National Radon Action Month

The Environmental Protection Agency declared January as the National Radon Action Month. This month is the best time of the year to test your house for radon. The movie Green Scene: Radon gives lots of information on how to test the house for radon and the reasons for testing. Radon is considered the second cause of lung cancer in Americans and it is found in many homes. You can check here to see if you need your house tested or not.

For California residents the California Department of Public Health offers a discount now - $5 a test.

Californians Are the Leaders in Flame Retardants Contamination

A new study, published in the Environmental Science and Technology today, shows higher levels of flame retardants in California residents when compared to other U.S. states and Europe. The study compared dust samples of PBDE from 49 homes in two California communities (Richmond and Bolinas – for the Californians interested in the subject) with 120 Massachusetts homes and with other published studies. It also compared regional PBDE serum levels across the NHANES sample.

The dust concentration of PBDE in the California homes were 4-10 times higher than levels in Ottawa, Canada, Cape Cod, MA, Boston, MA, Washington, DC, and Texas and were 200 times higher than those reported from Germany. The dust concentrations were higher for Richmond - predominantly a low-income, urban community with oil refineries as the main city industry and frequently in the local news with pollution stories.

The BPDE serum levels were higher for the Western region (including California) compared to Eastern region. Interestingly, the U.S. residents born in other countries had lower levels compared to U.S. born residents.

Although the study needs a larger sample size distributed across various California communities in order to generalize the results – it still raise a flag about California flammability standards that requires furniture to be fire resistant to an open flame for 12 seconds. The California agency that promulgated the TB117 is now planning to extend the flammability requirements to the bed clothing.

Although penta-PBDE has been phased out, deca-PBDE is still on the market and the new chemicals have not been studied for safety.

What to do to minimize this contamination:

• avoid PBDE's in electronics; next time when you need to purchase new electronics look for companies that ban brominated flame retardants in their products.
• avoid PBDE's in foam; all furniture that has foam in it has also flame retardants. Vacuum your furniture and carpet often; be careful when removing old carpet (ventilate well). When purchasing new products, ask the manufacturer what flame retardants are they using. Ikea is always a good place to shop, since they phased out all PBDE's many years ago.
• do not reupholster your old furniture.
• the alternatives of PBDE's are not fully tested for their health effects so try to buy products made from natural fibers (wool and cotton) because they are naturally flame resistant. However, be careful when purchasing organic furniture; it still can have flame retardants.
• wash your hand often and make a habit for the kids as well; their hands seem to be more full of dust since they spend more time playing on the floor.

I'd say that the main think the study shows is that you should consider Hanover Germany over Richmond, CA; true geographical comparisons need much larger study samples collected and analyzed in the same way to provide accurate comparisons.

Flame Retardants in Mothers and Their Toddlers

A new study released by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that the levels of flame retardants were 3 times higher in toddlers than in their mothers. The flame retardants are hormone-disrupting chemicals and they build up in our bodies. They are found practically everywhere around us – in the sofas, chairs, mattresses, carpet, curtains, laptops, computers and other electronics, etc. It looks like they are also found in dust and the researchers are not sure how it gets there.

The researchers examined 20 American families and they found that in 19 of them, concentrations of the chemicals known as PBDEs were significantly higher in 1.5- to 4-year-old children than their mothers. In total 11 different flame retardants were found in these children, and 86 percent of the time the chemicals were present at higher levels in the children than their mothers.

Two forms of PBDEs known as Penta and Octa are banned in the U.S., but are still found in furniture and foam items made before the phase-out was complete. The largest volume of PBDEs are used in electronics in a form known as Deca. Deca is banned in European electronics and in some U.S. states. Deca was found in higher concentrations in kids than in their mothers as seen in the figure (adapted from EWG). For the full report go here.

Although there are safer alternatives, the industry continues to use them on a large scale.

What to do:

• avoid PBDE's in electronics; next time when you need to purchase new electronics look for companies that ban brominated flame retardants in their products.
• avoid PBDE's in foam; all furniture that has foam in it has also flame retardants. Vacuum your furniture and carpet often; be careful when removing old carpet (ventilate well). When purchasing new products, ask the manufacturer what flame retardants are they using. Ikea is always a good place to shop, since they phased out all PBDE's many years ago.
• do not reupholster your old furniture.
• the alternatives of PBDE's are not fully tested for their health effects so try to buy products made from naturally fibers (wool and cotton) because they are naturally flame resistant. However, be careful when purchasing organic furniture; it still can have flame retardants.
• wash your hand often and make a habit for the kids as well; their hands seem to be more full of dust since they spend more time playing on the floor.
• some additional advice can be found in a previous post.
  

California Rejected the PFOA and BPA Bills

California lawmakers rejected on Monday the two bills (Corbett’s bill and Migden’s Bill ) that would have banned the use of two harmful chemicals: PFOA from food packaging and BPA in products used for children under 3 years of age. It is clear that this was influenced by the FDA statements that BPA is safe that came out Friday, just in time for the votes. Both chemicals were identified as potential carcinogens. I wonder how long it takes until the safety of people will prevail over the lobby money of unscrupulous industries that care about the customers only after it kills a few with their products. And, probably the brains of our lawmakers are already damaged by some chemicals since they don't seem to care about our health.

