Environmental Safe Products: Children are exposed to thousands of substances...
http://www.saferisbetter.com/freedon
http://80knownautoimmunediseases.blogspot.com
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Children are exposed to thousands of substances...
Did you know?
* Today, children are exposed to thousands of substances in the environment, most of which have never been tested for toxicity to children.
Source: Center for Children's Health and the Environment of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine
* Out of 1,435 pesticide poisonings in a one year period, over 40% were due to exposure to disinfectants and similar cleaning products in the home.
Source: State of California Study
* Cancer is now the number one cause of death from disease for children over the age of 5. Only 20% of the cases of childhood cancer are due to genetic factors. Some experts argue that 30% of all cancers are caused by exposure to toxic chemicals.
Source: Philip Landrigan, M.D. of Mount Sinai Medical Center
* Dr. Doris Rapp believes that two-thirds of the millions of children on Ritalin are actually suffering from acute allergic reactions to environmental agents found at home and in schools.
Source: Dr. Doris Rapp, Is This Your Child’s World?
* Women who work in the home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than women who work outside of the home.
Source: 15 year EPA study
* Asthma rates have tripled in the last twenty years with 20 to 30 million Americans currently afflicted.
Source: Mary Ellen Fise, Indoor Air Quality
* Chemicals get into our bodies by ingestion, inhalation and absorption but only about 10% of poisonings are from ingestion.
Source: Kay Heizer, Healthy Choices
* Over 150 chemicals found in the average home have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities.
Source: Consumer Product Safety Commission
* Just reducing (not eliminating) environmental carcinogens alone, would save at least 50,000 lives from cancer annually.
Source: Dr. Lee Davis, former advisor to the Secretary of Health
* Quaternium-15 is a preservative found in many cosmetics and industrial substances that releases formaldehyde. It can be found in numerous sources, including but not limited to: mascara, eyeliner, moisturizer, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, nail polish, personal lubricants, soaps, body wash, baby lotion or shampoo, facial cleanser, tanning oil, self-tanning cream, sunscreen, powder, shaving products, ointments, personal wipes or cleansers, wipes, paper, inks, paints, polishes, waxes and industrial lubricants.
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
* Formaldehyde is a probable human carcinogen.
Source: IARC 2004, OEHHA 2004, NTP 2002
* An estimated 65 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese.
http://www.saferisbetter.com/freedon
* Today, children are exposed to thousands of substances in the environment, most of which have never been tested for toxicity to children.
Source: Center for Children's Health and the Environment of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine
* Out of 1,435 pesticide poisonings in a one year period, over 40% were due to exposure to disinfectants and similar cleaning products in the home.
Source: State of California Study
* Cancer is now the number one cause of death from disease for children over the age of 5. Only 20% of the cases of childhood cancer are due to genetic factors. Some experts argue that 30% of all cancers are caused by exposure to toxic chemicals.
Source: Philip Landrigan, M.D. of Mount Sinai Medical Center
* Dr. Doris Rapp believes that two-thirds of the millions of children on Ritalin are actually suffering from acute allergic reactions to environmental agents found at home and in schools.
Source: Dr. Doris Rapp, Is This Your Child’s World?
* Women who work in the home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than women who work outside of the home.
Source: 15 year EPA study
* Asthma rates have tripled in the last twenty years with 20 to 30 million Americans currently afflicted.
Source: Mary Ellen Fise, Indoor Air Quality
* Chemicals get into our bodies by ingestion, inhalation and absorption but only about 10% of poisonings are from ingestion.
Source: Kay Heizer, Healthy Choices
* Over 150 chemicals found in the average home have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities.
Source: Consumer Product Safety Commission
* Just reducing (not eliminating) environmental carcinogens alone, would save at least 50,000 lives from cancer annually.
Source: Dr. Lee Davis, former advisor to the Secretary of Health
* Quaternium-15 is a preservative found in many cosmetics and industrial substances that releases formaldehyde. It can be found in numerous sources, including but not limited to: mascara, eyeliner, moisturizer, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, nail polish, personal lubricants, soaps, body wash, baby lotion or shampoo, facial cleanser, tanning oil, self-tanning cream, sunscreen, powder, shaving products, ointments, personal wipes or cleansers, wipes, paper, inks, paints, polishes, waxes and industrial lubricants.
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
* Formaldehyde is a probable human carcinogen.
Source: IARC 2004, OEHHA 2004, NTP 2002
* An estimated 65 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese.
http://www.saferisbetter.com/freedon
Monday, December 14, 2009
Tests Find Hundreds of Pollutants in U.S. Tap Water
Tests Find Hundreds of Pollutants in U.S. Tap Water
Tests Find Hundreds of Pollutants in U.S. Tap Water
Posted by Nils Bruzelius in EPA, Environmental Health Science, Featured Articles, Government (In)Action, Legislation, State and Local, Uncategorized on December 13, 2009 | one response
Millions of Americans don’t trust that the water coming out of their taps is safe to drink. New research by Environmental Working Group (EWG) suggests that for many, there’s good reason to be concerned.
Over the last three years, EWG assembled an unprecedented database of 20 million tap water testing results from water utilities across the country. It shows that the utilities’ own testing has detected a total of 316 pollutants in U.S. drinking water since 2004. More than a third of those contaminants were sometimes in water at levels that exceeded the federal government’s health-based advisories.
Equally troubling is the fact that more than half of the pollutants detected are completely unregulated. For these, there are no health guidelines, let alone mandatory standards. In most cases, no one knows whether their presence in drinking water might pose a health threat — because no one has done that assessment. The US government has not set a single new drinking water safety standard since 2001.
When it comes to pollutants for which the federal government has done the work of setting mandatory health standards, utilities on the whole perform well. Across the country, 92 percent of people supplied by community water systems received drinking water that met all standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during the period covered by the database.
Ranking the Biggest Water Utilities
EWG assembled water-testing data for 55,000 communities in 45 states and the District of Columbia for its drinking water quality analysis. EWG was unable to obtain data in affordable, usable form from the others.
For utilities that supply cities of 250,000 or more residents, EWG also developed a unique ranking system. The 10 top-rated and the 10 lowest-rated city water systems are shown in these lists. In addition, consumers in these 100 cities can look up how their water system stacks up nationally by using EWG’s user-friendly, searchable database. Some people will be surprised, and disturbed, by what they learn.
EWG’s new resource includes an analysis of household water filtration systems that can help consumers who want extra protection decide what filter will best serve their needs. There are far more choices than most people realize.
The good news for people who live in areas served by the top-ranking water systems is that those utilities test for many more chemicals than the federal government requires and that their tests show relatively low levels of the most common toxic pollutants, substances such as arsenic, the fertilizer ingredient nitrate, and trihalomethanes, which are byproducts of water utilities’ own disinfection processes. The three top-rated water utilities in EWG’s rankings were those serving Arlington, Texas; Providence, R.I.; and Forth Worth, Texas.
The lowest-rated water utilities all reported concentrations of various pollutants at levels exceeding government health guidelines. That’s bound to be worrisome for people living in areas supplied by the lowest-ranked systems, including Pensacola, Fla.; Riverside, Calif.; and Las Vegas.
Where Do the Pollutants Come From?
These results don’t mean that Americans face the same problems as people in many developing countries, where drinking tap water can lead to immediate intestinal trouble and exposure to dangerous parasites or other infections. But over the long term, some of the chemicals found regularly in U.S. drinking water raise significant health concerns. Arsenic, for instance, is a well-known poison and carcinogen; nitrate, a fertilizer ingredient, is harmful to infants; and the disinfection byproducts called trihalomethanes are also cancer-causers. In the case of many of the pollutants detected, however, it is impossible to gauge the seriousness of the risk because no one has done the necessary studies.
