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 Sunscreens:
What Works and What's Safe
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens/
Does your sunscreen work? An investigation of nearly 1,000
brand-name sunscreen products finds that 4 out of 5 contain
chemicals that may pose health hazards or don't adequately protect
skin from the sun's damaging rays. Some of the worst offenders are
leading brands like Coppertone, Banana Boat, and Neutrogena.
Killer Cribs: Protecting
Infants and Children from Toxic Exposure
http://www.foe.org/pdf/Killer_Cribs_Report.pdf
Friends of the Earth has found that commonly used baby and
children’s products, and upholstered household furniture contain
dangerous levels of toxic chemicals called halogenated fire
retardants. 56% of all infant carriers, 44% of all car seats, 40% of
all strollers and 19% of all portable cribs were found to have high
levels of halogenated fire retardants.
Guide to Infant Formula
and Baby Bottles
http://www.ewg.org/book/export/html/25570
Liquid infant formula from the top manufacturers is sold in cans
lined with a toxic chemical linked to reproductive disorders and
neurobehavioral problems in laboratory animals, according to an
investigation by Environmental Working Group (EWG). The chemical is
almost as common in the packaging of powdered formula, with 4 of the
top 5 companies acknowledging its use. Specifically regarding baby
bottles and leaching BPA:
http://www.ewg.org/node/25572
Which Baby Bottles Are The
Safest?
http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/ask/saferbabybottles
"A few months ago, as I prepared for my second baby's arrival, I
had concerns about toxic chemicals leaching from plastic bottles
into milk, and looked for tempered glass bottles instead. I searched
every baby store around, but my only option was to call and
mail-order bottles from the manufacturer. Are there any more sources
for glass or other safer materials available to parents?"
 Michigan: Time for the Senate to Protect Children and the Great
Lakes
Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health,
July 9, 2008
Thanks to
the support of people like you, we recently won a bi-partisan
victory in our efforts to restrict the toxic pesticide lindane when
the Michigan House voted overwhelmingly (72-35) to pass HB 4569!
Congratulations once again to each of you who helped!
But, our work is not done. HB 4569, which would allow lindane to be
used only under a doctor's direct supervision, is now sitting in the
Senate Health Policy Committee, awaiting a hearing from Committee
Chair Senator Tom George and the support of your Senator.
We need your help now to pass this commonsense
measure to protect Michigan's children and our Great Lakes.
The details: Lindane is a toxic pesticide that has been banned for
use in more than 50 countries and the state of California, and is no
longer used on pets, in agriculture, or in the military anywhere in
the U.S. But you can still put lindane on children's heads or whole
bodies as part of a treatment for head lice or scabies. Even with
proper use, this pesticide can be absorbed through the skin and
misuse can result in serious side effects. Lindane has been labeled
a "Bioaccumulative Chemical of Concern" in the Great Lakes.
We need your help
to pass HB 4569 to establish commonsense measures in
Michigan to require use of lindane only under a doctor's direct
supervision. Health professional organizations like Michigan's
Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Michigan Nurses
Association support the legislation, noting the availability of
safer, effective, affordable alternatives. Major environmental
organizations in the state support the legislation, noting the toxic
impacts of what the U.S. EPA classifies as an "Extremely Hazardous
Substance" and a "Priority Pollutant" under the Clean Water Act.
Read more.
Of course, the opposition has hired high-powered lobbyists in
Lansing to fight the legislation. But, the overwhelming victory for
kids and the Great Lakes in the House indicates that this bill can
win in the Senate too with your help. So, please
send an e-mail today to your Senator and to
Senate Health Policy Chairman Tom George asking them to pass this
important bill!
Click here for more background on this important
issue.
Take Action NOW!
Thanks for your support!
