TIP TALKS

The Newsletter of the Toxics Information Project (TIP)

Summer 2003

Director’s Greeting

With this issue, TIP initiates its promised newsletter. The first question I want to raise and answer is: Why? Of course, the assumption could be made, “Well, organizations usually have one. That’s why.” But in an era of harried people with limited energy and time, bombarded by all kinds of informational or propaganda sources, I believe it is important to carefully think out the purpose and utility of yet one more publication. And I think that TIP TALKS, as envisioned, will be different – not a typical newsletter. How?

TIP TALKS will address what I like to call the Spectrum of Sensitivity – the wide range of reactions perceived by people exposed to the chemicals in everyday products. There is a tremendous gap between the ordinary person who senses no problems from such, and the person sick with MCS or CFIDS, so exhausted and reactive that they barely dare leave their homes and may be surviving on disability payments. The latter are the most affected of a group dubbed “Canaries”, after the birds that miners used to take below ground with them as living alarm systems to warn them of toxic fumes. The principle holds in the wider world – the more vulnerable canary becomes sick first, may even die – but if the miner does not remove himself from the fumes, he will also be overcome by the toxins. TIP TALKS wishes to speak to ALL the people exposed to toxic chemicals, from the ones who may react with a slight headache, to those sickened for an hour, to the ones eventually afflicted with chronic conditions like asthma and allergies, and to those who may be unaware of the carcinogenic possibilities of some products they buy and use.

TIP TALKS will confront the abundance of information on the Internet, and attempt to save its readers the hours of surfing needed to emerge with small, practical TIPs, bits of information that will clarify questions and provide easy, simple steps toward living a less-toxic life. We will also provide tastes of topics which readers might want to explore further, through Web links given or through TIP handouts. Mostly, we’ll try to keep things short and to the point, based on several fairly simple principles:

Categories of Concern – What should we look for, in general – what in our lives should trigger a questioning, critical response? Examples include cleaning chemicals, fragrance, pesticides, new furnishings and building/remodeling materials. Having waded through the info about different chemicals, we’ll try to give readers general TIPs that don’t require a scientific degree for decisionmaking. For example, you don’t need to know which of the thousands of synthetic petroleum-based derivatives is in a product to know that “fragrance” includes some that would be good to avoid. You don’t need to realize what the “80% inerts” on a label include to understand that they could be anything at all – including something that is the active ingredient in another pesticide.

Prioritizing. You don’t need to do complicated figuring or go 100% organic to take very effective steps to reduce your exposure to toxics. We simplify the process by emphasizing the most toxic, most used and easiest to replace. You choose based on your own life style and the most comfortable changes for you.

TIP TALKS will be responsive. Few newsletters include “letters to the editor” as a significant feature. We will seek and encourage questions, problems, solutions sent in by subscribers. We’ll join the discussion, drawing on our ongoing research, initiating research in response to questions, and print useful input from other subscribers. For those wanting to work through individual problems more extensively, we offer a “Supporter” level option that includes a personal consultation with our Director by phone or E-Mail.

You can help us to be different – and valuable! Send us your comments and questions today!

Liberty Goodwin, Director, Toxics Information Project (TIP)

FRAGRANCE-FREE SUNBLOCKS

TerraSport™ and AquaSport™ sunblocks claim to protect you from the sun under intense activity and harsh environmental conditions, to dry super fast without alcohol and not sting your eyes. Both formulas are PABA-free, contain no petroleum chemicals or animal by-products, and are not tested on animals. The active ingredient is Z-Cote transparent zinc oxide which is recognized by the FDA as a Category 1 Skin Protectant and is recommended for use on compromised or environmentally challenged skin. It is described as a non-toxic substance that will not cause allergic reactions.

Coppertone Spectra 3 Water Babies Triple Protection Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50, 6 fl oz (177 ml) provides UVA/UVB protection through fortification with zinc oxide. It also contains vitamins A, C, E, and Chamomile, and is both alcohol and fragrance-free. For adults and children

6 months of age and older.