The 316 contaminants identified in EWG’s drinking water database come from a wide variety of sources. The testing detected:
* 97 agricultural pollutants, including pesticides and chemicals from fertilizer- and manure-laden runoff
* 205 industrial chemicals linked to factory discharges and consumer products
* 86 contaminants that originate in polluted runoff and wastewater treatment plants
* 42 that are byproducts of water treatment processes or that leach from pipes and storage tanks.
What Americans Think of Their Water
There is plenty of evidence that Americans already have doubts about the safety of their drinking water. In March 2009, a Gallup poll found that Americans rank water pollution as their #1 environmental concern. A startling 84 percent reported being worried “a great deal” or “a fair amount” about contamination in drinking water. No less than 80 percent worry that the water supply infrastructure is not being adequately maintained.
And, of course, millions of Americans have taken to buying bottled water in the misguided belief that it’s safer, even though the source of many very popular brands is nothing more than treated tap water. The enormous growth of this market contributes greatly to the nation’s huge solid waste problem as consumers dispose of countless plastic water bottles.
What Needs to Be Done?
As a result of this research, Environmental Working Group recommends six steps to policymakers:
* EPA should construct and maintain a national database of tap water quality testing that is accessible to consumers.
* EPA should greatly expand requirements for testing unregulated contaminants. EPA and Congress should provide support for utilities to get that testing done.
* The Safe Drinking Water Act’s Consumer Confidence Report rule should be updated to require complete disclosure of all contaminants detected in drinking water.
* EPA should set health-protective standards for chemicals that are currently unregulated but present in tap water.
* Source water protection programs should be significantly expanded, including efforts to prevent or reduce pollution flowing into source waters and conserving buffer zones around tap water supplies. Financial support for these projects is crucial.
* Federal laws and policies should be reformed to ensure that vulnerable populations, including pregnant women and children, are protected from chemical pollution of food, the environment – and especially drinking water.
Tests Find Hundreds of Pollutants in U.S. Tap Water
Posted by Nils Bruzelius in EPA, Environmental Health Science, Featured Articles, Government (In)Action, Legislation, State and Local, Uncategorized on December 13, 2009 | one response
Millions of Americans don’t trust that the water coming out of their taps is safe to drink. New research by Environmental Working Group (EWG) suggests that for many, there’s good reason to be concerned.
Over the last three years, EWG assembled an unprecedented database of 20 million tap water testing results from water utilities across the country. It shows that the utilities’ own testing has detected a total of 316 pollutants in U.S. drinking water since 2004. More than a third of those contaminants were sometimes in water at levels that exceeded the federal government’s health-based advisories.
Equally troubling is the fact that more than half of the pollutants detected are completely unregulated. For these, there are no health guidelines, let alone mandatory standards. In most cases, no one knows whether their presence in drinking water might pose a health threat — because no one has done that assessment. The US government has not set a single new drinking water safety standard since 2001.
When it comes to pollutants for which the federal government has done the work of setting mandatory health standards, utilities on the whole perform well. Across the country, 92 percent of people supplied by community water systems received drinking water that met all standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during the period covered by the database.
Ranking the Biggest Water Utilities
EWG assembled water-testing data for 55,000 communities in 45 states and the District of Columbia for its drinking water quality analysis. EWG was unable to obtain data in affordable, usable form from the others.
For utilities that supply cities of 250,000 or more residents, EWG also developed a unique ranking system. The 10 top-rated and the 10 lowest-rated city water systems are shown in these lists. In addition, consumers in these 100 cities can look up how their water system stacks up nationally by using EWG’s user-friendly, searchable database. Some people will be surprised, and disturbed, by what they learn.
EWG’s new resource includes an analysis of household water filtration systems that can help consumers who want extra protection decide what filter will best serve their needs. There are far more choices than most people realize.
The good news for people who live in areas served by the top-ranking water systems is that those utilities test for many more chemicals than the federal government requires and that their tests show relatively low levels of the most common toxic pollutants, substances such as arsenic, the fertilizer ingredient nitrate, and trihalomethanes, which are byproducts of water utilities’ own disinfection processes. The three top-rated water utilities in EWG’s rankings were those serving Arlington, Texas; Providence, R.I.; and Forth Worth, Texas.
The lowest-rated water utilities all reported concentrations of various pollutants at levels exceeding government health guidelines. That’s bound to be worrisome for people living in areas supplied by the lowest-ranked systems, including Pensacola, Fla.; Riverside, Calif.; and Las Vegas.
Where Do the Pollutants Come From?
These results don’t mean that Americans face the same problems as people in many developing countries, where drinking tap water can lead to immediate intestinal trouble and exposure to dangerous parasites or other infections. But over the long term, some of the chemicals found regularly in U.S. drinking water raise significant health concerns. Arsenic, for instance, is a well-known poison and carcinogen; nitrate, a fertilizer ingredient, is harmful to infants; and the disinfection byproducts called trihalomethanes are also cancer-causers. In the case of many of the pollutants detected, however, it is impossible to gauge the seriousness of the risk because no one has done the necessary studies.
The 316 contaminants identified in EWG’s drinking water database come from a wide variety of sources. The testing detected:
* 97 agricultural pollutants, including pesticides and chemicals from fertilizer- and manure-laden runoff
* 205 industrial chemicals linked to factory discharges and consumer products
* 86 contaminants that originate in polluted runoff and wastewater treatment plants
* 42 that are byproducts of water treatment processes or that leach from pipes and storage tanks.
What Americans Think of Their Water
There is plenty of evidence that Americans already have doubts about the safety of their drinking water. In March 2009, a Gallup poll found that Americans rank water pollution as their #1 environmental concern. A startling 84 percent reported being worried “a great deal” or “a fair amount” about contamination in drinking water. No less than 80 percent worry that the water supply infrastructure is not being adequately maintained.
And, of course, millions of Americans have taken to buying bottled water in the misguided belief that it’s safer, even though the source of many very popular brands is nothing more than treated tap water. The enormous growth of this market contributes greatly to the nation’s huge solid waste problem as consumers dispose of countless plastic water bottles.
What Needs to Be Done?
As a result of this research, Environmental Working Group recommends six steps to policymakers:
* EPA should construct and maintain a national database of tap water quality testing that is accessible to consumers.
* EPA should greatly expand requirements for testing unregulated contaminants. EPA and Congress should provide support for utilities to get that testing done.
* The Safe Drinking Water Act’s Consumer Confidence Report rule should be updated to require complete disclosure of all contaminants detected in drinking water.
* EPA should set health-protective standards for chemicals that are currently unregulated but present in tap water.
* Source water protection programs should be significantly expanded, including efforts to prevent or reduce pollution flowing into source waters and conserving buffer zones around tap water supplies. Financial support for these projects is crucial.
* Federal laws and policies should be reformed to ensure that vulnerable populations, including pregnant women and children, are protected from chemical pollution of food, the environment – and especially drinking water.
Monday, November 30, 2009
What's really in Glade, Windex and Pledge?
What's really in Glade, Windex and Pledge? SC Johnson will finally tell you
Alex Salkever
Nov 23rd 2009 at 9:00PMText SizeAAAFiled under: Wal-Mart Stores, Procter & Gamble
The dirty little secrets of Glade, Pledge and Windex are all coming clean courtesy of venerable consumer products company SC Johnson. The Racine, Wis. outfit said last week it had launched a new website that lists the ingredients of more than 200 of its products. The WhatsInsideSCJohnson site represents the most significant disclosure to date of the ingredients found in household cleaning products.
Lack of disclosure has been a key complaint of green activists who have often alleged that many household cleaners contain toxic ingredients. Equally important, these environmental do-gooders have charged that some supposedly green products contain ingredients that are either unsafe or suspected of having strong health effects on people.
SC Johnson becomes the second major consumer products company to take this step. Clorox (CLX) actually began disclosing ingredients last year. The latest move puts huge pressure on Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Procter-Gamble (PG) to make similar information available online to consumers.
