact your legislators about the Safe Chemicals Act.
5. Come to New Living’s panel discussion on Wednesday, August 11th from 12 – 1 to learn about how the Safe Chemicals Act will affect our community.

I hope to see you soon.  Moms can and will change the world.  Even though we’re really busy, and tired, and working….

- Jennifer Touchet

What do your paint and dead people have in common?

Formaldehyde!

Anyone who has ever painted a room with conventional paint knows that the smell of paint is terrible. Typically, you have to wear a mask, can’t stay in the room for a few days, and may even feel dizzy or get a headache. This is because conventional paints are filled with harmful chemicals known as VOCs (volatile organic compounds) which emit toxic chemicals into your home (even after the paint dries) and can be detrimental to your health. One of the worst chemicals in conventional paints is also one that is used by morticians to preserve the dead: formaldehyde.

Although safe to use on the recently deceased, formaldehyde can effect the health of adults and children in a variety of negative ways. Multiple studies have found links between the use of paint and childhood cancers. A University of California study found a significant association between rooms painted and an increase in leukemia by 65 percent. Furthermore, mothers who used paint during pregnancy were three-times as likely to have a child with acute lymphobalstic leukemia. There have been several other studies that have uncovered links and associations between formaldehyde and cancers among adults. Studies of paint workers have revealed that they are at a higher risk for cancer of the bladder, lungs, pancreas, liver, and stomach because of their exposure to formaldehyde and other toxic chemicals in paint.

The formaldehyde in paints has also been linked to skin irritations, eye irritations, bronchitis, and can cause problems in the central nervous system. The U.S. National Cancer Instituted found in a 2009 study that the longer funeral workers spent embalming bodies with formaldehyde the more likely they were to to develop certain types of cancer – particularly those who were involved in embalming for more than 20 years. Formaldehyde can also trigger asthma – a condition which has increased nearly 600% since 1980.

To keep yourself and your home from smelling like the dead and causing health problems that could put you six feet under, it’s important you look at the label of all the paints that you buy to see how much formaldehyde it contains. While formaldehyde is federally regulated, many paint companies still carry it at “safe” levels – even though medical evidence suggest the safest level of formaldehyde is none. Read the labels of the paints you purchase, buy paints that don’t contain any VOCs (typically called No VOCs or Zero VOCs), and make sure that the colorants put into the paint don’t contain any VOC. No VOC paints not only are absent of formaldehyde, but they don’t have any other Volatile Organic Compounds making them safe to use! Most who use them say there is very little smell and never feel dizzy or develop the headaches that they once did with conventional paints. Using non-toxic No VOC paints will help you stay away from formaldehyde in your home and in your body for a very long time.

Further Reading

CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Fact Sheet on Formaldehyde

U.S. EPA on Indoor Air Quality and Formaldehyde

Environmental Health Perspectives on the Links between Formaldehyde and Asthma

National Funeral Directors Association on Explain Recent Studies about the Risk of Formaldehyde

Is your mattress toxic? (Hint: probably)

Celebrate freedom from toxic chemicals and petroleum in your bedroom.

Did you know the mattress industry is not required by law to disclose the chemicals that are in your mattress? Yet we spend almost a 1/3 or more of our lives on our mattresses and usually we are half naked.  Human skin is absorbent so the toxins from flame retardants and formaldehyde in the adhesives are absorbed through your skin and inhaled into your lungs.  Your mattress may be the cause of restless nights or health problems.

DECLARE YOURSELF free from the lack of transparency and demand to know what is in your mattress.  If you’re ready to toss or better yet RECYCLE your old one, you can purchase a non-toxic mattress that is free from dangerous flame retardants and has third-party certifications such as Greenguard that verify their safety.   Additionally, you can check the validity of manufacturer’s claims based on certifications for certain raw materials such as Certified Organic Cotton.

A few weeks ago, I was in a national chain store that sells products for people’s backs and I asked the sales staff exactly what was in the Tempur-pedic mattress because of my asthma. They told me it was “proprietary” but that I could be “assured it was safe”.  How comforting and NO THANK YOU!