Both bills were granted reconsideration; I hope the legislators will reconsider their votes despite lobbying efforts.

Cell Phones Radiation

We are bombarded lately by news saying that the cell phones are emitting radiation levels that could be linked with cancer. There is continuous debate about the issue as there is a need of data to make the cell phone-cancer correlation significant. It is hard to tell at this moment; although neurosurgeons firmly sustain that there is a link. On the CNET website it is a list with the phones and their radiation levels. Not all the models are tested, but the nice part is that you can request the SAR information from the manufacturer or your carrier. You'll need the model number and FCC ID number, which is usually but not always listed in your owner's manual or under your phone's battery (you must pop the battery out).

From the CNET website:

“According to the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA), specific absorption rate, or SAR, is "a way of measuring the quantity of radiofrequency (RF) energy that is absorbed by the body." For a phone to pass FCC certification, that phone's maximum SAR level must be less than 1.6W/kg (watts per kilogram). In Europe, the level is capped at 2W/kg while Canada allows a maximum of 1.6W/kg. The SAR level listed in our charts represents the highest SAR level with the phone next to the ear as tested by the FCC. Keep in mind that it is possible for the SAR level to vary between different transmission bands and that different testing bodies can obtain different results”.

Highest Radiation Levels (US models)	Lowest Radiation Levels (US models)
Motorola V195s 1.6 Motorola W385 1.54 RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 (Sprint) 1.54 RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 (Verizon Wireless) 1.54 Motorola Deluxe ic902 1.53 T-Mobile Shadow (HTC) 1.53 Motorola i335 1.53 Samsung Sync SGH-C417 1.51 HTC SMT5800 1.49 Motorola Z6c 1.49	Motorola Razr V3x 0.14 Samsung SGH-G800 0.23 Samsung Soul 0.24 Nokia 7390 0.26 Motorola Razr2 V8 0.36 Samsung SGH-T229 0.383 Nokia 6263 0.43 Samsung SGH-i450 0.457 Samsung SLM SGH-A747 0.478 Samsung Access SGH-A827 0.486

For an exhausted list, you can go here.

Air Fresheners - The Chemical Fresheners

Like fragrance, the air fresheners are responsible for high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the home. A study made at University of Bristol examining the effects of air fresheners and aerosols, showed that the frequent use during pregnancy and early childhood was associated with higher levels of diarrhea, earache and other symptoms in infants, as well as headaches and depression in mothers.

“32% more babies suffered diarrhea in homes where air fresheners (including sticks, sprays and aerosols) were used every day, compared with homes where they were used once a week or less. They also suffered more from earache.

Air fresheners and aerosols also affected mothers, with those who used them daily suffering nearly 10% more headaches. 16% of mothers who used fresheners reported depression, compared with 12.7% of those who seldom used them. This represents an increased risk of over 26%.”

A report prepared by the California Air Resources Board showed that the use of some air fresheners in presence of ozone can produce toxic pollutants of serious health concern. These pollutants include formaldehyde (a known human carcinogen and a respiratory irritant) acetaldehyde, organic acids, hydrogen peroxide, secondary organic aerosol, and hydroxyl radicals. According to the California Air Resources Board, air cleaners or air “purifiers” that intentionally produce ozone should never be used; they emit very high levels of ozone, a reactive gas that is harmful to human health.

I do not use air fresheners at all, I like to keep the windows open and get some fresh air from outside. Here are some tips to get rid of the smell:
- open the windows for some fresh air; even the air from outside is not perfectly fresh and clean is far better than the chemicals from the air fresheners;
- clean the source of odor with non-toxic products or use natural ways to get rid of it: baking soda, vinegar, squeeze a fresh lemon, simmer some cinnamon or fresh ginger, or use some organic sachets of lavender;
- empty the garbage regularly;
- pet smells and other foul smells are only disolved by enzymes (and that's why european detergents are all the rage and are slowly showing up in the "green" detergents in the US).

Update on Bisphenol A

A new draft report released by the National Toxicology Program, part of the National Institutes of Health, states that even low levels of exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA) by infants can lead to prostate and breast cancer. This is the first report of this kind released by a government institution. Last year, FDA concluded that BPA does not cause any health problems if exposed to low doses and so, decided that it can be used with confidence by the manufacturers. BPA is found in many products like canned food, plastic bottles, plastic food containers, infant formula, etc.

As I suggested in some previous posts the better way to stay out is:
- to use glass whenever possible,
- avoid plastic food containers. I found some very nice glass food containers at Amazon; they are very durable and they come in different sizes (they do have plastic lids, though...).
- choose the safest formula for babies and chose safe baby bottles,
- if cannot avoid plastic at all, look for the ones that seem to be safer,
- avoid plastic labeled as number 7 and/or PC. The BPA is used to harden the polycarbonate (PC).