Consumers can learn from the SC Johnson site, for example, that Pledge contains Disodium Ethanoldiglycinate, a compound used for cleaning hard surfaces and hard-to remove substances. The compound can be a skin, eye and nose irritant and is mildly toxic. Or that Windex contains Propylene Glycol, a controversial compound commonly used in glass cleaners but also in toothpaste and cosmetics. It is considered safe by the U.S. FDA and the World Health Organization. But environmentalists point to studies showing it can cause skin irritation as well as liver and kidney damage.
A Green Gun Pointed at Companies' Heads
All offer product lines specifically targeting the green market. And all will have to come clean, pronto. Call it the Wal-Mart Effect (WMT). The country's largest retailer announced July 15 it will institute a new policy requiring all of its product suppliers to calculate the environmental costs of their products. These costs will then be tabulated into an easy-to-understand green rating. Wal-Mart plans to post these ratings next to the price tags on products.
This policy change amounted to a green gun pointed at the head of consumer products companies that had, until now, refused to disclose ingredients. While Wal-Mart did not explicity say it would publish ingredients, such a disclosure would be an inevitable outcome of the green-rating process and a way to differentiate products.
Current U.S. laws do not mandate full transparency on ingredients of cleaning products. Manufacturers have long claimed that revealing ingredients would release key trade secrets and make it easy to ascertain chemical formulas for these products. Environmental groups have long claims that this exclusion for products that are used in so many homes has allowed cleaning and beauty products companies, in particular, to foist unhealthy products on unsuspecting Americans.
The SC Johnson site is certainly comprehensive. A search for Fantastik reveals two types of the cleaning product. A click on the "More Detail" tab reveals that Fantastik "Orange Action" contains two cleaning ingredients; alkyl polyglycoside and ethoxylated alcohol.
Up to Consumers to Do Their Research
The SC Johnson site does not address what health risks these two products might pose to users and their families. But it does give them the exact chemical names. This allows for specific research that can conducted either by individuals or advocacy groups. To be sure, such research remains difficult as the chemical names listed still do not give sufficient information into the exact formulation of the chemicals, something that can have a great impact on toxicity. But it establishes a baseline of disclosure and can allow consumers or researchers to begin to ask the right questions regarding the hazards around ingredients in cleaning and household products.
The move is designed to build trust bewteen SCJ and its customers. "Today's families want to know what's in the products they use in their homes," SCJ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Fisk Johnson said in a press release. "For us, it's about living up to the trust our consumers put in us."
That could be a wise move in an era where a single tweet gone viral can ruin a brand's reputation in a matter of hours and create a permanent online trail of caustic comments.
SCJ lists not only cleaning agents but also dyes, chelators and pH adjusters. Two holes remain in the new policy. SCJ will list preservative and fragrance ingredients by January 2012. Aside from online availability, SCJ will allow consumers to access the new information via product labels and a toll-free number (800-558-5252), as well.
SCJ is one of the largest privately held companies in the country, with annual revenues of $8 billion and a lineup of highly recognizable brand names. The founding family still runs the company and it shows with bold moves like this. Even product companies catering specifically to the green market have not gone as far in terms of disclosure.
So one thing is for sure. The green bar for cleaning products has just been raised quite a bit higher. Let's see how long it takes for others to follow suit.
Alex Salkever is Senior Writer at AOL Daily Finance covering technology and greentech. Follow him on twitter @alexsalkever, read his articles, or email him at alex@dailyfinance.com.
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/11/23/whats-really-in-glade-windex-and-pledge-sc-johnson-will-final/
Alex Salkever
Nov 23rd 2009 at 9:00PMText SizeAAAFiled under: Wal-Mart Stores, Procter & Gamble
The dirty little secrets of Glade, Pledge and Windex are all coming clean courtesy of venerable consumer products company SC Johnson. The Racine, Wis. outfit said last week it had launched a new website that lists the ingredients of more than 200 of its products. The WhatsInsideSCJohnson site represents the most significant disclosure to date of the ingredients found in household cleaning products.
Lack of disclosure has been a key complaint of green activists who have often alleged that many household cleaners contain toxic ingredients. Equally important, these environmental do-gooders have charged that some supposedly green products contain ingredients that are either unsafe or suspected of having strong health effects on people.
SC Johnson becomes the second major consumer products company to take this step. Clorox (CLX) actually began disclosing ingredients last year. The latest move puts huge pressure on Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Procter-Gamble (PG) to make similar information available online to consumers.
Consumers can learn from the SC Johnson site, for example, that Pledge contains Disodium Ethanoldiglycinate, a compound used for cleaning hard surfaces and hard-to remove substances. The compound can be a skin, eye and nose irritant and is mildly toxic. Or that Windex contains Propylene Glycol, a controversial compound commonly used in glass cleaners but also in toothpaste and cosmetics. It is considered safe by the U.S. FDA and the World Health Organization. But environmentalists point to studies showing it can cause skin irritation as well as liver and kidney damage.
A Green Gun Pointed at Companies' Heads
All offer product lines specifically targeting the green market. And all will have to come clean, pronto. Call it the Wal-Mart Effect (WMT). The country's largest retailer announced July 15 it will institute a new policy requiring all of its product suppliers to calculate the environmental costs of their products. These costs will then be tabulated into an easy-to-understand green rating. Wal-Mart plans to post these ratings next to the price tags on products.
This policy change amounted to a green gun pointed at the head of consumer products companies that had, until now, refused to disclose ingredients. While Wal-Mart did not explicity say it would publish ingredients, such a disclosure would be an inevitable outcome of the green-rating process and a way to differentiate products.
Current U.S. laws do not mandate full transparency on ingredients of cleaning products. Manufacturers have long claimed that revealing ingredients would release key trade secrets and make it easy to ascertain chemical formulas for these products. Environmental groups have long claims that this exclusion for products that are used in so many homes has allowed cleaning and beauty products companies, in particular, to foist unhealthy products on unsuspecting Americans.
The SC Johnson site is certainly comprehensive. A search for Fantastik reveals two types of the cleaning product. A click on the "More Detail" tab reveals that Fantastik "Orange Action" contains two cleaning ingredients; alkyl polyglycoside and ethoxylated alcohol.
Up to Consumers to Do Their Research
The SC Johnson site does not address what health risks these two products might pose to users and their families. But it does give them the exact chemical names. This allows for specific research that can conducted either by individuals or advocacy groups. To be sure, such research remains difficult as the chemical names listed still do not give sufficient information into the exact formulation of the chemicals, something that can have a great impact on toxicity. But it establishes a baseline of disclosure and can allow consumers or researchers to begin to ask the right questions regarding the hazards around ingredients in cleaning and household products.
The move is designed to build trust bewteen SCJ and its customers. "Today's families want to know what's in the products they use in their homes," SCJ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Fisk Johnson said in a press release. "For us, it's about living up to the trust our consumers put in us."
That could be a wise move in an era where a single tweet gone viral can ruin a brand's reputation in a matter of hours and create a permanent online trail of caustic comments.
SCJ lists not only cleaning agents but also dyes, chelators and pH adjusters. Two holes remain in the new policy. SCJ will list preservative and fragrance ingredients by January 2012. Aside from online availability, SCJ will allow consumers to access the new information via product labels and a toll-free number (800-558-5252), as well.
SCJ is one of the largest privately held companies in the country, with annual revenues of $8 billion and a lineup of highly recognizable brand names. The founding family still runs the company and it shows with bold moves like this. Even product companies catering specifically to the green market have not gone as far in terms of disclosure.
So one thing is for sure. The green bar for cleaning products has just been raised quite a bit higher. Let's see how long it takes for others to follow suit.
Alex Salkever is Senior Writer at AOL Daily Finance covering technology and greentech. Follow him on twitter @alexsalkever, read his articles, or email him at alex@dailyfinance.com.
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/11/23/whats-really-in-glade-windex-and-pledge-sc-johnson-will-final/
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Safe Home Quiz
Safe Home Quiz
1.According to the National Safety Council, more children under four die of accidental poisonings in U.S. homes than: a. anywhere else in the world. b. are accidentally killed by guns at home. c. get cavities. d. all of the above. Answer: D
2. The most common cause of in-home poisonings is: a. drain cleaner b. dishwashing detergent c. arsenic d. old leftovers Answer: B. There are over 2.1 MILLION accidental poisonings by dish soap per year. The number one offender: Dawn Dish Detergent (The Top Selling Brand).
3. According to a 15-year study printed in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" which people suffer a higher death rate from cancer: a. Women who work at home. b. Men who work with asbestos. c. People who work in factories. d. Married people. Answer: A. Women who stay/work at home have a 55% greater risk of developing cancer than those who work outside the home. The majority of all cancers are triggered by exposure to hazardous substances in the environment (as reported to the President by the Toxic Substances Strategy Committee in 1980).
4. "Out gassing" is a term that the EPA uses for: a. Chemicals that leak toxic vapors through their containers and filter into the air. b. The exhaust that leaks from a garage into your home. c. The air that comes out of the bathroom after your spouse exits. Answer: A.
5.The EPA says the air we breath in the average household is: a. Safer than any outdoor air pollution. b. Twice as bad as any outdoor pollution. c. 3-5 times more hazardous than any outdoor air pollution. Answer: C. The EPA reports that because of common household chemicals, the air found in the average American household is 3 to 70 times more hazardous to your health than outdoor air pollutants. Additionally, Indoor air pollution is a suspected culprit in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) which will take about 5,000 U.S. lives this year (Poisoning Our Children, Nobel Press)
6. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says that 150 common household chemicals have been linked to: a. Allergies b. Childhood cancers c. Learning disorders d. Birth defects e. All of the above Answer: E. The Centers for Disease Control advises that there's a suspected link between the environment and the astonishing increase in birth defects, childhood cancer, learning disorders and childhood asthma in the last 40 years.
7. The California Public Interest Research Group reports of 70,000 new chemicals that have been introduced since chemical warfare testing in World War II, thousands are now used as ingredients to: a. Clean your clothes. b. Clean your teeth. c. Clean your floor. d. Clean your hair. e. All of the above. Answer: E. The Consumer Product Safety Commission advises that of chemicals commonly found in homes, 150 have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities.
8. Formaldehyde is a cheap preservative used in: a. Embalming. b. Biology classes across America. c. A majority of the personal & home hygiene products we buy at the grocery store. d. "a" and "b." e. All of the above. Answer: E. Formaldehyde which is found in many toiletries, cosmetics and cleaning supplies is a potential carcinogen. It is also suspected of causing birth defects and genetic damage. It can be hidden under 27 different names (National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health) ( i.e.: Quaternium 15)
9. In consumer products the most harmful ingredients are: a. The "active" ingredients. b. The "inactive" ingredients. c. None of the above. d. It depends on the product. Answer: D. Active ingredients in products like Lysol, Tide and Cascade can be very harmful. However, in some products the inactive ingredients can actually be more hazardous to your health than the active ingredients. Interestingly enough, you may not be able to tell fro the label as companies are NOT REQUIRED to list all of the inactive ingredients in their products which are covered by the same "trade secret laws" as Coca-Cola.
10. The primary suspects of breast cancer (the #1 killer of women between the ages of 35 and 54) are: a. Hereditary factors. b. Improper diet & exercise. c. Laundry detergents, bleach, household cleaners and pesticides. Answer: C. There has been a 26% increase in breast cancer since 1982. Ask: What about your family? Are you ready to seek alternatives to the probable health hazards you're currently using? Why would anyone use toxic products if they knew there were safe, cost-effective alternatives?
11.BONUS QUESTION: List below anyone you know who you think would like to get safe products for free every month (one point per person listed). Don't worry, we are not going to collect this paper!
1.According to the National Safety Council, more children under four die of accidental poisonings in U.S. homes than: a. anywhere else in the world. b. are accidentally killed by guns at home. c. get cavities. d. all of the above. Answer: D
2. The most common cause of in-home poisonings is: a. drain cleaner b. dishwashing detergent c. arsenic d. old leftovers Answer: B. There are over 2.1 MILLION accidental poisonings by dish soap per year. The number one offender: Dawn Dish Detergent (The Top Selling Brand).
3. According to a 15-year study printed in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" which people suffer a higher death rate from cancer: a. Women who work at home. b. Men who work with asbestos. c. People who work in factories. d. Married people. Answer: A. Women who stay/work at home have a 55% greater risk of developing cancer than those who work outside the home. The majority of all cancers are triggered by exposure to hazardous substances in the environment (as reported to the President by the Toxic Substances Strategy Committee in 1980).
4. "Out gassing" is a term that the EPA uses for: a. Chemicals that leak toxic vapors through their containers and filter into the air. b. The exhaust that leaks from a garage into your home. c. The air that comes out of the bathroom after your spouse exits. Answer: A.
5.The EPA says the air we breath in the average household is: a. Safer than any outdoor air pollution. b. Twice as bad as any outdoor pollution. c. 3-5 times more hazardous than any outdoor air pollution. Answer: C. The EPA reports that because of common household chemicals, the air found in the average American household is 3 to 70 times more hazardous to your health than outdoor air pollutants. Additionally, Indoor air pollution is a suspected culprit in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) which will take about 5,000 U.S. lives this year (Poisoning Our Children, Nobel Press)
6. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says that 150 common household chemicals have been linked to: a. Allergies b. Childhood cancers c. Learning disorders d. Birth defects e. All of the above Answer: E. The Centers for Disease Control advises that there's a suspected link between the environment and the astonishing increase in birth defects, childhood cancer, learning disorders and childhood asthma in the last 40 years.
7. The California Public Interest Research Group reports of 70,000 new chemicals that have been introduced since chemical warfare testing in World War II, thousands are now used as ingredients to: a. Clean your clothes. b. Clean your teeth. c. Clean your floor. d. Clean your hair. e. All of the above. Answer: E. The Consumer Product Safety Commission advises that of chemicals commonly found in homes, 150 have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities.
8. Formaldehyde is a cheap preservative used in: a. Embalming. b. Biology classes across America. c. A majority of the personal & home hygiene products we buy at the grocery store. d. "a" and "b." e. All of the above. Answer: E. Formaldehyde which is found in many toiletries, cosmetics and cleaning supplies is a potential carcinogen. It is also suspected of causing birth defects and genetic damage. It can be hidden under 27 different names (National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health) ( i.e.: Quaternium 15)
9. In consumer products the most harmful ingredients are: a. The "active" ingredients. b. The "inactive" ingredients. c. None of the above. d. It depends on the product. Answer: D. Active ingredients in products like Lysol, Tide and Cascade can be very harmful. However, in some products the inactive ingredients can actually be more hazardous to your health than the active ingredients. Interestingly enough, you may not be able to tell fro the label as companies are NOT REQUIRED to list all of the inactive ingredients in their products which are covered by the same "trade secret laws" as Coca-Cola.
10. The primary suspects of breast cancer (the #1 killer of women between the ages of 35 and 54) are: a. Hereditary factors. b. Improper diet & exercise. c. Laundry detergents, bleach, household cleaners and pesticides. Answer: C. There has been a 26% increase in breast cancer since 1982. Ask: What about your family? Are you ready to seek alternatives to the probable health hazards you're currently using? Why would anyone use toxic products if they knew there were safe, cost-effective alternatives?
11.BONUS QUESTION: List below anyone you know who you think would like to get safe products for free every month (one point per person listed). Don't worry, we are not going to collect this paper!
