Adolescents Especially Vulnerable to Risks from Exposure

Skin is permeable. Everything we apply to it is absorbed into the body and research scientists are increasingly concerned about the cumulative health effects of many of the compounds in personal care products. Preservatives found in everything from lipstick to shampoo are toxic and contain compounds that release formaldehyde. According to laboratory tests, chemicals commonly used in cosmetics and body care products such as, phthalates, triclosan, musks, and parabens are capable of disrupting the body’s hormone system.[1]

The FDA has no authority to regulate the personal care products we use every day and Federal health statutes do not require companies to test products or ingredients for safety before they are sold. As a result, the majority of body care products contain ingredients that have not been tested by any federal agency or required to meet uniform safety standards.

A recent report from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and the Washington Toxics Coalition revealed the presence of 16 chemicals from 4 different chemical groups in the bodies of adolescent American girls from age 14 to 19.[2] The study looked at the levels of synthetic chemical musks, common fragrance ingredients that accumulate in people and act like estrogen in the body, and parabens preservatives that also mimic estrogen.

Teen use of body care products is thought to be far greater than most adults. “Hormone-altering chemicals shouldn’t be in cosmetics, especially in products used by millions of teenage girls,” said Rebecca Sutton, Ph.D, Staff Scientist at EWG and author of the report. “Their bodies are still developing and may be especially vulnerable to risks from these exposures”

According to Erika Schreder, staff scientist at the Washington Toxics Coalition, "The lack of a federal safety net means that teens like the ones in this study have chemicals in their bodies that can mimic hormones—and it's happening at a very sensitive time in development, as they're going through puberty."

 “Most parents don’t know that the eyeliner, lipstick or shampoo they allow their daughters to use probably contains at least one chemical linked to a number of serious health concerns,” said Sutton. “Teenage girls are at a particularly vulnerable age and these exposures could trigger a subtle sequence of damaging effects that leads to health problems later in life.”

For more information on the products you are using or to find those which do not contain toxic ingredients:

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com EWG searchable database "Skin Deep."  Type the name of a product to find the ingredients on that product's label plus an assessment of the health risks of those ingredients.

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/parentsguide Baby products that avoid troubling chemicals (California Baby, Burt's Bees and Aveeno, etc.

The Natural Products Association established a certification program that defines "natural" and uses a seal to designate skin and hair products that meet the standards. http://www.naturalproductsassoc.org

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics: For a list of companies that sign a pledge to avoid chemicals known or strongly suspected of causing cancer. http://www.safecosmetics.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[1] Gomez, E., A. Pillon, et al. (2005). "Estrogenic activity of cosmetic components in reporter cell lines: parabens, UV screens, and musks." J Toxicol Environ Health A 68(4): 239-51.

[2] Teen Girls' Body Burden of Hormone-Altering Cosmetics; Rebecca Sutton, Ph.D, September 2008 http://www.ewg.org/reports/teens

 

 Coconut, palm and palm kernel oils are found in commercial cakes, cookies and snack foods. These tropical oils are solid at room temperature and contain a great deal of saturated fat: coconut oil, 92 percent, palm kernel oil, 82 percent and palm oil, 50 percent. The American Heart Association recommends substantially reducing intake of saturated fat because it tends to raise cholesterol levels.[1] High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD)[2] and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that more than 34 million adults in the U.S. have high cholesterol (over 240 mg/dL). Palm oil has long been known to promote heart disease, however there are other reasons to avoid products made with palm oil.

In Cruel Oil: How Palm Oil Harms Health, Rainforest, & Wildlife,[3] the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) reports that production of palm oil also promotes the destruction of rainforests. More than 80 percent of the world's palm oil comes from Malaysia and Indonesia, largely grown on land that was once rainforest. When forests are cleared the habitat for endangered species is destroyed, threatening orangutans and other wildlife.

 CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson, who co-authored the report with wildlife ecologist Ellie Brown said, "We applaud food manufacturers for moving away from trans-fat-laden partially hydrogenated oils, and … switching to such heart-healthy oils as soybean, corn, or canola. Consumers and food processors should realize, though, that palm oil still promotes heart disease and that producing palm oil has a devastating impact on rainforest and endangered wildlife."

Since the early 1990’s the spread of palm oil plantations into forests on Borneo and Sumatra have helped to make Indonesia the world’s third-highest greenhouse gas emitter.[4] Ironically, the quest for eco-friendly biofuels, of which palm oil is a component, is also partly to blame. Deep in the forests of Borneo environmental groups are fighting the onslaught of palm plantations by reaching out to villagers with common sense and education. Founded in 1991, Yayasan Orangutan Indonesia (Yayorin) is dedicated to saving Indonesia’s forests and the endangered wildlife. Yayorin promotes orangutan conservation through environmental education and outreach, visiting remote villages, local schools and government institutions.

Established in 2007, the Center for Orangutan Protection (COP) runs a guerrilla-style campaign in the Indonesian part of Borneo. According to COP the orangutan population is estimated at 50,000 and up to 3,000 orangutans die each year because loggers and palm oil developers are destroying their primary habitat. COP investigates new clearings, issues media alerts and documents environmental wrongdoing through video, photography, and GPS.

The Borneo Orangutan Foundation Survival (BOS) is the largest primate rescue project in the world with nearly 1000 orangutans in its care. BOS rescues wild orangutans from palm oil plantations and rehabilitates orphaned orangutans, displaced as a result of the destruction of their habitat to clear land for palm oil production.

The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (TIGERS) is a wildlife education organization, dedicated to promoting global conservation with educational and entertaining interactive programs.

TIGERS operates four public exhibits, two in Myrtle beach, SC, one in Miami FL, and one in Boston, MA. Featuring animal ambassadors who serve as living examples of current worldwide environmental issues. TIGERS animal ambassador Suryia the orangutan and Roscoe the dog became best friends upon meeting each other and their amazing video has become a YouTube sensation.

 Marie Oser is a best-selling author, writer/producer and host of VegTV, Follow Marie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/vegtv

 

 

Coconut, palm and palm kernel oils are found in commercial cakes, cookies and snack foods. These tropical oils are solid at room temperature and contain a great deal of saturated fat: coconut oil, 92 percent, palm kernel oil, 82 percent and palm oil, 50 percent. The American Heart Association recommends substantially reducing intake of saturated fat because it tends to raise cholesterol levels.[1] High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD)[2] and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that more than 34 million adults in the U.S. have high cholesterol (over 240 mg/dL). Palm oil has long been known to promote heart disease, however there are other reasons to avoid products made with palm oil.

In Cruel Oil: How Palm Oil Harms Health, Rainforest, & Wildlife,[3] the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) reports that production of palm oil also promotes the destruction of rainforests. More than 80 percent of the world's palm oil comes from Malaysia and Indonesia, largely grown on land that was once rainforest. When forests are cleared the habitat for endangered species is destroyed, threatening orangutans and other wildlife.

CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson, who co-authored the report with wildlife ecologist Ellie Brown said, "We applaud food manufacturers for moving away from trans-fat-laden partially hydrogenated oils, and … switching to such heart-healthy oils as soybean, corn, or canola. Consumers and food processors should realize, though, that palm oil still promotes heart disease and that producing palm oil has a devastating impact on rainforest and endangered wildlife."

Since the early 1990’s the spread of palm oil plantations into forests on Borneo and Sumatra have helped to make Indonesia the world’s third-highest greenhouse gas emitter.[4] Ironically, the quest for eco-friendly biofuels, of which palm oil is a component, is also partly to blame. Deep in the forests of Borneo environmental groups are fighting the onslaught of palm plantations by reaching out to villagers with common sense and education. Founded in 1991, Yayasan Orangutan Indonesia (Yayorin) is dedicated to saving Indonesia’s forests and the endangered wildlife. Yayorin promotes orangutan conservation through environmental education and outreach, visiting remote villages, local schools and government institutions.