Your mattress can emit dangerous VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) into the air in your bedroom and your home for weeks and even years after you purchase it.  Some of the short term symptoms have been associated with some mattresses are: rashes, headaches, breathing difficulties and blurred vision.  Other people have reported side effects such as fatigue, nausea, and difficulty concentrating.

In 2006, a study was performed on memory foam mattresses in which chemical emissions were collected over a 96-hour period.   In total, memory foam mattresses emitted 61 VOC chemicals and traditional innerspring mattresses emitted 39 different chemicals.  In addition to known chemicals such as formaldehyde and toluene, some of these chemicals are solvents.  They are found in the adhesives used to bond together mattress layers and wood frames.   A few that were identified are:  styrene, isopropylbenzene, limonene, trimethylbenzene, nitrobenzene, ethylbenzene and dichlorobenzene.   Many of these chemicals are listed as Class C carcinogens or are classified as harmful by the EPA, the California Health and Welfare Agency, and the International Agency of Research of Cancer (IARC).  Yet, we take these mattresses to our bedrooms unaware that our health may be jeopardized because we have never been made aware of the potential risks.

I had a very nice innerspring mattress before I knew anything about the chemicals in mattresses and I used to wake up every morning with a little rattle in my chest and I never knew why.  That rattle disappeared when I switched to an all natural latex mattress.

Over 70,000 chemicals are on the market today that have never been tested for safety and they are showing up in our bedrooms and our bodies.  Fortunately, there is currently proposed legislation to require testing for safety before a chemical is released into the market.  One way you can help is by supporting the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010 through the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families organization.

If you want to know more about mattresses, we invite you to attend our next workshop called, “What is a healthy mattress and how to shop for a mattress” this Saturday, July 10th at 9:30 am at New Living at 6111 Kirby Drive,  RSVP to jennifer@newliving.net  713-521-1921.

Jennifer Touchet

American Lung Association event at New Living 6-11-09 10:30-11:30AM

Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors.  Over the coming months, as red ozone days are sure to come, and the heat index in Houston gets to 100+ degrees, we are warned to stay inside.  However, even without going outside, poor air quality can still be a problem.   Indoor air quality is effected by many of the everyday products you use in your home such as cleaning supplies, paint, furniture, mattresses, and building materials.  There are many healthier alternatives to these items that parents can use such as bleach-free dishwashing soap, no-voc paint, and organic mattresses.  Improving indoor air quality can have a positive effect on children and adults suffering from asthma and allergies. New Living and the American Lung Association are teaming up for a short session on improving indoor air quality in your family’s home.  There will be helpful hints as well as new green home products that are accessible and affordable for the everyday consumer.

Additionally, childcare and refreshments will be provided.

All attendees will be entered in to win free NOVOC non-toxic paint for one room in any color and a kit of non-toxic home cleaning supplies.

RSVP or register for childcare to:  CRedwine@breathehealthy.org

Meet at New Living on Kirby Drive in Rice Village (park on Times or Rice Blvd)

6111 Kirby Dr.
Houston, Texas, 77005
Thursday, June 11
10:30-11:30 am
Phone:  713-521-1921

Hope to see you there.

25 ways to improve your indoor air quality

The Daily Green is a great resource for anyone wanting to start greening their life.  This week they published some great tips by the American Lung Association with ways to improve indoor air quality.  Click here for the 25 tips.

The air in your home is the most important thing to monitor and usually the first place to try to make some changes. Some of my favorite tips are:
1.Use low-VOC Paints – Paints contain volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) that include highly toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. Eco-friendly paint options such as Yolo, Mythic and AFM Safecoat offer low and no VOC lines.
2. Test for Radon – Radon is an odorless, invisible gas that occurs naturally in soil and rock and can only be detected through testing. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers.
3. Use eco-friendly flooring and wood that does not contain formaldehyde.
4. Keeping the humidity level below 50% will help eliminate asthma triggers and other related air problems.

Hopefully this list will help you get educated on different options to improve your air quality at home.