Friday, September 18, 2009
BLEACH: is a strong corrosive
Source: http://www.mamashealth.com/doc/cleanprod. asp
CHLORINE:
The first agent of chemical warfare was chlorine. WWII ended with an abundance
of this cheap chemical. In the name of huge profits, it was added to our water
supply and many other products. Chlorine is the number one cause of breast cancer
and can be lethal. Scientists won't handle chlorine without protective gloves,
facemasks, and ventilation, yet it is in most store-brand cleaners, including
dishwasher detergents. The harmful effects are intensified when the fumes are
heated, as in the shower. It ís in our drinking water, swimming pools,
Jacuzzis, and more.
BLEACH:
is a strong corrosive. It will irritate or burn the skin, eyes and respiratory
tract. It may cause pulmonary edema or vomiting and coma if ingested. Never mix
bleach with acid toilet bowl cleaners or ammonia. These mixtures may produce fumes
which can be DEADLY.
http://florawww. eeb.uconn.edu/msds/bleach_msds.pdf>
Material Safety Data Sheet
Ashland Chemical Co. Date Prepared: 01/06/98
Date Printed: 06/22/99
MSDS No: 301.0029691- 006.005I
BLEACH, LIQUID 5% HOUSEHOLD TYPE
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
1. CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION
Material Identity
Product Name: BLEACH, LIQUID 5% HOUSEHOLD TYPE
General or Generic ID: SALTS
Company Emergency Telephone Number:
Ashland Chemical Co. 1-800-ASHLAND (1-800-274-5263)
P.O. Box 2219 24 hours everyday
Columbus, OH 43216
614-790-3333 Regulatory Information Number:
1-800-325-3751
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
2. COMPOSITION/ INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS
Ingredient(s) CAS Number % (by weight)
------------ --------- --------- --------- ----- ------------ - ------------ -
WATER 7732-18-5 93.0- 97.0
SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE 7681-52-9 3.3- 7.0
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
3. HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION
Potential Health Effects
Eye
Can cause permanent eye injury. Symptoms include stinging,
tearing, redness, and swelling of eyes. Can injure the cornea and
cause blindness.
Skin
Can cause permanent skin damage. Symptoms may include redness,
burning, and swelling of skin, burns, and other skin damage.
Additional symptoms of skin contact may include: skin blistering,
hair loss, Passage of this material into the body through the skin
is possible, but it is unlikely that this would result in harmful
effects during safe handling and use.
Swallowing
Swallowing this material may be harmful or fatal. Symptoms may
include severe stomach and intestinal irritation (nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea), abdominal pain, and vomiting of blood.
Swallowing this material may cause burns and destroy tissue in the
mouth, throat, and digestive tract. Low blood pressure and shock
may occur as a result of severe tissue injury.
Inhalation
It is possible to breathe this material under certain conditions
of handling and use (for example, during heating, spraying, or
stirring). Breathing this material may be harmful or fatal.
Symptoms may include severe irritation and burns to the nose,
throat, and respiratory tract.
Symptoms of Exposure
Signs and symptoms of exposure to this material through breathing,
swallowing, and/or passage of the material through the skin may
include: stomach or intestinal upset (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea)
cough, tight feeling in the chest, difficult breathing, lung edema
(fluid buildup in the lung tissue), lung damage, shock, coma, and
death.
Target Organ Effects
This material (or a component) has been shown to lower activity of
certain immune system cells in experimental animals. The
significance of this effect with respect to human health is
uncertain.
Developmental Information
There are no data available for assessing risk to the fetus from
maternal exposure to this material.
Cancer Information
Based on the available information, this material cannot be
classified with regard to carcinogenicity. This material is not
listed as a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on
Cancer, the National Toxicology Program, or the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration.
Other Health Effects
When combined with an acid or ammonia, sodium hypochlorite may
produce chlorine or chloramine gas, respectively. Inhalation of
these gases results in coughing, choking, difficult breathing, and
other symptoms of respiratory tract irritation. Fluid may collect
in the lung tissue following a severe gas exposure.
Primary Route(s) of Entry
Inhalation, Skin contact, Eye contact.
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
4. FIRST AID MEASURES
Eyes
If material gets into the eyes, immediately flush eyes gently with
water for at least 15 minutes while holding eyelids apart. If
symptoms develop as a result of vapor exposure, immediately move
individual away from exposure and into fresh air before flushing
as recommended above. Seek immediate medical attention.
Skin
Immediately flush skin with water for at least 15 minutes while
removing contaminated clothing and shoes. Seek immediate medical
attention. Wash clothing before reuse and discard contaminated
shoes.
Swallowing
Seek immediate medical attention. Do not induce vomiting.
Vomiting will cause further damage to the mouth and throat. If
individual is conscious and alert, immediately rinse mouth with
water and give milk or water to drink. If possible, do not leave
individual unattended.
Inhalation
If symptoms develop, immediately move individual away from
exposure and into fresh air. Seek immediate medical attention;
keep person warm and quiet. If person is not breathing, begin
artificial respiration. If breathing is difficult, administer
oxygen.
Note to Physicians
Preexisting disorders of the following organs (or organ systems)
may be aggravated by exposure to this material: skin, lung (for
example, asthma-like conditions), immune system.
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
5. FIRE FIGHTING MEASURES
Flash Point
Not applicable
Explosive Limit
Not applicable
Autoignition Temperature
No data
Hazardous Products of Combustion
May form: chlorine.
Fire and Explosion Hazards
No special fire hazards are known to be associated with this
product.
Extinguishing Media
Use an extinguishing media appropriate for surrounding fire..
Fire Fighting Instructions
Water may be used to keep fire-exposed containers cool until fire
is out. Wear a self-contained breathing apparatus with a full
facepiece operated in the positive pressure demand mode with
appropriate turn-out gear and chemical resistant personal
protective equipment. Refer to the personal protective equipment
section of this MSDS.
NFPA Rating
Not determined
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
6. ACCIDENTAL RELEASE MEASURES
Small Spill
Dilute with water and absorb onto a noncombustible absorbent
material.
Large Spill
Prevent run-off to sewers, streams or other bodies of water. If
run-off occurs, notify proper authorities as required, that a
spill has occurred. Collect and add slowly to large volume of
water. Persons not wearing protective equipment should be
excluded from area of spill until clean-up is completed. Stop
spill at source. Dike to prevent spreading. Pump to salvage
tank.
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
7. HANDLING AND STORAGE
Handling
Containers of this material may be hazardous when emptied. Since
emptied containers retain product residues (vapor, liquid, and/or
solid), all hazard precautions given in the data sheet must be
observed. Emergency eyewash fountains and safety showers should
be available in the immediate vicinity of potential exposure.
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
8. EXPOSURE CONTROLS/PERSONAL PROTECTION
Eye Protection
Chemical splash goggles and face shield (8" min.) in compliance
with OSHA regulations are advised; however, OSHA regulations also
permit other type safety glasses. (Consult your industrial
hygienist.)
Skin Protection
Wear impervious gloves (consult your safety equipment supplier).
To prevent skin contact, wear impervious clothing and boots..
Respiratory Protections
If overexposure has been determined or documented, a NIOSH/MSHA
jointly approved air supplied respirator is advised in absence of
proper environmental control. OSHA regulations also permit other
NIOSH/MSHA respirators under specified conditions. (See your
safety equipment supplier.) Engineering or administrative
controls should be implemented to reduce exposure.
Engineering Controls
Provide sufficient mechanical (general and/or local exhaust)
ventilation to maintain exposure below level of overexposure (from
known, suspected or apparent adverse effects).
Exposure Guidelines
Component
----------
WATER (7732-18-5)
No exposure limits established
SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE (7681-52-9)
No exposure limits established
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
9. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
Boiling Point
(for product) > 212.0 F (100.0 C) @ 760 mmHg
Vapor Pressure
(for component) 17.500 mmHg @ 68.00 F
Specific Vapor Density
No data
Specific Gravity
1.090 @ 68.00 F
Liquid Density
9.070 lbs/gal @ 68.00 F
1.090 kg/l @ 20.00 C
Percent Volatiles
95.0 %
Evaporation Rate
SLOWER THAN ETHYL ETHER
Appearance
No data
State
LIQUID
Physical Form
HOMOGENEOUS SOLUTION
Color
LIGHT YELLOW, CHLORINE ODOR
Odor
No data
pH
11.4
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
10. STABILITY AND REACTIVITY
Hazardous Polymerization
Product will not undergo hazardous polymerization.
