TIP TALKS
The e-Newsletter of the
Toxics Information Project (TIP)
September, 2012
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2012 BACK TO SCHOOL TIP TALKS NEWSLETTER
(For parents, teachers, all who love kids – and those
who are willing to pass along this information to others
to help protect all children from toxins)
**New Back To School Guide To PVC-Free School Supplies
**Study on Hazards of Recycled Rubber Tires in
Athletic Turf & Playgrounds
**School Pesticide News – Warning Re: Health Effects on Boys,
Violations of Protective IPM Law
**The TIP “Caring for Kids” project and flyer – how to keep kids –
and the whole family – healthy. Read & download for sharing! :-)
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NEW BACK-TO-SCHOOL GUIDE
TO PVC-FREE SCHOOL SUPPLIES
From; Center Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ).
(Note from Liberty G: If you have already bought school supplies that
turn out to be toxic per the guide, remember – they can be returned
or exchanged! It’s worth it to protect your precious child!)
Did you know your child’s school supplies may be loaded with toxic
phthalates? This back-to-school season, ditch phthalate-laden vinyl
plastic, and join the fight for PVC-free schools!
CHEJ is proud to announce the release of our 2012 Back-to-School
Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies, listing the most common school
supplies made out of toxic PVC (a k a vinyl) plastic, and safer
alternatives in over 35 product categories. This is important
as our new laboratory testing found phthalates widespread in
children's vinyl school supplies.
http://chej.org/wp-content/uploads/HiddenHazardsReportFINAL.pdf
But smart shopping alone won’t fix this problem. We need tough,
common-sense laws that protect kids from toxic chemicals in school
supplies, and in the classroom. Before you download the guide,
consider signing up for CHEJ’s Online Action Network at:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/852/signup_page/backtoschool2012
They send out important updates once or twice a month about ways
to take part in their Campaign for PVC-Free Schools,
If you don't want to sign up, you can just download the Guide here:
www.chej.org/publications/PVCGuide/PVCfree2012_1.pdf
Questions? Contact Mike Schade, CHEJ's PVC Campaign Coordinator at
mike(at)chej.org or 212-964-3680.
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STUDY VERIFYING HAZARDS OF RECYCLED RUBBER TIRES IN
TURF/PLAYGROUNDS/PAVERS
From; Environment & Human Health, Inc. (EHHI)
Environment and Human Health, Inc. has been warning people about the
dangers of letting children play on synthetic turf for years now.
Each field has 40,000 ground up rubber tires added to it in small
"pea-like" sized rubber crumbs. This is an argument that almost
no town, no school or park department has paid any attention to.
Children are playing on ground up rubber tires all over this country.
This study from Spain, backing up what we have been saying for years:
Hazardous Organic Chemicals In Rubber Recycled Tire Playgrounds & Pavers
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653512009848
Highlights: A large number of recycled tire playgrounds and commercial
pavers have been analysed. The occurrence of numerous harmful compounds
at high levels was confirmed. Thirty-one targets (PAHs, vulcanisation
additives, antioxidants, plasticizers) were selected. Total PAH
concentration was remarkable. Contribution of B[a]P must be highlighted.
Target analytes were detected in the headspace SPME experiments at room
temperature. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2012.07.053
--
Nancy Alderman, President, Environment and Human Health, Inc.
North Haven, CT. Tel. 203-248-6582, www.ehhi.org
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SCHOOL PESTICIDE MONITOR,
Volume 12, Number 4, August, 2012
Beyond Pesticides free bi-monthly newsletter
www.beyondpesticides.org/schools/publications/schoolmonitor/vol%2012%20no%204.pdf
Highlights of the current issue include:
· Boys May Be More Vulnerable to Pesticide Than Girls -
Researchers found that by the age of seven, boys have a greater
difficulty with working memory, a key component of IQ, than girls with
similar exposures to the insecticide chlorpyrifos.
· School District Violates State IPM Law - Officials have recently
discovered that the Northhampton School District in Massachusetts has
been applying an herbicide on the school grounds that is no listed on
any of the school' integrated pest management (IPM) plans.
The bi-monthly Monitor provides a range of current information,
resources and organizing and technical assistance to parents, public
health activists, school staff and administrators, policy makers and
others working toward the adoption and implementation of safer school
pest management programs on the local, state and national level.
Topics also include specific school pest problems and implementation
techniques, IPM cost examples, pesticide profiles, action alerts and
children’s environmental health studies. View back issues.
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YOUR HELP IS NEEDED TO EDUCATE PARENTS & OTHERS
ON HOW TO PROTECT KIDS FROM TOXIC CHEMICALS
IN THEIR TOYS & OTHER PRODUCTS!
WHY TAKE ACTION? It makes no sense to continue to expose children
to chemicals that raise such serious questions when alternatives are
readily available and in use around the world. Do you want your children
or grandkids to be subjected to suspect carcinogens and hormone while
waiting for 100 percent certainty about their safety? Could you look
them in the eye if they developed any of the health effects about
which we’ve been warned?
THE BEST PROTECTION FOR OUR KIDS IS EDUCATED CONSUMERS!
HERE’S HOW TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION:
1. SEE & DOWNLOAD THE NEW CARING FOR KIDS PROJECT OVERVIEW FLYER:
UTILIZE THE GOOD INFORMATION DESCRIBED THERE AND PASS THE FLYER
ALONG TO ANYONE WITH AN INTEREST IN CHILDREN’S WELL-BEING.
2. GET ON THE NEW KIDS & TOXICS E-MAIL LIST & RECEIVE THE LATEST
INFORMATION ON PROTECTING YOUNGSTERS..
3. VIEW OR DOWNLOAD THE “HEALTHY SCHOOLS INITIATIVE” FLYER, AND
CHECK OUT OUR HEALTHY SCHOOLS WEB PAGE AT:
http://toxicsinfo.org/healthyschools.htm
4. CONTINUE TO PASS ON INFORMATION TO FRIENDS & FAMILY, INCLUDING
THE NEW ASTHMA LINKS& PEDIATRICIANS WARNING FLYERS
5. CONTACT US WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR TO HELP WITH FURTHER ACTION.
Liberty Goodwin, Director, Toxics Information Project (TIP),
E-Mail: liberty@toxicsinfo.org, Tel. 401-351-9193.
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NOTE: TIP IS PROBABLY THE ONLY ORGANIZATION WITH WHOM YOU ARE
IN CONTACT THAT NEVER SENDS OUT SPECIFIC CALLS FOR DONATIONS!
NEVERTHELESS, WE DO NEED FINANCIAL SUPPORT. DO CONSIDER ONE
OF THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS – SOME THAT COST YOU NOTHING!
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EASY WAYS TO SUPPORT OUR WORK:
BENEFIT TIP WHILE SURFING OR SHOPPING THE WEB
at: www.goodsearch.com/?charityid=818190
BENEFIT TIP WHILE SHOPPING ON THE WEB AT:
www.igive.com/welcome/warmwelcome.cfm?c=38382&m=0
OR BEST OF ALL, MAKE A DONATION:
Mail a check to TIP at the address below
(We are a tax deductible organization)
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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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