Established in 2007, the Center for Orangutan Protection (COP) runs a guerrilla-style campaign in the Indonesian part of Borneo. According to COP the orangutan population is estimated at 50,000 and up to 3,000 orangutans die each year because loggers and palm oil developers are destroying their primary habitat. COP investigates new clearings, issues media alerts and documents environmental wrongdoing through video, photography, and GPS.

The Borneo Orangutan Foundation Survival (BOS) is the largest primate rescue project in the world with nearly 1000 orangutans in its care. BOS rescues wild orangutans from palm oil plantations and rehabilitates orphaned orangutans, displaced as a result of the destruction of their habitat to clear land for palm oil production.

The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (TIGERS) is a wildlife education organization, dedicated to promoting global conservation with educational and entertaining interactive programs.

TIGERS operates four public exhibits, two in Myrtle beach, SC, one in Miami FL, and one in Boston, MA. Featuring animal ambassadors who serve as living examples of current worldwide environmental issues. TIGERS animal ambassador Suryia the orangutan and Roscoe the dog became best friends upon meeting each other and their amazing video has become a YouTube sensation.

Marie Oser is a best-selling author, writer/producer and host of VegTV, Follow Marie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/vegtv

 

 

   

 Conventional Cotton farming uses many of the most hazardous pesticides on the market, often broad-spectrum organophosphates, pesticides originally developed as toxic nerve agents during World War II. Cotton producers around the world use $2.6 billion worth of these pesticides. According to the Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA), that represents more than 10 percent of the world’s pesticides and nearly 25 percent of the world’s insecticides.[1]

 

Ironically, massive pesticide spraying actually causes massive pest outbreaks.[2] The boll weevil has been a major cotton pest longer, and has caused greater cash losses, than any other insect in the history of agriculture. Since the mid-twentieth century, all attempts to eliminate boll weevils with pesticides, including DDT, toxaphene and methyl parathion have failed. Many of these efforts have led to major ecosystem imbalance and crop failures. Advocates of continued spraying acknowledge that while the cost could reach $650 million, such expenditures would likely have little effect on the boll weevil.[3]

 

Organic cotton is grown using methods and materials that have minimal impact on the environment. Unlike conventional chemical agriculture, organic farming systems help preserve our air, water and soil, supporting biologically diverse agriculture. These days, organic cotton is showing up in everything from personal care products to home furnishings, all kinds of apparel, toys, diapers and even stationery.

 

The greening of the apparel industry is a trend driven by consumer awareness of health and environmental concerns and the issues surrounding ethical production practices. Organic apparel and home consumer goods are the second fastest-growing category of all organic products, with sales jumping from $85 million in 2003 to $160 million in 2005.  In 2006, sales of organic linens and clothing reached $203 million in the US, a twenty-six percent increase over 2005.[4]

 

The organic movement has made a significant impact on the Food market sector and is making inroads into sustainable apparel and home goods. Manufacturers and niche retailers Nike and Patagonia have joined and mainstream retailers such as Wal-Mart and Nordstrom’s in actively promoting stylish eco-conscious goods.

 

A growing number of designers and manufacturers are marketing goods with sustainable practices, which could include Fair Trade ethical labor practices, certified organic natural fibers, use of low-impact or natural dyes, and minimal or environmentally appropriate packaging.

 

A few years ago Wal-Mart became the biggest purchaser of organic cotton, launching a full-on organic offensive in 2006. However, supply did not seem to meet their demand. The up-front investment required to convert crops to organic is difficult for many farmers. They need to be in the game for three years before their crop can be certified “organic” and profits begin to kick in. Transitional cotton is cotton that has been grown organically, but for less than three years.