Hazardous Decomposition
May form: chlorine.
Chemical Stability
Stable.
Incompatibility
Avoid contact with: excessive heat, reducing agents, strong
mineral acids.
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
11. TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION
No data
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
12. ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION
No data
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
13. DISPOSAL CONSIDERATION
Waste Management Information
Dispose of in accordance with all applicable local, state and
federal regulations.
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
14. TRANSPORT INFORMATION
DOT Information - 49 CFR 172.101
DOT Description:
NON-REGULATED BY D.O.T.
Container/Mode:
55 GAL DRUM/TRUCK PACKAGE
NOS Component:
None
RQ (Reportable Quantity) - 49 CFR 172.101
Product Quantity (lbs) Component
------------ --------- - ------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --
1905 SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
15. REGULATORY INFORMATION
US Federal Regulations
TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act) Status
TSCA (UNITED STATES) The intentional ingredients of this
product are listed.
CERCLA RQ - 40 CFR 302.4(a)
Component RQ (lbs)
------------ --------- --------- --------- - ---------
SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE 100
CERCLA RQ - 40 CFR 302.4(b)
Materials without a "listed" RQ may be reportable as an
"unlisted hazardous substance". See 40 CFR 302.5 (b).
SARA 302 Components - 40 CFR 355 Appendix A
None
Section 311/312 Hazard Class - 40 CFR 370.2
Immediate(X) Delayed(X) Fire( ) Reactive( ) Sudden
Release of Pressure( )
SARA 313 Components - 40 CFR 372.65
None
International Regulations
Inventory Status
Not determined
State and Local Regulations
California Proposition 65
None
New Jersey RTK Label Information
SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE 7681-52-9
Pennsylvania RTK Label Information
HYPOCHLOROUS ACID, SODIUM SALT 7681-52-9
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
16. OTHER INFORMATION
The information accumulated herein is believed to be accurate but
is not warranted to be whether originating with the company or
not. Recipients are advised to confirm in advance of need that the
information is current, applicable, and suitable to their
circumstances.
Girl's Illness Traced to 'Toxic' School
Kellianne
King, 13, suffered headaches, sinus infections, chest pains and seizures that
were linked to germs and chemicals in her school. (ABC NEWS)
http://abcnews. go.com/Health/ Health/story? id=1202564& page=1&CMP= OTC-RSSFeeds0312
Kellianne King was a healthy, vibrant little girl until she started
preschool. That's when she started to suffer from headaches, sinus
infections, chest pains and seizures, says her mother, Kathy King.
It was a heart-wrenching time for the family. "She would stand
on her bed and she would just scream, 'You have to -- you have to help
me. Someone has to help me.' And we couldn't do anything," King said.
And Kellianne, now 13, couldn't enjoy many of the pleasures of being a kid.
"I feel like I didn't get to do much," she said. "I mean, I can
ride a bike and read a book now but when I was little, I never got to
do that. I learned how to do those things much later. So it was hard."
No one, it seemed, could figure out what was making the little
girl so sick. "We took her to all the best doctors and they were just
perplexed by her," King said. "They really just couldn't pinpoint what
was wrong."
Mystery Illness Revealed
When Kellianne was in the first grade, her parents learned the
painful truth: There were serious air quality problems in her school
that had sickened dozens of students and teachers.
"I was shocked that the only place, the only place I trusted to leave her was what was making her sick," said King.
Dr. Phillip Landrigan chairs the Department of Community and
Preventative Medicine at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York. He
is one of many doctors alarmed by hidden toxins in schools.
"Today, too many chemicals are put into schools that have never
been tested for the possible impacts they have on young children,"
Landrigan said.
Simple leaks can breed deadly mold behind walls and trigger an
asthma attack; pesticides used to kill insects and weeds can damage a
child's developing nervous system, lowering IQ and affecting attention
span.
"Children live down on the floor," Landrigan said. "They crawl
on the rug. They're constantly putting their little fingers in their
mouths. And all of those actions increase the child's exposure."
Alarming School Experiment
Just how quickly kids get exposed to toxins in school became clear when
"Good Morning America" conducted an experiment in a classroom at P.S. 8
in New York.
First, we applied Glo-Germ, a non-toxic powder only visible
under ultra-violet light, in areas where pesticides are most likely to
be sprayed or to settle, like baseboards, windowsills and desktops.
Then we invited the kids to play. After only 20 minutes, we showed them
the stunning results.
Using UV light, we found traces of Glo-Germ all over their clothes, hands and faces.
"It was actually scary to see how germs can spread, toxins can spread all over the place," said teacher Olivia Ellis.
Kids spend nearly 90 percent of their time indoors. Yet there
are no specific federal requirements limiting the use of toxins, such
as pesticides, in schools, which is why it often takes teamwork to get
a school to clean up its act and its air.
Patricia Berkey is the principal of Hastings Elementary School
in Massachusetts, where Kellianne attended school and was exposed to
toxins. "I think families need to feel comfortable when they send their
children off to school that they're sending their children to a safe
and healthy environment, " Berkey said.
That school took action and, nine years later, Hastings is an award-winning example of a healthy environment school.
A health and safety team regularly inspects the entire school
looking for leaks, dirty ventilation filters and makes certain that
only non-toxic cleaners are being used in the classrooms.
"It's a really good feeling to know that if you take a little
time out locally in your schools that the impact can be really
far-reaching, " said King.
How far-reaching? Thanks to King and other parents' efforts,
every school in her district has similar toxin-fighting teams,
protecting the health of some 3,500 students -- including Kellianne.
"I feel very proud to have a mom that would do that for her kid instead
of just giving up and saying, 'Oh well, I can live with them being like
this forever,'" Kellianne said. "Just fighting. Also, not just for me
but for other kids."
_
I need information to give to my son's school. Now that he is in 6th grade
he has to take a turn with clean up duty after lunch (He is attending a small
private school). I was not aware of this. He had to use bleach water to clean
the tables/chairs/ counter tops and during the rinsing of dishes along with
Dawn with bleach for the dish washing. No gloves were provided. After this he
became sick and we were at the Dr.'s office. She did provide a note stating that
Ben be provided with safe, bleach free, natural products to use for this. I want
to have some good "to the point" info that is not too long (so they WILL read
it) Of course I would like to enroll them (I have talked with one of the
teachers, no full presentation yet), but my main concern is that my son not be
exposed to this harmful products. I have info on bleach etc., but it is
very long.
Thank you for any info you might have.
~ Holly
www.saferisbetter.com/freedon to learn more on clean safe products
CHLORINE:
The first agent of chemical warfare was chlorine. WWII ended with an abundance
of this cheap chemical. In the name of huge profits, it was added to our water
supply and many other products. Chlorine is the number one cause of breast cancer
and can be lethal. Scientists won't handle chlorine without protective gloves,
facemasks, and ventilation, yet it is in most store-brand cleaners, including
dishwasher detergents. The harmful effects are intensified when the fumes are
heated, as in the shower. It ís in our drinking water, swimming pools,
Jacuzzis, and more.
