TIP TALKS

 

The e-Newsletter of the

Toxics Information Project (TIP)

 

June, 2013

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  IN THIS ISSUE
                        **NATURAL MOSQUITO REPELLENTS
                        **SUMMER ACTION ITEMS:: GARDEN
                                  HOSES  AND CORN ON THE COB
              **NEW RESEARCH & INFORMATION:  DOGS & LAWN
                                  CHEMICALS; ARTIFICIAL TURF
              ** FORMER PRO-GMO SCIENTIST BLOWS THE WHISTLE
                            **NEW "FOOD TO FARM" INFOGRAPHIC
                        **TIPS ON UNDERSTANDING FOOD LABELS
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                          ** 8 NATURAL MOSQUITO REPELLENTS
                              Michelle Schoffro Cook, May 30, 2013
www.care2.com/greenliving/8-natural-mosquito-repellents.html#ixzz2XYJZGTw9

Before you grab that DEET-based mosquito repellent, consider using a
natural option instead. DEET, also known as diethyl-meta-toluamide,
by any other name still stinks. And research proves that the main
ingredient in commercial mosquito repellents leaves more than a
bad odor. According to a  Duke University study, it damages brain cells,
can cause behavioural changes, and can have harmful interactions with
some medications.  The scientists also observed that it caused brain
cell death in animals frequently exposed to or after prolonged use of
DEET. Additional research found that up to 15 percent of DEET is
absorbed through the skin directly into the bloodstream.  According
to safety data sheets on diethyl-meta-toluaminde, the toxic effects
of this chemical include: reproductive disturbances, genetic material
mutations, and central nervous system disorders. There’s no need
to suffer long-term and serious health consequences to ward off pesky
mosquitoes.  Choose a natural  alternative that’s proven to work as
effectively as DEET or in some case, MORE effectively than DEET.

**TIP COMMENT:  The Natural Options mentioned are:Catnip, Citronella,
Garlic, Lavender, Neem Oil, Organic Soy Oil, Lotus, Black Pepper.
Evidence given in the article is encouraging - however, a few of these
require a caveat: Citronella may sicken vulnerable individuals - and
even natural essential oils such as lavender can cause problems for
those who are chemically sensitive or asthmatic  It would seem that
the least problematic would be Garlic, Organic Soy Oil, Black Pepper,
maybe Catnip & Neem Oil, followed by Lotus (the flower itself). 
Lavender could possibly be OK if diluted and no sensitive folks are
around.  We would avoid the Citronella.  As always, we welcome
comments and stories from your own experience. Contact us!

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                      TIP TALKS SUMMER ACTION ITEMS
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                  **STOP!  DON'T DRINK OUT OF THAT HOSE! 
        HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS FOUND IN GARDEN HOSES
www.healthystuff.org/get-stuff.php?report=Hazardous+Chemicals+found+in+Gardening+Water+Hoses
Now that it's yard and garden season again, we decided to take another
look at chemical hazards in garden hoses. You may remember that last
year we tested 90 garden hoses and found high levels of lead, phthalates
and BPA. This year, tested 21 new garden hoses and found many of the
same chemicals, including chemicals that are banned in children's
products. We tested products from Lowe's, Home Depot, Wal-Mart,
Target and Kmart for lead, cadmium, bromine (associated with
brominated flame retardants), chlorine (indicating the presence of
polyvinyl chloride, or PVC), phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA).
These chemicals have been linked to birth defects, impaired
learning, liver toxicity, premature births and early puberty in
laboratory animals, among other serious health problems.

We now know vinyl garden hoses may leach toxic phthalates &
BPA into water. It’s time for retailers like Home Depot and Wal-Mart
to safeguard our children’s health and stop retailing these poison
plastic vinyl hoses. Ask them to do so here! 
                  View the results & ask retailers to Mind the Store!
http://org.salsalabs.com/o/1421/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=13168
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                        CORN ON THE COB:  A CALL FOR ACTION
                            FROM SENATOR JEFF MERKLEY
http://pac.petitions.moveon.org/sign/tell-the-senate-support?mailing_id=13649&source=s.icn.em.cr&r_by=7836231
"Summer is here, and you know what I love? Corn on the cob. 
Whether it's corn on the cob, or big juicy tomatoes, or a pint of
raspberries,summer is a great time to eat whatever's fresh off
the farm -- nature's bounty at its finest. But these days, it seems
that food is a bit more complicated.  Additives, preservatives,
artificial flavorings - not to mention, genetically-engineered food.