 

According to Wal-Mart spokesperson Tara Raddohl, “In order to encourage farmers to switch to organic cotton farming, Wal-Mart purchased more than 12 million pounds of transitional cotton from approximately 1,000 farmers at the same premium cost of certified organic cotton. “We heard from our supplier and other partners … that this was necessary in the market,” Raddohl said. 

"It is about carrying on what has been our legacy: making items accessible to a broad spectrum of consumers.  Our research found that folks said if it (organic clothing) were available and affordably priced, they would be likely to buy it."



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Organic farming and Fair Trade practices have obvious benefits for people and the planet.
are guaranteed quality products grown with sustainable methods and assured that the producers are treated fairly.

How does it work? Traditionally, small farmers in developing countries barely eke out a living on a few acres of land. These impoverished growers are subject to declining world market prices, environmental degradation, and hazardous working conditions.

 

TransFair USA, a non-profit third party certifier, organizes farmers across Latin America, Asia, and Africa and connects them with major brands and retailers in the U.S. As a result, farmers receive up to 3 times the price for their products. And that is only the beginning. In addition to a fair price, buyers pay quarterly premiums. The premiums stay in the co-ops and are invested in clinics, schools, equipment, education, communication systems and water wells.

 

TransFair’s rigorous audit system tracks products from farm to finished product and verifies compliance with Fair Trade criteria. U.S. companies that meet strict Fair Trade standards are permitted to display the Fair Trade Certified label on their products.

 

Nigel Willerton was raised in England's sugar trade. When he became Wholesome Sweeteners CEO in 2002 he was determined to improve conditions in the sugar business for people and for the planet. He believed that Wholesome could make a significant difference in the everyday lives and futures of cane farmers and their communities.

 

Inspired by the emerging Fair Trade movement, which until then had been primarily coffee and cocoa, Nigel began working to establish Fair Trade standards for sugar cane cooperatives and mills. After three years of negotiation and hard work, Wholesome Sweeteners launched the first line of Organic and Fair Trade Certified sugars and molasses in the U.S.
 Nigel was pleased to report, “Just months after the first agreement was signed, money began flowing back into the co-ops.”

 

Fair Trade agreements set trade prices, remove the unnecessary middlemen, who once took a significant percentage of farmers' income, and provide access to pre-harvest lines of credit. Recently the distance to the mill challenged a cooperative partner in Paraguay, as they had no truck. Once cut, the cane is hurried to the mill, where it must be processed within 24 hours or the cane will begin to spoil. Wholesome made a pre-harvest loan to buy the trucks necessary to get the cane to the mill on time.

 

Consumer support of organic sugar products has had a significant impact on the way farmers grow their cane: Between 2001 and 2007, there was a 10-fold increase in land dedicated to organic cane cultivation in Paraguay alone, from 10,000 acres to nearly 100,000 acres. Wholesome Sweeteners' Fair Trade programs help small sugar farmers earn more so they can pay for organic certification and training in sustainable agriculture techniques as well as converting land to organic cultivation. Paraguay and Costa Rica grow organic Fair Trade Certified sugar cane.

 

Vote with your purchases. Support Organic Fair Trade Certified Sugar

http://www.wholesomesweeteners.com

 

Scientists have genetically modified the DNA of major agricultural crops, such as soybeans, corn, and cotton in order to resist a widely used herbicide. Roundup is the flagship of Monsanto's agricultural chemicals business and these new genetically modified strains are referred to as "Roundup Ready." 

GMO This is the acronym for "Genetically Modified Organism" and defines food products altered at the gene level with this technology.

[1]A transgenic plant contains one or more genes introduced by artificial methods that include gene transference and cell fusion in place of traditional breeding. Genes of unrelated species such as, animal, bacterium or virus introduced into a different organism (soybeans, corn, cotton, etc) will irreversibly alter the genetic code of the plant.