BLEACH:
is a strong corrosive. It will irritate or burn the skin, eyes and respiratory
tract. It may cause pulmonary edema or vomiting and coma if ingested. Never mix
bleach with acid toilet bowl cleaners or ammonia. These mixtures may produce fumes
which can be DEADLY.
http://florawww. eeb.uconn.edu/msds/bleach_msds.pdf>
Material Safety Data Sheet
Ashland Chemical Co. Date Prepared: 01/06/98
Date Printed: 06/22/99
MSDS No: 301.0029691- 006.005I
BLEACH, LIQUID 5% HOUSEHOLD TYPE
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
1. CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION
Material Identity
Product Name: BLEACH, LIQUID 5% HOUSEHOLD TYPE
General or Generic ID: SALTS
Company Emergency Telephone Number:
Ashland Chemical Co. 1-800-ASHLAND (1-800-274-5263)
P.O. Box 2219 24 hours everyday
Columbus, OH 43216
614-790-3333 Regulatory Information Number:
1-800-325-3751
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
2. COMPOSITION/ INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS
Ingredient(s) CAS Number % (by weight)
------------ --------- --------- --------- ----- ------------ - ------------ -
WATER 7732-18-5 93.0- 97.0
SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE 7681-52-9 3.3- 7.0
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
3. HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION
Potential Health Effects
Eye
Can cause permanent eye injury. Symptoms include stinging,
tearing, redness, and swelling of eyes. Can injure the cornea and
cause blindness.
Skin
Can cause permanent skin damage. Symptoms may include redness,
burning, and swelling of skin, burns, and other skin damage.
Additional symptoms of skin contact may include: skin blistering,
hair loss, Passage of this material into the body through the skin
is possible, but it is unlikely that this would result in harmful
effects during safe handling and use.
Swallowing
Swallowing this material may be harmful or fatal. Symptoms may
include severe stomach and intestinal irritation (nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea), abdominal pain, and vomiting of blood.
Swallowing this material may cause burns and destroy tissue in the
mouth, throat, and digestive tract. Low blood pressure and shock
may occur as a result of severe tissue injury.
Inhalation
It is possible to breathe this material under certain conditions
of handling and use (for example, during heating, spraying, or
stirring). Breathing this material may be harmful or fatal.
Symptoms may include severe irritation and burns to the nose,
throat, and respiratory tract.
Symptoms of Exposure
Signs and symptoms of exposure to this material through breathing,
swallowing, and/or passage of the material through the skin may
include: stomach or intestinal upset (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea)
cough, tight feeling in the chest, difficult breathing, lung edema
(fluid buildup in the lung tissue), lung damage, shock, coma, and
death.
Target Organ Effects
This material (or a component) has been shown to lower activity of
certain immune system cells in experimental animals. The
significance of this effect with respect to human health is
uncertain.
Developmental Information
There are no data available for assessing risk to the fetus from
maternal exposure to this material.
Cancer Information
Based on the available information, this material cannot be
classified with regard to carcinogenicity. This material is not
listed as a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on
Cancer, the National Toxicology Program, or the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration.
Other Health Effects
When combined with an acid or ammonia, sodium hypochlorite may
produce chlorine or chloramine gas, respectively. Inhalation of
these gases results in coughing, choking, difficult breathing, and
other symptoms of respiratory tract irritation. Fluid may collect
in the lung tissue following a severe gas exposure.
Primary Route(s) of Entry
Inhalation, Skin contact, Eye contact.
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
4. FIRST AID MEASURES
Eyes
If material gets into the eyes, immediately flush eyes gently with
water for at least 15 minutes while holding eyelids apart. If
symptoms develop as a result of vapor exposure, immediately move
individual away from exposure and into fresh air before flushing
as recommended above. Seek immediate medical attention.
Skin
Immediately flush skin with water for at least 15 minutes while
removing contaminated clothing and shoes. Seek immediate medical
attention. Wash clothing before reuse and discard contaminated
shoes.
Swallowing
Seek immediate medical attention. Do not induce vomiting.
Vomiting will cause further damage to the mouth and throat. If
individual is conscious and alert, immediately rinse mouth with
water and give milk or water to drink. If possible, do not leave
individual unattended.
Inhalation
If symptoms develop, immediately move individual away from
exposure and into fresh air. Seek immediate medical attention;
keep person warm and quiet. If person is not breathing, begin
artificial respiration. If breathing is difficult, administer
oxygen.
Note to Physicians
Preexisting disorders of the following organs (or organ systems)
may be aggravated by exposure to this material: skin, lung (for
example, asthma-like conditions), immune system.
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
5. FIRE FIGHTING MEASURES
Flash Point
Not applicable
Explosive Limit
Not applicable
Autoignition Temperature
No data
Hazardous Products of Combustion
May form: chlorine.
Fire and Explosion Hazards
No special fire hazards are known to be associated with this
product.
Extinguishing Media
Use an extinguishing media appropriate for surrounding fire..
Fire Fighting Instructions
Water may be used to keep fire-exposed containers cool until fire
is out. Wear a self-contained breathing apparatus with a full
facepiece operated in the positive pressure demand mode with
appropriate turn-out gear and chemical resistant personal
protective equipment. Refer to the personal protective equipment
section of this MSDS.
NFPA Rating
Not determined
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
6. ACCIDENTAL RELEASE MEASURES
Small Spill
Dilute with water and absorb onto a noncombustible absorbent
material.
Large Spill
Prevent run-off to sewers, streams or other bodies of water. If
run-off occurs, notify proper authorities as required, that a
spill has occurred. Collect and add slowly to large volume of
water. Persons not wearing protective equipment should be
excluded from area of spill until clean-up is completed. Stop
spill at source. Dike to prevent spreading. Pump to salvage
tank.
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
7. HANDLING AND STORAGE
Handling
Containers of this material may be hazardous when emptied. Since
emptied containers retain product residues (vapor, liquid, and/or
solid), all hazard precautions given in the data sheet must be
observed. Emergency eyewash fountains and safety showers should
be available in the immediate vicinity of potential exposure.
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
8. EXPOSURE CONTROLS/PERSONAL PROTECTION
Eye Protection
Chemical splash goggles and face shield (8" min.) in compliance
with OSHA regulations are advised; however, OSHA regulations also
permit other type safety glasses. (Consult your industrial
hygienist.)
Skin Protection
Wear impervious gloves (consult your safety equipment supplier).
To prevent skin contact, wear impervious clothing and boots..
Respiratory Protections
If overexposure has been determined or documented, a NIOSH/MSHA
jointly approved air supplied respirator is advised in absence of
proper environmental control. OSHA regulations also permit other
NIOSH/MSHA respirators under specified conditions. (See your
safety equipment supplier.) Engineering or administrative
controls should be implemented to reduce exposure.
Engineering Controls
Provide sufficient mechanical (general and/or local exhaust)
ventilation to maintain exposure below level of overexposure (from
known, suspected or apparent adverse effects).
Exposure Guidelines
Component
----------
WATER (7732-18-5)
No exposure limits established
SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE (7681-52-9)
No exposure limits established
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
9. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
Boiling Point
(for product) > 212.0 F (100.0 C) @ 760 mmHg
Vapor Pressure
(for component) 17.500 mmHg @ 68.00 F
Specific Vapor Density
No data
Specific Gravity
1.090 @ 68.00 F
Liquid Density
9.070 lbs/gal @ 68.00 F
1.090 kg/l @ 20.00 C
Percent Volatiles
95.0 %
Evaporation Rate
SLOWER THAN ETHYL ETHER
Appearance
No data
State
LIQUID
Physical Form
HOMOGENEOUS SOLUTION
Color
LIGHT YELLOW, CHLORINE ODOR
Odor
No data
pH
11.4
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
10. STABILITY AND REACTIVITY
Hazardous Polymerization
Product will not undergo hazardous polymerization.
Hazardous Decomposition
May form: chlorine.
Chemical Stability
Stable.
Incompatibility
Avoid contact with: excessive heat, reducing agents, strong
mineral acids.
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
11. TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION
No data
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
12. ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION
No data
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
13. DISPOSAL CONSIDERATION
Waste Management Information
Dispose of in accordance with all applicable local, state and
federal regulations.
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
14. TRANSPORT INFORMATION
DOT Information - 49 CFR 172.101
DOT Description:
NON-REGULATED BY D.O.T.
