A Common Chemical Dangerous for Pregnant Women, A NEW Study Reveals

As the committee hearing and debate goes on this summer over the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010 even more information has come out about the links between the chemicals in our homes and the danger it poses to our health. This serves as an urgent reminder that consumers need the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010 to help protect them.

In mid-June, multiple national news outlets reported on a new study published by Environmental Health Perspectives that found further links connecting PBDEs – a common chemical used as a flame retardants in carpets, mattresses, couches, and electronics -  to problems with the thyroid hormone in pregnant women. The study, which looked at 270 pregnant women, found that women with higher levels of PBDEs in their bodies had lower levels of the thyroid stimulating hormone in their bodies by anywhere from 10.9 to 18.7%. These levels meet the definition for sub-clinical hyperthyroidism – indicating an early stage of thyroid malfunction. When the thyroid malfunctions (know as clinical hyperthyroidism) pregnant woman can possibly have children with birth defects, suffer from in-uterine growth problems, experience miscarriages, or have stillbirths.

What’s most shocking about the study, researchers note, is that the levels of PBDEs that were tested in women and caused sub-clinical hyperthyroidism is fairly typical among American women. These are risk that most American woman – who are exposed to products like conventional mattresses, carpets,  foam couches, and electronics – face. This is due in large part to antiquated flame retardant regulations, most companies refusal to use non-toxic alternatives in products that we use, and poor regulation of toxic chemicals by federal agencies. Matthew S. Tejada, the executive director of Air Alliance Houston*, believes that these types of discoveries about how our home environment effects our health aren’t going to end. He says “On the health perspective, the horror story is only going to get worse. The deeper we dig as more research is done, we are only going to find [out] more about the nasty impacts of what we buy.”

As more studies like this one are released and as we discover more about the dangerous chemicals in products we use everyday, it’s becoming increasingly clear that we need regulations to protect us as consumers so that we don’t have to live in fear. The Safe Chemicals Act can protect us and it’s something we need NOW. Tejada says “For decades we just let these chemicals go totally unregulated. The way food and medicine are regulated is [good], but the regulatory structure formed by the EPA is so weak that it’s effectively not regulated.” The Safe Chemicals Act is a strong start towards something that has enormous potential to help us as consumers find safe products for our family and ourselves, helping to ensure that we are protected from chemicals like PBDEs. Click here to send a letter to congress and find out more about what you can do to support the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010.

If you’re wondering what to do now though, the best way to protect yourself is by researching what’s in the products in your home and making smart decisions by choosing non-toxic alternatives that we are sure are safe for our homes and our families.

Find out more:

The Environmental Health Perspectives Study Profiled Here

LA Times – Household Chemicals Linked to Reduced Fertility

Slate Magazine – Why are flame retardants required in furniture anyway?

* Air Aliance Houston is a group that works on outdoor and indoor air quality in the Houston-Galveston region. To see their website click here.

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

Mattress and a Massage

Join us after work to relax on a natural mattress and enjoy a mini-massage, its on us! Mattress space is limited, so please RSVP to events@newliving.net.

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.

Gulf Coast Green – The green event of the year

If there’s one event you should make an effort to get out and see this year, it’s Gulf Coast Green. The event showcases Green building practices and vendors in Houston and from the entire Gulf Coast. This will be our second year at the show and we plan for it to be even bigger and better than last year. This year, we will be sharing our booth with Green Bank, Waste Management’s Green Squad, and Naturalcare Cleaning Company.  We will be showcasing many of our products including a new budget-friendly line of high quality no-voc paint and one of our lines of organic mattresses for you to test out. We will also have samples of our Icestone recycled glass countertops, and eco-flooring such as cork and bamboo. The event is at Reliant Park April 18th and 19th. 
 
Gulf Coast Green 2009 SYMPOSIUM is the leading green building conference targeted to design and construction professionals within the Gulf Coast region, organized by the AIA Houston Committee on the Environment. This year’s symposium explores sustainable principles and practices at a community scale, including Keynote Speakers Alex Steffen, Steve Mouzon, and Doug Farr.

Following the GCG Symposium is the 2-day HOUSTON GREEN EXPO, free and open to the public on April 18 and 19 at Reliant Park. A collaboration of AIA Houston COTE and the City of Houston, it is the largest green product expo in the city, offering the latest in green companies and their products for living a green life. The Expo will also offer educational presentations targeted to homeowners and interactive programs for children and young adults. The Houston Green Expo is free and open to the public, and requires no advance registration.

Organic mattress showroom trip.

Jeff and I recently inducted our new green intern, Meg, to the Las Vegas Furniture market last week and it’s taken us all a week to recover.  We went to learn about organic and natural mattresses and boy did we.  We probably laid on 50 mattresses each in a period of 2 days.  This is a highly competitive and growing market and every mattress company in America seems to be jumping on the organic bandwagon.  But we went looking for the real deal,  the companies who are truly committed to healthy, green living and who are totally transparent.  This is a daunting task but that’s the kind of environment we’re creating at New Living.  Check out this informational page from OMI that give you a bit more information about organic mattresses. We are doing all of the research upfront so we can be the most informed green retailers in town.  We are sooooo excited to get these babies into the store so our customers can finally have a place to actually lay on, touch, feel, and smell a healthy mattress before they buy one.  We have been researching mattresses for months and going to this market was a great learning opportunity. And maybe then I can take a much needed nap!

Posted: February 18th, 2009 | Author: Jennifer Touchet | Filed under: Healthy Home | Tags: greenwashing, latex mattress, organic mattress | 1 Comment »

Organic Mattresses in the New York Times

The New York Times recently ran an article about the organic mattress industry. The article, “The Stuffing Dreams are Made of?”, does a wonderful job discussing what is in organic mattresses, as well as how these materials may harm or help you. New Living is currently carrying several lines of organic mattresses including  Keetsa and Natura World, please call us or come by to order one. Learn more on our detailed FAQ page.