Modern biotechnologists have created tomatoes with a longer shelf life by adding flounder genes, (that’s right..fish!) soybeans that are resistant to weed killers, and potatoes with jellyfish genes that glow in the dark when they need water.  If you find this disturbing, you are not alone. Serious concerns include upsetting the ecosystem’s delicate balance and the flow of GMO genes among crops and the natural environment.

Broadly defined, biodiversity refers to the variety of life forms on earth. Healthy ecosystems are characterized by the complex interactions between diverse species that help maintain balance. By its very nature, growing crops necessitates the control of wild plant life, (weeds) which compete for sunlight, water, and nutrients.   

 

Outcrossing, or ‘gene flow,’ refers to GMO crops passing their new traits on to wild plant life, potentially threatening biodiversity. The local flora may be altered in a way that could potentially enable them to out-compete other species in their habitat.

 

While gene flow has occurred since the beginning of time, GMO outcrossing is a primary concern for scientists and policy makers concerned with the economic and ecological consequence.

It’s probably not news to anyone that pesticides have been shown to have carcinogenic and other adverse health effects on humans and that organic produce is the best choice for people and for the planet.

Mounting evidence confirms that many commonly used pesticides can suppress the normal immune system response to invading bacteria, viruses, parasites and tumors.[1] The immune system is the body's first line of defense and weakening its response can increase the incidence of disease.

 

A study by the National Cancer Institute identified pesticides as a likely cause of elevated rates of several forms of cancer among farmers[2]. Farmers are at higher risk for certain cancers, such as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, skin melanomas, multiple myeloma, leukemia, and cancers of the lip, stomach, prostate and brain. Exposures to a number of pesticides have been linked to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, while exposure to insecticides has been associated with leukemia, multiple myeloma and brain cancer[3].

 

A Center for Disease Control study issued in March of 2001 found a wide array of toxic chemicals in the bodies of American citizens, which cumulatively could lead to health problems.[4]

 

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is an organization with offices in Washington, DC, Oakland, California and Ames, Iowa. EWG works to protect public health by influencing public policy and by providing informative resources like the Shoppers' Guide to Pesticides in Produce. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets the acceptable pesticide residue levels for fruits and vegetables, however according to the Environmental Working Group the EPA tolerance levels are too high. The EWA argues that not enough studies have been done to measure the effects of low-level and multiple pesticide exposure, especially on children and fetuses.

 

After conducting an analysis of the results of 87,000 government tests conducted between 2000 and 2007, EWG developed the ‘Dirty Dozen’ list of the most contaminated fruits and vegetables. Peaches and apples each had the highest number of different pesticides, nine detected on a single sample; strawberries and imported grapes were next with eight pesticides. Nectarines had the highest percentage of samples testing positive for pesticides, 97.3 percent followed by peaches at 96.7 percent and apples with 94.1 percent. Most shocking, the studies used to create the list tested produce after it had been rinsed or peeled.

 

EWG listed peaches, apples, celery, strawberries, imported grapes, lettuce, carrots and pears among the "dirty dozen" as containing the highest pesticide levels.  Those with the lowest levels were onions, avocados, frozen sweet corn and peas, pineapples, mangoes, asparagus, kiwi, bananas and cabbage. (Download the Dirty Dozen)

 

The full health risks associated with pesticides are unknown and most have never been systematically reviewed for the full range of possible long-term health effects, such as genetic damage or impaired nervous, endocrine or immune systems[5]. Data for pesticides used in nonagricultural settings is particularly lacking[6].