WARNING GIVEN RE: SUNSCREEN & DEET COMBINATION

University of Manitoba pharmaceutical researcher Dr. Xiaochen Gu says using mosquito repellents with DEET and sunscreens with oxybenzone together increases their absorption rates. That could increase the risk of side effects like skin allergy, hypertension, headaches and seizures, especially in children.

Dr. Gu is also especially interested in how sunscreens and bug repellents affect children and seniors. "Children have a large body surface area and tender skin, making them more prone to cross-skin absorption,” he says. “People over 65 tend to have thinner skin and have had years of exposure to sun, which also makes their skin absorb more of these chemicals,"

INSECT REPELLENTS

Switch Hitter: A chemically sensitive friend told me about an odd use for a familiar product. Basic H laundry detergent from Shaklee. She says she used it as a highly effective bug repellent while she was living in Florida! Drove off the mosquitos, sand flies, etc.

Zero Bite by Raincoast Natural Products 1-800-206-4950. Suggested by Lynn Ruggeri of our advisory committee, Zero Bite utilizes field and lab tested plant extracts. It claims to give 4 hours of protection against ticks, black flies, mosquitoes etc. Available at some health food stores. Aubrey Organics has a similar product called GonE! but Lynn has found Zero Bite works better.

Bite Blocker, from Consep, Inc.,

Bend, Oregon) Ingredients: Soybean Oil, Purified Water, Coconut Oil, Glycerin, Geranium Oil, Citric Acid, Lecithin, Sodium Bicarbonate and Vanillin.

In studies at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, this product gave more than 97% protection against Aedes mosquitoes under field conditions, even 3.5 hours after application. During the same period, a 6.65% DEET-based spray afforded 86% protection, and Avon Skin-So-Soft citronella-based repellent only 40% protection. In a second study, Bite Blocker provided a mean ± SD of 200 ± 30 minutes of complete protection from mosquito bites

LABELS 101: SUMMER OBFUSCATION

This season’s examples of vague and misleading claims & product info:

1. OFF!® Skintastic® Family Formula boldly displays “Unscented” on the front of the bottle and “fragrance” in small print under the content list on the back. Bonus – along with the eagerly touted aloe vera, you’ll find DEET as an active ingredient!

2. OFF!® Botanicals™ Insect Repellent is, according to their website, “a unique formula containing a new ingredient that duplicates the repellent naturally occurring in lemon eucalyptus oil”. “Question: Does OFF!® Botanicals™ Insect Repellent contain chemicals? Answer: Everything is composed of chemicals—even sugar, salt, and water are chemicals. The chemicals used in OFF!® Botanicals™ Insect Repellent are all cosmetic-grade materials that are formulated to provide superior performance when used as directed.”

The label itself lists only the following: Active ingredient: 10 % P-menthane-3,8 DIOL; Other ingredients: 90%

Left unanswered – what exactly is the source of the “light, clean fresh fragrance?”

DEODORANT FACTS

Sweat is associated with odor because of the action of bacteria on components of the sweat. Products may approach the problem by inhibiting bacterial growth, inhibiting sweat secretion, or merely deodorizing. Substances that inhibit perspiration by reducing pore size or by clogging pores to retard perspiration are antiperspirants. Most deodorants and antiperspirants contain aluminum chlorohydrate or aluminum zirconium, both highly soluble and readily absorbed into the skin. Once in the body, the aluminum passes freely across cell membranes and is absorbed by the liver, kidney, brain, cartilage and bone marrow. It is this concentration of aluminum that has been the source for concern in the medical community and has prompted extensive research into aluminum-based blood poisoning and other conditions.

Deodorants and antiperspirants may also contain antibiotics and preservatives that can cause irritation, and ingredients that can photosensitize may also be present. Cyclodextrins, baking soda or talc may be included to absorb moisture and odor. Antioxidants, anticholinergics and some extracts of herbal medicines are under investigation as active ingredients.

