Environmental Health

What’s in that sunscreen? (May 30th)

sunscreenHere in DC it’s supposed to reach the low 80s today and it’s already gotten me thinking about sunscreen, that necessary layer of protection I have on hand all summer. We all need it to avoid sunburns and skin cancer. After all, God gave us one body (Genesis 1:26-27) and told us to care for it (II Corinthians 6:19) Yet when looking at the ingredients, there are some things in sunscreen that raise red flags on my “toxic meter.”

Take phthalates (pronounced tha-lates)- synthetic fragrances often contain phthalates. Phthalates are used to help products hold scent and give them a silky smooth texture. Phthalates are linked to early onset puberty in girls, reproductive damage in baby boys, testicular cancer, and earlier pregnancy terms in women. The US Congress is currently considering whether or not to keep a phthalates provision in the Consumer Products Safety Commission bill that would ban phthalates in products marketed towards children under three.

Some preservatives are also of concern. Parabens are the most widely used preservative found in sunscreen and other cosmetic products. They are used as a preservative. Yet they have been linked in one study to breast tumors.

Thirdly, nanotechnology is a growing field that allows for some ingredients to be included on a particle level smaller than the human cell (very small!). Some sunscreens use nanoparticles of titanium dioxide or zinc oxide so that when applied it doesn’t leave your skin with a pasty white coating. Nanotechnology has a number of uses in cosmetics and a host of other products ranging from tennis rackets to electronics. The concern about their presence in cosmetics is that they can travel though our skin and, once inside, to our organs. Current evidence suggests that titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are not harmful to human health. But more research into nanotechnology will help us learn more about long term health effects of this technology in general.

Lastly, thinking about what kind of sunscreen we use on our summer vacations can have implications for creation too. A recent study by Professor Roberto Danovaro from the University of Marche (Italy) found that many brands sunscreens containing parabens, cinnamates, benzophenones and camphor derivatives can contribute to hard-coral bleaching. It is also believed that some of the chemicals can bioaccumulate in aquatic animals, becoming more toxic each step up the food chain.

What to do?
Keep wearing sunscreen Obviously sunscreen is important to protect us from skin cancer. Try to look for ones that are less toxic and that protect your skin. Some sunscreens don’t really do the job. Check out the Skin Deep Database for suggestions on how to protect yourself from toxic chemicals and the sun.
Less is more: With any of these chemicals it comes down to “in moderation.” The less presence of these chemicals the better. Look at the labels. Maybe starting with one that is fragrance free or only with essential oils.
Check out the Skin Deep Database sponsored by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the Environmental Working Group for suggestions on what to use. You can type in the brand you have and see its health and skin protection rating.
Wear a light long sleeve shirt and UV protection sunglasses If you think you are going to be out in the sun all day, cover up!
Avoid sun exposure during the peak hours- By avoiding the hottest hours of the day when the sun is fully shining, you are less susceptible to sunburns.
Change policy! Ask lawmakers to create standards for cosmetics products or call for an overhaul of our current chemicals policy so that people are protected before chemicals are added to new products.
Buy new sunscreen each year

Visit the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics or email me at chloe at nccecojustice.org for other ideas.

(April 18th) Let Justice Roll on Like a River

Or better yet, like water from the tap to an uncontaminated water bottle.

Many of us are aware of how bottled water can lead to more bottles in the landfill than the recycling bin and may be aware of how companies are privatizing local water sources to capitalize on bottling water for a worldwide market. So we have switched to using a reusable water bottle.

One of the most popular water bottles out there on the market is one made of polycarbonate plastic that is clear, hard, and comes in a variety of colors. It is labled with a #7 or PC. But it also contains a food sealant known as bisphenol-a (BPA). Most of the plastic baby bottles on the market are also made with this type of plastic. A baby bottle report released a few months back found that when heated or when acidic or basic substances are added to these bottles, they leach bisphenol-a into the liquid.

Bisphenol-a is found in a variety of consumer products, but its presence in bottles, aluminum cans, and some dental sealants is particularly concerning. It has been found in animal tests to be linked to obesity, type II diabetes, early puberty in girls, fertility and other reproductive challenges, prostate cancer, and breast cancer.

This week some very important announcements were made regarding this chemical. On Wednesday, the Canadian health department announced that the chemical is dangerous and they are beginning a process to add it to the toxic substances list.

The US National Toxicology Program responded by reversing its findings in a draft report from last fall on the chemical that said there was “little concern” about its health effects. The NTP stated Wednesday, “The possibility that bisphenol-a may alter human development cannot be dismissed.”

In utter defiance of reason, the NTP fall report disregarded the panel of experts that said there is great concern about the safety of bisphenol-a. The non-experts included some representatives from the bisphenol-a industry. The reversal of their previous conclusions are welcomed and a good step forward.