 

Shopper's Guide to Pesticides

The Full List: 47 Fruits & Veggies

RANK	FRUIT OR VEGGIE	SCORE
1 (worst)	Peach	100 (highest pesticide load)
2	Apple	93
3	Sweet Bell Pepper	83
4	Celery	82
5	Nectarine	81
6	Strawberries	80
7	Cherries	73
8	Kale	69
9	Lettuce	67
10	Grapes - Imported	66
11	Carrot	63
12	Pear	63
13	Collard Greens	60
14	Spinach	58
15	Potato	56
16	Green Beans	53
17	Summer Squash	53
18	Pepper	51
19	Cucumber	50
20	Raspberries	46
21	Grapes - Domestic	44
22	Plum	44
23	Orange	44
24	Cauliflower	39
25	Tangerine	37
26	Mushrooms	36
27	Banana	34
28	Winter Squash	34
29	Cantaloupe	33
30	Cranberries	33
31	Honeydew Melon	30
32	Grapefruit	29
33	Sweet Potato	29
34	Tomato	29
35	Broccoli	28
36	Watermelon	26
37	Papaya	20
38	Eggplant	20
39	Cabbage	17
40	Kiwi	13
41	Sweet Peas - Frozen	10
42	Asparagus	10
43	Mango	9
44	Pineapple	7
45	Sweet Corn - Frozen	2
46	Avocado	1
47 (best)	Onion	1 (lowest pesticide load)

 

Note: EWG ranked a total of 47 different fruits and vegetables but grapes are listed twice because they looked at both domestic and imported samples.

 

 

 

Polystyrene is all around us, in coffee cups and egg cartons, meat and produce trays, soup and salad bowls, in CD jewel boxes, and the packing "peanuts" and molded foam that protect new appliances and electronics. It is the lightweight packaging and insulating material that helps prevent damage to products in transit. Polystyrene is also used in building materials, electrical appliances, in light switches and plates, and many other household items.

 

Dow Chemical Company introduced and trademarked StyrofoamÒ, a form of polystyrene foam insulation, in the U.S. in 1954. The scientific name for Styrofoam is polystyrene foam. According to the industry, that coffee you drank from a foam cup this morning was not Styrofoam; it was polystyrene foam.

 

Like all traditional plastics, polystyrene is made from petroleum, which is a non-sustainable source of major environmental pollution. Additionally, Ethylene and Benzene are chemical precursors in the manufacture of polystyrene and large amounts of hazardous waste are generated in the manufacturing process. Solid at room temperature, polystyrene is a thermoplastic substance; a plastic that melts when heated and becomes solid again when cooled. There are many kinds of polystyrene foams in use, one of which is used for food packaging.

 

The styrene in polystyrene cups has been shown to migrate into beverages. One single use may leach as much as .025 percent. If that doesn’t seem like much, consider that if you drink from polystyrene cups 4 times a day over 3 years, you may have consumed a foam cup's worth of styrene. That’s just a few cups of coffee or tea a day. The Environmental Justice Network reports that styrene is absorbed through the skin, lungs and intestines and is known to indiscriminately attack the body’s tissue and nervous system.

 

The migration of styrene is also influenced by the fat content of the food or beverage in the polystyrene container.  Foods with a higher fat content will draw a higher degree of styrene into the food.[1] Some beverages, such as alcohol or the acids in "tea with lemon," may also raise the rate of styrene migration. Styrene also appears to migrate more quickly when the food or beverages are hot.

 

Plastics that get into our food are now referred to as, "Food Contact Substances" by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), however before April 2002, they were called "Indirect Food Additives." The FDA changed the name with the intention of removing the implication that plastic was indeed migrating into the food. [2]

 

To complicate matters, mountains of polystyrene packaging from food service, is piling up in landfills.  Not only do the puffed up foam containers take up more space than paper, they are not presently recycled because it is not economically sustainable. Non-food service packaging is not contaminated with food and other wastes like the clamshells and beverage cups from fast food restaurants.

 

It would be pretty difficult to avoid polystyrene altogether, however as consumers we do have many choices. We can choose to avoid fast food takeout and eat unprocessed whole foods as much as possible. We can keep non-disposable cups and flatware at our desk. At the very least, disposable paper cups and plates are a better choice; they are biodegradable and not damaging to your health.