NATURAL APPROACHES

Antioxidants such as Vitamin E may be beneficial to skin and help to limit the odor of sweat, but will do nothing to limit its production. Essential oils extracted from plants and trees provide some measure of antiperspirant or deodorant activity. Many have antiseptic or antibacterial action which accounts for their deodorizing properties. Others are astringents or antiperspirants and actually decrease the amount of sweat produced by occluding or shrinking pores.

BAKING SODA SIMPLE SOLUTION

Annie Berthold-Bond, of Care2.com offers this substitute for commercial deodorants. TIP recommends it be given a try, since even fragrance-free products contain numerous synthetic chemicals, and essential oils are a problem for some.

Says Annie: “Baking soda works wonders because it neutralizes the odor of sweat. Just sprinkle a light covering of baking soda onto a damp washcloth. Pat on. Don’t rinse. This tip—just using baking soda—has saved me on many occasions, especially when traveling.”

A CRYSTAL-CLEAR

DEODORANT OPTION

Crystal deodorant stones use natural mineral salts to kill odor-causing bacteria. You wet the stone and apply to underarms, feet and other areas you want protected from body odors. After use, rinse the crystal thoroughly and put away to dry. One 2.85oz Crystal Deodorant Stone is claimed to last for nearly a year. There are several brands, sometimes found at Health Food Stores. TIP is still evaluating effectiveness.

CHLORINATED SWIM POOL RISKS

A recent study links children's exposure to nitrogen trichloride, a chlorination byproduct, at indoor swimming pools, to an increased risk in developing asthma. Children can inhale significant amounts of chlorine and chlorination byproducts at levels potentially damaging to their lungs from chlorinator tablets in pools, particularly if they frequently swim in indoor pools, and if high levels of urine or other acidic compounds are present in water. Exposure to chlorine from a typical swim is roughly the same as occupational chlorine exposures.

Chloroform, a trihalomethane, is the volatile byproduct present at highest levels. It is a carcinogen and developmental toxicant, among other things. Exposure to chloroform from a typical swim is equivalent to an entire week's exposure from drinking and showering.

Exposure is best kept at a minimum. Some suggestions:

1. Swim outdoors and in natural waters as much as possible.

2. Install an ozonator in your swimming pool, hot tub or jacuzzi to reduce the amount of chlorine needed. Many pool supply retail stores have them.

CANARY CORNER

We welcome comments and questions about concerns of the chemically sensitive.

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"Killing Me Softly with His Lawn"

Anne Caputi, Newton TAB, June 13, 2001

Ah, the signs of Spring! The birds are returning, the flowers are up, storm windows up, screens down. We remember we have neighbors as everyone reinhabits their yards and takes to the street or a sunny spot for a spring break and the first rays of warmth. Surely our ancestors for generations before us have reveled in the same sensual pleasures which follow the Vernal Equinox. Ever so recently in human history however, new harbingers of spring have appeared.

Spring, my favorite season, has become a life-threatening time for me. Now, with the daffodils, I wait for the sight of another patch of yellow sprouting atop a green stem. This modern day sighting is a warning though, of the presence of dangerous chemicals. WARNING! my senses signal. Cross the street. Get upwind, NOW!

You may think this sounds extreme. Forgive me. In 1997, at the age of thirty nine I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was a model of low risk lifestyle for breast cancer. However, I had been born on Long Island in the late nineteen fifties. Surrounded by farms in my earliest years, and then by suburban subdivision, I lived in a sea of farm and lawn chemicals. My system has been inundated with these chemicals for most of my life. I played tennis all summer on grass tennis courts surrounded by an 18 hole golf course. My uncle had a large fruit orchard which was sprayed with pesticides regularly. We children picked the fruit off the trees and ate it unwashed. My cousin was dead from cancer at age twenty four.

In 1985 I moved to Newton, seeking suburban refuge, a little distance from the pollution I'd been overwhelmed by living closer to Boston. It was here that I first encountered the Chem Lawn phenomenon, and the little yellow warning signs.