Container/Mode:
55 GAL DRUM/TRUCK PACKAGE
NOS Component:
None
RQ (Reportable Quantity) - 49 CFR 172.101
Product Quantity (lbs) Component
------------ --------- - ------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --
1905 SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
15. REGULATORY INFORMATION
US Federal Regulations
TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act) Status
TSCA (UNITED STATES) The intentional ingredients of this
product are listed.
CERCLA RQ - 40 CFR 302.4(a)
Component RQ (lbs)
------------ --------- --------- --------- - ---------
SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE 100
CERCLA RQ - 40 CFR 302.4(b)
Materials without a "listed" RQ may be reportable as an
"unlisted hazardous substance". See 40 CFR 302.5 (b).
SARA 302 Components - 40 CFR 355 Appendix A
None
Section 311/312 Hazard Class - 40 CFR 370.2
Immediate(X) Delayed(X) Fire( ) Reactive( ) Sudden
Release of Pressure( )
SARA 313 Components - 40 CFR 372.65
None
International Regulations
Inventory Status
Not determined
State and Local Regulations
California Proposition 65
None
New Jersey RTK Label Information
SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE 7681-52-9
Pennsylvania RTK Label Information
HYPOCHLOROUS ACID, SODIUM SALT 7681-52-9
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
16. OTHER INFORMATION
The information accumulated herein is believed to be accurate but
is not warranted to be whether originating with the company or
not. Recipients are advised to confirm in advance of need that the
information is current, applicable, and suitable to their
circumstances.
Girl's Illness Traced to 'Toxic' School
Kellianne
King, 13, suffered headaches, sinus infections, chest pains and seizures that
were linked to germs and chemicals in her school. (ABC NEWS)
http://abcnews. go.com/Health/ Health/story? id=1202564& page=1&CMP= OTC-RSSFeeds0312
Kellianne King was a healthy, vibrant little girl until she started
preschool. That's when she started to suffer from headaches, sinus
infections, chest pains and seizures, says her mother, Kathy King.
It was a heart-wrenching time for the family. "She would stand
on her bed and she would just scream, 'You have to -- you have to help
me. Someone has to help me.' And we couldn't do anything," King said.
And Kellianne, now 13, couldn't enjoy many of the pleasures of being a kid.
"I feel like I didn't get to do much," she said. "I mean, I can
ride a bike and read a book now but when I was little, I never got to
do that. I learned how to do those things much later. So it was hard."
No one, it seemed, could figure out what was making the little
girl so sick. "We took her to all the best doctors and they were just
perplexed by her," King said. "They really just couldn't pinpoint what
was wrong."
Mystery Illness Revealed
When Kellianne was in the first grade, her parents learned the
painful truth: There were serious air quality problems in her school
that had sickened dozens of students and teachers.
"I was shocked that the only place, the only place I trusted to leave her was what was making her sick," said King.
Dr. Phillip Landrigan chairs the Department of Community and
Preventative Medicine at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York. He
is one of many doctors alarmed by hidden toxins in schools.
"Today, too many chemicals are put into schools that have never
been tested for the possible impacts they have on young children,"
Landrigan said.
Simple leaks can breed deadly mold behind walls and trigger an
asthma attack; pesticides used to kill insects and weeds can damage a
child's developing nervous system, lowering IQ and affecting attention
span.
"Children live down on the floor," Landrigan said. "They crawl
on the rug. They're constantly putting their little fingers in their
mouths. And all of those actions increase the child's exposure."
Alarming School Experiment
Just how quickly kids get exposed to toxins in school became clear when
"Good Morning America" conducted an experiment in a classroom at P.S. 8
in New York.
First, we applied Glo-Germ, a non-toxic powder only visible
under ultra-violet light, in areas where pesticides are most likely to
be sprayed or to settle, like baseboards, windowsills and desktops.
Then we invited the kids to play. After only 20 minutes, we showed them
the stunning results.
Using UV light, we found traces of Glo-Germ all over their clothes, hands and faces.
"It was actually scary to see how germs can spread, toxins can spread all over the place," said teacher Olivia Ellis.
Kids spend nearly 90 percent of their time indoors. Yet there
are no specific federal requirements limiting the use of toxins, such
as pesticides, in schools, which is why it often takes teamwork to get
a school to clean up its act and its air.
Patricia Berkey is the principal of Hastings Elementary School
in Massachusetts, where Kellianne attended school and was exposed to
toxins. "I think families need to feel comfortable when they send their
children off to school that they're sending their children to a safe
and healthy environment, " Berkey said.
That school took action and, nine years later, Hastings is an award-winning example of a healthy environment school.
A health and safety team regularly inspects the entire school
looking for leaks, dirty ventilation filters and makes certain that
only non-toxic cleaners are being used in the classrooms.
"It's a really good feeling to know that if you take a little
time out locally in your schools that the impact can be really
far-reaching, " said King.
How far-reaching? Thanks to King and other parents' efforts,
every school in her district has similar toxin-fighting teams,
protecting the health of some 3,500 students -- including Kellianne.
"I feel very proud to have a mom that would do that for her kid instead
of just giving up and saying, 'Oh well, I can live with them being like
this forever,'" Kellianne said. "Just fighting. Also, not just for me
but for other kids."
_
I need information to give to my son's school. Now that he is in 6th grade
he has to take a turn with clean up duty after lunch (He is attending a small
private school). I was not aware of this. He had to use bleach water to clean
the tables/chairs/ counter tops and during the rinsing of dishes along with
Dawn with bleach for the dish washing. No gloves were provided. After this he
became sick and we were at the Dr.'s office. She did provide a note stating that
Ben be provided with safe, bleach free, natural products to use for this. I want
to have some good "to the point" info that is not too long (so they WILL read
it) Of course I would like to enroll them (I have talked with one of the
teachers, no full presentation yet), but my main concern is that my son not be
exposed to this harmful products. I have info on bleach etc., but it is
very long.
Thank you for any info you might have.
~ Holly
www.saferisbetter.com/freedon to learn more on clean safe products
Friday, February 20, 2009
Cancer Gaining On Us, WHy you ask??
FOR ALL the pink ribbons, breast-cancer awareness events, fund-raisers, and celebrations of "survivor ship," the facts remain grim. In this country, a woman's lifetime risk of breast cancer is one in eight. In 1975, the risk was about one in 11.
Outside of skin cancer, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women. It is estimated that in 2008 there will be 250,230 new cases of breast cancer among women. An estimated 41,000 women will die of metastatic breast cancer in 2008. Because we still do not know what the causes of breast cancer are, primary prevention remains an elusive goal while mammography and early detection are the focus of attention.
Since World War II, the proliferation of synthetic chemicals has gone hand-in-hand with the increased incidence of breast cancer. About 80,000 synthetic chemicals are used today in the United States , and their number increases by about 1,000 each year. Only about 7 percent of them have been screened for their health effects. These chemicals can persist in the
environment and accumulate in our bodies. According to a recent review by the Silent Spring Institute in Newton , 216 chemicals and radiation sources cause breast cancer in animals.
www.saferisbetter.com/freedon
For more information
Outside of skin cancer, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women. It is estimated that in 2008 there will be 250,230 new cases of breast cancer among women. An estimated 41,000 women will die of metastatic breast cancer in 2008. Because we still do not know what the causes of breast cancer are, primary prevention remains an elusive goal while mammography and early detection are the focus of attention.
Since World War II, the proliferation of synthetic chemicals has gone hand-in-hand with the increased incidence of breast cancer. About 80,000 synthetic chemicals are used today in the United States , and their number increases by about 1,000 each year. Only about 7 percent of them have been screened for their health effects. These chemicals can persist in the
environment and accumulate in our bodies. According to a recent review by the Silent Spring Institute in Newton , 216 chemicals and radiation sources cause breast cancer in animals.
www.saferisbetter.com/freedon
For more information
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