Category: Environmental Chemicals

Toxic Furniture and Industry Lies: Doc Recommendation

Fire retardant chemicals (also known as PBDEs) are released when humans and pets sit on furniture that contains them; they are toxic, volatile and travel widely into the air. These toxic chemicals have been linked to numerous serious health problems, including cancer. There is no scientific evidence in peer-reviewed journals that confirm these fire retardants in our sofas, beds and chairs really slow fires down enough to save lives.  These chemicals present significant risks to human health and well-being so if they do not definitively slow or retard fires, then why are they in our furniture? The HBO documentary ‘Toxic Hot Seat’ exposes the nexus of money, politics and power behind the answer.

Eye Health Threatened by Toxic Chemicals in the Air

The toxins from indoor and outdoor air pollution can trigger eye infections, dry eye disease, eye irritation, burning and itching and vision problems, including blurry vision.  This is nothing to take lightly.  Scientific studies have confirmed that if exposure to toxic air is prolonged it has the potential to cause chronic and even serious eye diseases like glaucoma.

Neurological Disorders Significantly Linked with Chemicals in Air Pollution

The results from a long-term study revealed a significant link between air pollution and an increased risk of hospital admissions for several neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementia-related conditions.

Toxic Chemicals from Food, Food Packaging and Personal Products Discovered in Dolphins, Whales

The results of a new study revealed concentrations of atrazine (an herbicide), DEP (an endocrine disrupting chemical from the phthalate family found in our plastics), NPE ( a chemical commonly used in processed food packaging) and endocrine-disrupting triclosan* (an antibacterial/antifungal chemical used as a pesticide and found in consumer products such as toothpaste, shampoos, conditioners, deodorants, some versions of soaps including dish-washing liquids and laundry detergents, hand creams and toys) in the bodies of stranded whales and dolphins.

Mobile Phone Light Linked with Colon Cancer: Are Toxins in LED Lights to Blame?

Scientists conducting a new research study have just released some disturbing results: Exposure to mobile phone light at night raises risk of colon (bowel) cancer.  The study revealed that LED “blue light” emitted by our electronic devices (that is, exposure to artificial light-at-night (ALAN) and particularly blue light spectrum) can worsen health problems–including increasing the risk for colon cancer by as much as 60 percent.

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: Health Threat Grows

After reviewing hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific studies researches have concluded that a growing number of chemicals in pesticides, flame retardants, and certain plastics have been linked to widespread health problems including infertility, diabetes, and impaired brain development.  Exposure to certain chemicals found in industrial and household goods has also been linked in new studies to obesity; to endometriosis, a painful and abnormal growth of tissue on the outside of the womb; and to polycystic ovary syndrome, a significant cause of infertility.

Mercury Pollution Uncovered in US National Parks

In a new scientific study spearheaded by a citizen science program, dragonflies revealed mercury pollution levels across US national parks.  The local research project has spurred the first nationwide survey of the toxic metal.  Given that the parks studied stretch across the entire U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii, the findings reflect levels of mercury throughout the country.