"Maybe you want to eat 100% organic. Maybe you don't mind
some artificial something-or-other. But the one thing I think we
can all agree on: You should have the right to know and choose
what's in your food.  The big multinational food, chemical, and
pesticide companies -- like Monsanto, DuPont, and Dow -- would
rather keep you in the dark.

"That doesn't work for me.  That's why I support the Genetically
Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act.  I hope you'll join me in calling
on the U.S. Senate to pass this critical bill. Whether you're a farmers'
market regular or a fast-food junkie, every one of us should have the
right to know what we're eating.  --  Senator Jeff  Merkley..
http://pac.petitions.moveon.org/sign/tell-the-senate-support?mailing_id=13649&source=s.icn.em.cr&r_by=7836231
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                          NEW RESEARCH & INFO ON LAWN CHEMICALS
                                              AND ARTIFICIAL TURF
                             
                              ** DOGS ABSORB LAWN CHEMICALS
By Jennifer Viegas,- May 8, 2013 Lead author Deborah Knapp of  Purdue
University's Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
http://news.discovery.com/animals/pets/dogs-absorb-lawn-chemicals-130508.htm

Dogs are ingesting, inhaling & otherwise being exposed to garden & lawn
chemicals that have been associated with bladder cancer, according to
a  new study. The paper, which will appear in the July issue of Science
of the Total Environment,also found that wind could carry the chemicals
to untreated properties.and that dogs, once contaminated by the
chemicals, can transfer them to their owners.

The chemicals are common herbicides containing the following:
2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 4-chloro-2-
methylphenoxypropionic acid (MCPP) and/or dicamba...

          **TIP COMMENT:  News just in from Canada: 
  MANITOBA COSMETIC PESTICIDE BAN TO START IN 2015
Province introducing legislation this fall that would ban cosmetic
pesticides for lawns CBC News Jun 28, 2013
So far lawn pesticides have been banned in Quebec, Ontario, Nova
Scotia, Newfoundland, minimal in New Brunswick, now Manitoba. 
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      TURF MAY BE SYNTHETIC, BUT HEALTH ISSUES ARE REAL
Excerpts from an Op-Ed  by Nancy Alderman, President of Environment &
Human Health, North Haven, CT, June 11, 2013

Greenwich High School students are right to question the health
& safety of the synthetic turf field that has been installed in their
school and in so many other schools throughout this state and
the country. If schools and towns would spend just half the amount
of money on real grass fields that they are now spending on installing
synthetic turf fields, the students would have beautiful grass fields
and they would be safe fields to play on.

Environment and Human Health, Inc. (EHHI) has been sounding the
alarm about the health risks from synthetic turf fields for six years
and we continue to believe that these fields pose a genuine health
threat to students who play on them. Though the symptoms may
not be immediately apparent, we feel the exposures to students are
real & that the fields are not healthy for students to be exercising on.

Synthetic turf fields are made of a synthetic grasslike material, to
which 40,000 ground-up rubber tires are added as "in-fill." It is the
out-gassing of chemicals from these ground-up rubber tire "crumbs,"
as well as the rubber crumb dust, that pose the greatest health
concern to the athletes. There are no barriers between the rubber
crumbs and the athletes who are playing on these fields. The rubber
crumbs are unstable and get into shoes, stockings, clothing and
even the hair and ears of those who play on them. As the fields
get used, dust particles from the crumb rubber occur and they are
easily inhaled, increasing the exposure levels.

To understand what the dangers to students might be, one needs to
know what chemicals are in rubber tires. Here is a partial list along
with their health effects:

*1,3-Butadiene: A carcinogen.
*Benzene: Carcinogen, developmental toxicant, reproductive toxicant.
*Phthalates: Suspected developmental toxicant, endocrine toxicant,
reproductive toxicant.
*Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): Suspected cardiovascular or
blood toxicant, gastrointestinal or liver toxicant, reproductive
toxicant,
respiratory toxicant.
*Manganese: Neurological toxin.
*Carbon black: Carcinogen, nanoparticles.
*Latex: Causes allergic reactions in some people.
*PHA oils: High aromatic oils include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAHs). Most PAHs included in the oil are persistent, bioaccumulating
and carcinogens.

A new study coming out of Spain raises the alarm by reporting the high
content of toxic chemicals in recycled rubber tires and that they should
be a matter of regulatory concern. We believe there will be many more
of these studies in the future backing up our, & many others', concerns
about these fields.

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                NEWS & RESOURCES ON FOOD CONCERNS
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                    FOOD CONCERNS WHISTLEBLOWER

**FORMER PRO-GMO SCIENTIST SPEAKS OUT ON THE REAL
          DANGERS OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOOD 
                  Published May 11, 2013 | By Ocean Robbins
          www.foodrevolution.org/blog/former-pro-gmo-scientist
In his long career as a leading research scientist for the Canadian
government, Thierry Vrain was paid to reassure the public that
genetically engineered foods were safe to eat.  But now, this
insider is lifting the veil of deception and exposing the truth
Monsanto doesn’t want you to know.  He says:
       
“I refute the claims of the biotechnology companies that their
engineered crops yield more, that they require less pesticide
applications, that they have no impact on the environment and
of course that they are safe to eat... The scientific literature is
full of studies showing that engineered corn and soya contain toxic
or allergenic proteins.”

                  NEW FOOD CONCERNS RESOURCES
              FROM HEALTHY CHILD, HEALTHY WORLD

**NEW INFOGRAPHIC! "FARM TO FORK: THE STORY OF OUR TOXIC FOOD SYSTEM
                        http://healthychild.org/farm-to-fork-our-toxic-food-system
Did you know that more than 6,000 additives and chemicals are used
by food manufacturers to process and produce our food?  Today's
conventional food system is heavily dependent on toxic chemicals
and synthetic inputs that pose threats to our health, especially
children's. The NEW infographic "Farm to Fork: The Story of Our
Toxic Food System" illustrates what we're feeding our children and
the health risks associated with some of their favorite foods.

The Farm to Fork infographic is a part of the new HCHW Safer Foods
Toolkit - a set of resources designed  to help you identify foods of
concern and kick these toxics to the curb to adopt healthier, lifelong
eating habits for the entire family. The Toolkit includes an ebook,
a brochure and a webinar  (coming soon).

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                ** LABELS 101:  READING & UNDERSTANDING FOOD LABELS
                                May 29, 2013, By Healthy Child Staff
      http://healthychild.org/labels-101-reading-and-understanding-food-labels
Heading to the grocery store? Don’t forget your glasses. There’s a
lot of label reading to be done. Sadly your glasses can’t help you
figure out which product label and packaging marketing claims are
legit, & which are not. From so-called natural pasture-raised chicken
to sustainable dolphin-friendly tuna,it’s a jungle out there.  Still,
decoding food labels doesn’t require a PhD … though it sometimes
can feel like it should.  The only food label logo that is both strictly
defined and regulated by the government and requires third party
certification is USDA organic. Though even there there are shades
of organic-ness and categories for labeling 

Beyond USDA organic, the first thing any shopper needs to know is
that most terms found on food product packaging have no legal definition
or regulation. That bears repeating, especially when it comes to the
word “natural.”  Anyone can stick it on a product. Beyond “natural,”
phrases like “free- range,” “fair trade,” and “environmentally-friendly”
can largely mean anything manufacturers want them to mean.
Choose better alternatives by following these tips:

            *Look out for food preservatives &additives such as
            artificial food dyes.
            *Eat more whole foods. You won’t have to read ingredient
            lists onunprocessed, unpackaged foods; there are no labels
            on apples.
            *Less is more. On the packaged foods you do choose, the
            very best have fewer than 5 ingredients.
            *You should be able to recognize what they are.If something
            doesn’t look natural…it isn’t. There is no such thing as
            natural shocking pink unless you’re a flamingo. Avoid
            purchasing food items that don’t appear natural.
            *Really read labels. Sell by dates and things like country
            of origin labels can tell you a lot about a packaged food.
            Most food is perishable without very strong preservatives.
            *Consider packaging. If you have a choice between buying
            beans in a can (might be lined with the hormone disrupting
            chemical BPA) or in a glass jar (inert), go for the glass.
            And if you have the choice between a material that can
            be recycled in your municipality (like cardboard) versus
            a plastic that isn’t,  go for the former.
          *Spend the time to read labels and ask questions as you shop
          and you’ll wind up with the best products your market sells.
          It’s easier said than done when you’re speed shopping with
          cranky kids.

Keep in mind that there’s a lot less reading required—and some
tasty, fresh food—at the farmers’ market.       

 

 

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Liberty Goodwin, Director
Toxics Information Project   
P.O. Box 40572,
Providence, RI 02940
Tel. 401-351-9193
Website: www.toxicsinfo.org
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