Great News for New Moms: Organic Diary and Meat is Linked to Better Quality Breast Milk

A recent study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, showed that consuming at least 90% of organic diary and meat products increases levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). In plain words, the breast milk of mothers consuming organic diary and meat contains higher levels of beneficial fatty acids and has an overall improved quality compared to those mothers who pursued conventional products. The study shows that “breastfeeding mothers can influence the supply and quality of fatty acids for their infants, by eating a diet with organic dairy”.

This news is probably not surprising for many of us but it definitely piles up in proving once more that consuming organic products links to better quality of life. By consuming organic not only improves the quality of the breast milk in mothers but improves the quality of life and strengthens your health by reducing the exposure to dangerous pesticides. It may add a substantial amount on your paycheck every month but if you are wise and willing to search for better prices, it will all add up in the end. I compared the prices for organic and conventional products a while ago, and except for meat, they're converging. The price difference is small enough to convince me to buy organic products. (Of course, I may have to shop around to get to the best prices).

Here are some tips to eating healthier:

• If you are a meat lover look for sales of organic meat; it is better to keep it in the freezer for a while than consuming the conventional ones.

• Consume more chicken; not only it is a healthier meat but the organic chicken is not very expensive compared to the conventional one. However, even the conventional chicken is better to chose over other conventional meats because the FDA does not allow the use of hormones in poultry.

• The organic diary products cost in average 10% more than the conventional ones; if you consume milk everyday, it is worth. I buy the diary products from Trader’s Joe and Whole Foods (in the area I leave) and for most of them there is no price difference (Safeway, however, is more expensive). If you cannot afford organic, choose nonfat dairy. The more fat a conventionally grown product contains, the more toxins are found in the food, because many toxins concentrate in the fat.

Perchlorate in Our Food

On January 2, 2008, FDA published a study entitled "U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Total Diet Study: Dietary Intake of Perchlorate and Iodine" in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology. The study was designed to provide perchlorate and iodine intake averages from food for the entire U.S based on analytical results for perchlorate from FDA's TDS samples collected in FY 05/06 and for iodine from TDS samples collected in FY03/04.

Perchlorate - a major component in rocket fuel also forms naturally. In certain amounts it disrupts the thyroid by inhibiting the uptake of iodine which is an essential component of thyroid hormones. The thyroid hormones direct brain development and therefore, health concerns have focused on fetuses and young infants. Iodine deficiency during pregnancy can affect fetal and newborn development. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in 2005 recommended as a safe dose - 0.7 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day, and EPA adopted this as its reference dose.

In the FDA study, the perchlorate levels were measured in 285 foods obtained from grocery stores and fast-food outlets in different parts of the U.S. between 2003 and 2006. To estimate exposure, they combined the analytical results with food consumption estimates. Drinking water was excluded from the survey. Numerous studies have found perchlorate in food, but this is the first to estimate exposure for the U.S. population. However, the survey does not provide information about the distribution of perchlorate exposures.

The results showed that:

for perchlorate:

The estimated lower bound to upper bound average perchlorate intakes by the 14 age-sex groups range from 0.08 to 0.39 micrograms per kilogram body weight per day (µg/kg bw/day), compared with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Reference Dose (RfD) of 0.7 µg/kg bw/day. Children 2 years of age, with estimated average intakes ranging from 0.35 to 0.39 µg/kg bw/day, have the highest total perchlorate intake per kilogram body weight per day, but are below the RfD of 0.7 µg/kg bw/day recommended by the National Academy of Sciences and adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Total average intake ranges for infants 6-11 months, children 6, and children 10 years of age are estimated to be 0.26 to 0.29 µg/kg bw/day, 0.25 to 0.28 µg/kg bw/day, and 0.17 to 0.20 µg/kg bw/day, respectively. The estimated total average intakes by the other age-gender subgroups ranged from 0.08 to 0.14 µg/kg bw/day.

for iodine:

The estimated average iodine intakes by the 14 age-gender subgroups show a range from 138 to 353 µg/person/day. The estimated average iodine intakes for infants, 6-11 months exceeded their adequate intake (AI) of 135 µg/person/day. The estimated average iodine intakes by all other 13 children and adult age-gender subgroups exceeded their relevant estimated average requirements (EARs) of 65 µg/person/day for children 2 and 6 years, 73 µg/person/day for children 10 years, and 95 µg/person/day for the remaining 10 age-gender subgroups.

FDA does not recommend any changes to infants' and children's diets and eating habits based on current perchlorate data. FDA continues to recommend a healthy eating plan, consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The adequate intake of iodine has previously been recognized as important for healthy thyroid function.

Perchlorate is found in water as well. FDA has not established a standard for perchlorate in bottled water, and the current bottled water regulations do not require bottled water manufacturers to test for perchlorate. EPA, the institution that regulates the tap water, has not yet determined whether a drinking water standard (i.e., a maximum contaminant level or MCL) is warranted for perchlorate. I wonder what the added exposure to perchlorate from food and water is and what the health effects of this are.