human toxome project

i remember watching a special on dateline nbc earlier this year about the toxic chemicals found in humans. dateline compared the levels of a "normal" family to those of one which did not eat fast food/ready made food and only used natural, chemical free products. much to the green family's dismay, the levels of toxicants in their blood were, for the most part, equal to those of the conventional family.

while looking for something else online today, i stumbled on the environmental working group's (the same organization that developed and maintains the skindeep database) human toxome project. the goal of the project is to really see the effect of industrial pollution on the human population by measuring how much of what chemicals are in people's blood. EWG took blood samples and tested them for 100s of different chemical compounds. the results are sorted by sex, geographic location, and age group. it's pretty interesting to see what chemicals are in, say, older people versus younger people...or even men versus women. you can also see the human health and environmental effects of the chemicals. it's pretty interesting stuff.

check out the study at http://www.ewg.org/sites/humantoxome/

lead & pvc free?

i bought this insulated lunch bag at walmart for $2.88 to take on hikes. the tag intrigued me as it says "ULTRA SAFE pvc & lead free lining - meets FDA & CPSC lead free standards". for $2.88, i'm sold. just for kicks i looked to see what it's made of - polyurethane foam.

here's how the three materials compare:
lead - leaches into food & causes neurological damage
pvc - leaches phthalates into food, which has been shown to cause liver damage and birth defects in lab rats (the production of pvc also creates dioxin, the most potent carcinogen known)
polyurethane foam - highly flammable

polyurethane foam is used in almost everything - car seats, mattresses, pretty much anything squishy and comfortable. not to say it's safe just because it's used in a number of products, but after a brief google, i couldn't find any compelling health effects. so there's no real health risk...just make sure not to keep it near your camp fire.

but is it really lead & pvc free? surprise! it's manufactured in china, so your guess is as good as mine.

sunscreens: the good, the bad, the ugly

the Environmental Working Group did an investigation of 1,000 brand name sunscreens to evaluate them for chemicals that may pose health hazards and their ability to protect from the sun. take a look at the results, methodology, and even search for the sunscreen you use here: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens2008/

EWG's top recommended brands:
1. Blue Lizard (anything without oxybenzone)
2. California Baby (anything with SPF 30+)
3. CVS with zinc oxide
4. Jason Natural Cosmetics Sunbrellas Mineral Based Sunblock
5. Kiss My Face “Paraben Free” series
6. Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Sunblock
7. Olay Defense Daily UV Moisturizer (with zinc)
8. SkinCeuticals Physical UV Defense
9. Solar Sense Clear Zinc for Face
10. Walgreens Zinc Oxide for Face, Nose, & Ears

the study also lists some tips on what to look for and what to avoid when buying sunscreen on their "Shopper's Guide for Safer Sunscreen"

what to look for:
• SPF 30 or higher for best protection.
• At least 7% zinc oxide or titanium dioxide for broad spectrum protection.

what to avoid:
• Oxybenzone or benzophenone-3: skin absorption, allergies, hormone problems
• Spray and powder sunscreens: inhaling sunscreens can pose extra risks
• Fragrance: allergies, reproductive problems
• Sunscreen with added bug repellent: you can get too much of the pesticide in your body
• Coppertone, Neutrogena and Banana Boat: fewer than 5% of their products are recommended as safe and effective

source: Environmental Working Group "Shopper's Guide to Safer Sunscreens" & SkinDeep database, www.cosmeticsdatabase.com