These statements from Canada and the NTP also lead to changes in corporate America. Walmart announced that in Canada they were immediately pulling all polycarbonate plastics from their shelves and that they would do the same in the US by the end of the year. Sears Canada is also pulling baby bottles and sports bottles with BPA. Nalgene, one of the most popular producers of these sports bottles announced today that it would stop manufacturing BPA bottles and that they would make a similar looking bottle made with a different chemical called Tritan. Whole Foods already replaced all their bottles with BPA free materials thanks to shareholder and consumer pressure. Some of these companies dragged their feet for years, defending the safety of this chemical. Now they have heard from the horse’s mouth (the NTP) that the chemical may not be safe for infants and children so they have taken needed action.

It is through the witness from state advocates, the efforts of shareholders, and pressure from people who have uncovered new science over the last ten years that this issue has been brought to light this week.

But there is more to be done. There is still the issue of this chemical in aluminum cans. Perhaps of great concern is its presence in infant formula cans. Michigan Representatives Dingell and Stupak are currently investigating corporate influence in approval of BPA in infant can linings.

We need our government to be more prophetic. We need them to come out and protect the health of our children before they suffer potential consequences later in life. It was disappointing that Michael D. Shelby, who chairs the NTP committee investigating BPA, could not advise consumers on what safer alternatives were out there in his National Public Radio interview (if you are interested stainless steel, and plastics #2, #4 and #5 are safer alternatives).

Additionally, regulating bisphenol-a is just the tip of the iceberg. There are thousands of other chemicals in our consumer products that go untested and unregulated since they were grandfathered into the Toxic Substances Control Act thirty years ago. Then we did not know what we know today about chemicals that effect the regulatory system of the body- the endocrine system.

When the federal government and the companies manufacturing the chemicals stop dragging their feet, then “justice [will] roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24)

Lead in Toy Easter Eggs (posted April 7th)

eggI was outraged when I opened my email on Good Friday and learned that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled plastic Easter eggs and bunny hair clips due to lead levels in the paint greater than the federal standards of 600 parts per million (ppm). It was a reminder to me that indeed we are still living in Good Friday times when the most vulnerable members of our society, the children, are potentially put at risk by the products that parents purchase with good and loving intentions.

Lead is a known neurotoxin that can impair mental development and the nervous system of children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 310,000 U.S. children aged 1-5 years have blood lead levels greater than 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood (or 600ppm), the level at which CDC recommends public health actions. Children in low income communities and communities of color are more vulnerable to lead as they tend to live in older houses that still contain lead paint.

The Easter season is a time of renewal and celebrating a new day. We desperately need an Easter message that can ensure that children can grow up in a toxic free world; that pregnant women do not have to worry that chemicals used in everyday household cleaners and personal care products that they put on their skin or breathe could potentially harm the new life they carry.

Governor Gregoire and the bipartisan effort of the Washington State legislature brought a hopeful message to Washington State last Tuesday when the Children’s Safe Product Act was signed into law. This act puts stronger standards on lead, phthalates, and cadmium in children’s products. Read more about phthalates here and here.

But this law does not go into effect until July 2009. In the meantime, children across the country remain vulnerable to old science that does not look at the effects of toxic chemicals in critical moments of development, and vulnerable to understaffed government regulation.

The Bible speaks of the need to care for our bodily temples and Jesus’ appreciation of children’s gifts. Lift this issue up in your community. Write a letter to the editor asking your public officials to protect children’s health for lead and other toxic chemicals.

Responses

[...] Environmental Health Posted by: Chloe Schwabe | April 7, 2008 [...]

By: Lead in Toy Easter Eggs « NCC Eco-Justice Weblog on April 7, 2008
at 3:17 pm

Your post reminds me of a similar recall near Halloween - of costume teeth designed for childrens’ costumes, which were similarly tainted. It’s astonishing that - even with the tremendous knowledge we have today - we still permit these products in the marketplace.

By: Jennifer Kefer on April 14, 2008
at 1:08 pm

Yes I remember that story! Lead is probably one of the chemical no-nos on the minds of most parents in America today, given the regulation of lead paint and leaded gasoline. And YET it is still in many products made for our kids.

By: Chloe Schwabe on April 17, 2008
at 3:59 pm

[...] Environmental Health [...]

By: Let Justice Roll on Like a River « NCC Eco-Justice Weblog on April 18, 2008
at 6:03 pm

[...] Environmental Health [...]

By: What’s in that sunscreen? « NCC Eco-Justice Weblog on May 30, 2008
at 9:47 pm

Leave a response






Your response: