News
March 8, 2012 – Britax and Orbit Baby Commit to Phase Out Hazardous Flame Retardants & PVC from Children’s Car Seats. More »
February 15, 2012 – New Guide to Toxic Chemicals in Cars Helps Consumers Avoid “New Car Smell” as Major Source of Indoor Air Pollution. More »
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New Study Finds Lead, Cadmium, BPA, Phthalates & Hazardous Flame Retardants in Gardening Products
May 3, 2012
High amounts of lead, phthalates and the toxic chemical BPA were all found in the water of a new hose after sitting outside in the sun for just a few days, according to researchers at the Ann Arbor-based Ecology Center, who just completed a large study of toxic chemicals in gardening products.
Nearly 200 hoses, gloves, kneeling pads and tools were tested for lead, cadmium, bromine (associated with brominated flame retardants); chlorine (indicating the presence of polyvinyl chloride, or PVC); phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA). Such chemicals have been linked to birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, premature births and early puberty in laboratory animals, among other serious health problems.
The good news news is that there are things you can do. Click here for more information and to download our Lawn & Garden Shopping Guide. Our list of PVC-free garden hoses is available here.
Low-Cost Jewelry Ranks HIGH for Toxic Chemicals
March 13, 2012
Researchers tested low-cost children’s and adult jewelry for chemicals -- including lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, bromine and chlorine (PVC) – which have been linked (in animal and some human studies) to acute allergies and to long-term health impacts such as birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, and cancer.
Over half (59%) of the products tested had a “high” level of concern due to the presence of one or more hazardous chemicals detected at high levels. Four products contained over 10% cadmium, a known carcinogen. Fifty percent contained lead, with over half of these containing more than 100 ppm of lead in one or more components, exceeding the Consumer Product Safety Commission limit of lead in children’s products.
New Guide to Toxic Chemicals in Cars Helps Consumers Avoid "New Car Smell" As Major Source of Indoor Air Pollution
February 15, 2012
On February 15, 2012, HealthyStuff.org published its fourth consumer guide to toxic chemicals in car, finding the Honda Civic at the top of this year’s list, and the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport at the bottom. Over 200 of the most popular 2011- and 2012-model vehicles were tested for chemicals that off-gas from parts such as the steering wheel, dashboard, armrests and seats. These chemicals contribute to “new car smell” and a variety of acute and long-term health concerns. Since the average American spends more than 1.5 hours in a car every day, toxic chemical exposure inside vehicles can be a major source of indoor air pollution. Download the 2011/2012 Guide to New Vehicles
Poison in Paint, Toxics in Toys
December 13, 2011
On December 13, our colleagues at the Environmental Health Strategy Center released an exclusive new report, Poison in Paint, Toxics in Toys, on two groups of hormone disrupting chemicals in common household products.
For the first time, more than 650 brand name household products that contain one of two toxic chemicals of high concern, NPEs (nonylphenol ethoxylates) and BPA (bisphenol A), have been publicly identified. Twenty-five manufacturers reported their use of NPEs and BPA in consumer products sold in Maine under a 2008 state law on chemical safety.
NOTICE: HealthyStuff.org ratings do not provide a measure of health risk or chemical exposure associated with any individual product, or any individual element or related chemical. HealthyStuff.org ratings provide only a relative measure of high, medium, and low concentrations of several hazardous chemicals or chemical elements in an individual product in comparison to criteria established in the site methodology.
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