Michigan State Representative
Ted Hammon of Burton Calls on Senate to Approve New Rules for Toxic
Head-lice Drug
http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/voices/index.ssf/2008/06/state_representative_ted_hammo.html
Every year, thousands of well-meaning parents turn to medicated
shampoos and lotions to treat a problem that can easily spread
through any classroom: Head lice. What many parents don't know is
that a popular drug used to treat head lice is more toxic than
household pesticides such as Raid. The drug, Lindane, is so
dangerous that it is banned in 52 countries.
Michigan: Protect Children, Fire Fighters, and
the Great Lakes: Limit Toxic Flame-Retardants - Support HB 4465!
http://www.mnceh.org/documents/DECAfactsheet-06-06.pdf
Fighting fires does not have to have toxic consequences. PBDEs,
flame-retardants that are rapidly accumulating in our bodies and the
Great Lakes, have been found to be toxic to animals and may threaten
our own health. Safe, affordable alternatives are available.
What are PFCs (Perfluorochemicals)?
Environmental Working Group,
http://www.ewg.org/node/26667
PFCs are widely-used water, grease and stain repellents. They’re
found in carpets and on clothes, on fast-food wrappers, and on the
inner lining of pet food bags. You might know them as Teflon®,
ScotchgardTM, Stainmaster® and Gore-Tex®. They pollute
water, are persistent in the environment, and remain in the human
body for years. Companies that manufacture PFCs have agreed to phase
out one variety, called PFOA, by 2015. Unfortunately, there’s no
evidence that the chemicals being used to replace it are any safer.
What problems are associated with PFCs?
PFCs are associated with smaller birth weight and size in newborn
babies, elevated cholesterol, abnormal thyroid hormone levels, liver
inflammation, and weaker immune defense against disease--all good
reasons to reduce your exposure.
How to Avoid PFCs
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Forgo the optional stain
treatment on new carpets and furniture. Find products that
haven’t been pre-treated, and if the couch you own is treated,
get a cover for it.
-
Choose clothing that doesn’t
carry Teflon® or ScotchgardTM
tags. This includes fabric labeled stain- or water-repellent.
When possible, opt for untreated cotton and wool.
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Avoid non-stick pans and
kitchen utensils. Opt for stainless steel or cast iron instead.
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Cut back on greasy packaged and
fast foods. These foods often come in treated wrappers.
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Use real plates instead of
paper.
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Pop popcorn the old-fashioned
way on the stovetop. Microwaveable popcorn bags are often coated
with PFCs on the inside.
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Choose personal care products
without “PTFE” or “perfluoro” in the ingredients. Use EWG’s Skin
Deep at
http://cosmeticsdatabase.com to find safer choices.
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Subscribe to "Toxic Times"
http://www.mnceh.org/toxictimes/news.php
"Toxic Times" is a weekly recap of the
top stories on toxics from the Michigan Network for Children's
Environmental Health.
CHE Partnership
Call: How Industrial Animal Farms Impact Health and the
Environment
This call will take place on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at
10:00 a.m. PST/1:00 p.m. EST. American industrial animal farms
contribute to major environmental and human-health problems,
according to a recent report from the Pew Commission on Industrial
Farm Animal Production. The two-year study outlines the negative
impacts that the industrial farm animal production system has on
public health, the environment, rural communities and animal
welfare, and it proposes some measures to reduce them. Among the
topics the speakers will discuss are hormones, pollution and overuse
of antibiotics. Visit
http://www.healthandenvironment.org/articles/partnership_calls/3868
for more information or to register for this free call.
Other CHE Partnership Calls
http://www.healthandenvironment.org/news/calls
You can also listen to previous calls,
download documentation and view call blogs at this website.
LDA of Michigan's Healthy Children
Project Offering Conference Co-Sponsorships
http://www.ldaofmichigan.org/conf.cosponsorships.pdf
LDA would like to co-sponsor up to three (3)
statewide conferences of 501(c)3 non-profit organizations which are
dedicated to children’s health issues and family memberships. Those
selected will receive $500 from the LDA HCP to help support their
overall conference. To learn more, download the
PDF information
sheet and
Microsoft
Word application form.
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Call toll free at
888-597-7809 or 517-485-8160