One morning, a truck pulled up outside my house. The driver/sprayer came to my door to inform us that a car had to be moved so that he could spray. When I asked him why he explained that the spray could damage the finish on car paint. I found this ironic that he was obliged to warn us to move cars, (liability) but saw no danger to me or to himself from exposure to the toxic chemicals he was about to unleash on my street. I asked him whether he saw the irony in his company's concern for the liability risk if responsible for damaging someone's car, but not warning employees or citizens about the danger to our health imposed by the spraying. "Oh no," he said, "it's very dilute, it's totally safe."

The truth is that pesticides can cause immediate effects such as eye and skin irritation, breathing problems, nausea, irritability and dizziness. Long term effects include cancer, and irreversible damage to the nervous system, endocrine system, immune system, and lungs.

I am your neighbor, a fellow citizen of Newton. Some of you may know me, most of you do not. I am not your only neighbor in Newton who has cancer. Newton has been cited for having an exceptionally high level of breast cancer within its borders. I would like you to know how I feel when I walk the streets of our beautiful city and see a yellow sign on your lawn. I feel assaulted. I feel unwelcome. I feel angered and threatened, less important than a green, picture perfect lawn. I want to run for cover. I cross the street. I find it hard to smile if you are in your yard. I say nothing, but want to say: "I am the face of breast cancer. I am your neighbor. Your use of lawn chemicals threatens my existence and profoundly changes my ability to walk safely and freely in my neighborhood." I want to say, "There are many of us, already diagnosed, and many more at risk, adults and children alike." No one is immune to the effects of these dangerous and ubiquitous poisons. If something can kill a bug, imagine what it can do to that many cells in the body of a child, or a dog, or in you.

We are blessed to live in a community which values environmental issues and is a trend setter in our state and region. Eleven years ago, a group of citizens started the Green Decade Coalition. One of its goals was to impact the city's use of toxic chemicals. Since 1994 GreenCAP, the Committee for Alternatives to Pesticides has been organizing programs about the hazards of chemical pesticides and fertilizers and about the benefits of safe ecological approaches to landscaping and pest control. I implore you to seek out and use the information and resources available to Newton residents. Put GreenCAP's PESTICIDE FREE sign in your yard to show your support for safe lawns and a safe community. Do it for your neighbor. Do it for your children. Do it for yourself. Someone you love has cancer. Many more will be diagnosed in your lifetime. This is not a distant threat. It's right in your own back yard.

Anne Caputi lives in Newton, MA, USA. She can be reached at acaputi@rcn.com

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A CALL FOR HELP:

TERMITE TREATMENT INDUCED ILLNESS & HOUSE DETOXIFICATION

In the interest of privacy, we don’t use people’s names or contact info except by specific request.

Please contact us if you have any helpful advice for this correspondent! (Material about less-toxic termite treatment is posted on our website and enclosed as handouts for postal subscribers)

E-Mail Concern About Termite Treatments With Permithrin

A friend told me about you. I have been having some problems with pesticide exposure from some termite treatments done to our home. My friend said she thought you had some sort of similar experience. I welcome any assistance, advice and resources.

In short, our home was treated in 97 drilled all around the perimeter and 75 gallons of Dragnet used (active ingredient Permethrin). One year later we had more problems and they drilled our front porch pumping three gals. They returned in June of 98 and pumped 10 gallons into the doorway of our home under the threshold. The wood was not replaced under the door (half of the 4 x 4) was missing directly under the door. The aluminum plate was caulked into place.

The next day I had a scratchy throat and it got worse. We finally associated it with the spray instead of a cold and opened the windows. Two months later my legs were rigid for two days and my periods were heavy and painful which was very unusual for me. The following month I had the same experience with my legs for two days and another horrible period. I didn't have any idea why. I told my doctor and she said I should be tested if it happened again. 4 months later my legs were stiff again but my periods were normal. We didn't test and it hasn't happened again.

Now, my sense of smell is not good for mild or moderate smells but I have also noticed that I am sensitive when I walk into stores with cheap clothing or if I go through the cleaning isle or the pesticide aisles of a store. I feel like I can't breath and the smell hits me like a slap across the face. I have just connected all of these problems and I am trying to get the company to at least repair the missing wood but I am also wanting to get them to remove the pesticide residual by flushing it with water. One employee told me this could be done but all the big wigs are scoffing at the idea.

I want the poison in my house removed and the door fixed. I also am in the process of shopping for wood floors and preparing to remove our carpeting and making other life style changes in hopes of counteracting the body's reaction to this poison.

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Questions Relating to Conference Access for Chemically Sensitive People:

1. Concerns were recently raised at an annual Quaker conference about the use of DEET, especially by children and elderly people and around those who are chemically sensitive. However, Lyme Disease is a serious concern in tick habitats. Do you know of any really effective, Non-DEET insect repellents? Have you had any personal experience with ticks and/or Lyme Disease that might be informative to others? (TIP Director Liberty Goodwin's article on this subject may be found in a brief article at our website, www.toxicsinfo.org and is enclosed as a handout for postal subscribers.)

2. What personal products are least toxic - and do you know of any that can be purchased in "regular" stores, not just health stores? (Include such products as deodorant, soap, shampoo, cream rinse, shaving cream, hair care products, etc.)

NOTE: At the request of this conference's Access Coordinator, we are compiling

a list of suggested fragrance-free and otherwise less toxic alternatives. TIP will make the list available when we feel we have sufficient information, and will continue to update it as needed.

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LINKS FOR TERMITE TREATMENT & INSECT REPELLENT INFO:

http://www.anapsid.org/pyrethroids.html

http://www.environmentalhealth.org/fs-termite.html

http://www.bug-spray.org/ (DEET vs. Bug Blocker)

NEWS ABOUT TIP

Check out our new, expanded Website, created with the help of wonderful Meggan Gould, and now being managed by our own Paul Klinkman. Wearing yet another hat, Paul has taken on the job of Treasurer, to the relief of wife and TIP Director Liberty Goodwin, who hates spreadsheets!

Watch for info about our new Trading Tips discussion series about Less Toxic Living, starting September 16!

Topics will include an Intro; Personal Care & Cleaning Products; and 4 sessions on Healthier Holidays & Gift Ideas.

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BOOK REVIEW

“Safe & Easy Lawn Care – The Complete Guide to Organic, Low-Maintenance Lawns By Barbara Ellis.

This book is a stand-out for imaginative ideas and common-sense means of keeping your grounds healthy without toxic chemical baths. The explanations are simple. The illustrations are attractive, and clearly show a variety of creative landscaping options that take advantage of characteristics of a particular property.

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BACK TO SCHOOL TIP: Watch out for permanent magic markers that emit dangerous fumes. You can’t always tell which they are, but read labels, and watch for “Non-Toxic”. Avoid any that tell you to use only in a well-ventilated room, or warn you not to condense and inhale the vapors. They can be sickening, even deadly.

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COMING IN AUTUMN ISSUE: Articles on Indoor Air Quality; Healthy Holiday Kitchens; Less-Toxic Gift Ideas; Creating Healthier Therapeutic Environments (in nursing homes, retirement & health care facilities).

We are seeking input about your experiences with the latter, as a resident, patient or worker, dealing

with reactions to/health effects from cleaning products, fragrances, other indoor air quality problems.

TIP TALKS Summer Issue 2003

SUBSCRIPTIONS/SUPPORTERS

NEW: Paula Goldberg, Chris Pontus, Domenic Bucci, Kathy Florsheim, Marcia Lowe

THANK YOU: Meggan Gould, Chris Pontus, Lynn Tondat Ruggeri, Charlie Obert, Morris Bochner, Pam Webster

TOXICS INFORMATION PROJECT (TIP)

P.O. Box 40572, Providence, RI 02940

Telephone (401) 351-9193

E-Mail: TIPTALKS@toxicinfo.org

Web: www.toxicsinfo.org

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Director’s Greeting

Liberty Goodwin, Director, Toxics Information Project (TIP)

TIP TOPICS

NEW: Paula Goldberg, Chris Pontus, Domenic Bucci, Kathy Florsheim, Marcia Lowe