Toxic Chemicals: becoming informed & making safer choices.

Averyll Fitzgerald From

Energy Health & Living www.energyhealthandliving.com

Our Mission Statement To educate the community and the corporate sector on the need to make positive changes to their environment through the use of environmentally responsible products that will make a difference to their own health and the health of our planet. Overview •

Energy Health & Living was formed over four years ago to promote the health and wellbeing of people and their environment, both at home, at work and living together with nature

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Conservation and awareness of health are all no longer radical or even ‘alternative’. Issues like climate change and dramatic trends in poor health have brought responsibility into the commercial and retail mainstream.

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The resulting flood of product claiming to be ‘green’, ‘ethical’, ‘natural’ or ‘healthy’ can be confusing or downright misleading. This has created an opportunity for truly passionate and ethical suppliers of genuinely responsible products that have built a reputation on quality and results, yet continue to invest what’s required to do the right thing.

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It’s not easy or cheap to be really eco-sensitive, locally sourced, organic, non-toxic or properly biodegradable. Yet there are selected product lines which are ethical and responsible enough to take care and do more than just make claims, yet sell them at reasonable prices.

Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Products University of Washington Human exposure studies have revealed that most of our exposure to toxic chemicals comes from sources close to us and within our control, such as consumer products, personal care products, and building materials that we use within our homes, workplaces, schools, and other indoor environments. Surprisingly, many toxic chemicals in these products are not tested, regulated, or listed on the product labels or on the Material Safety Data Sheets. Thus, a critical gap exists between science and public awareness; for instance, products are often assumed "safe," even though some chemicals in products are known to be toxic.

‘GREENWASH’ Definition: the practice of promoting environmentally friendly programs to deflect attention from an organization's environmentally unfriendly or less savory activities; also called Greenwashing

CHOICE is campaigning against Greenwashing! •

CHOICE stares on their website ‘Greenwash is deceptive marketing designed to portray a company or product as caring for the environment’.

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CHOICE is campaigning to make sure green claims are honest and useful, because consumers should be able to sort the true green products from the greenwash.

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Avoiding greenwash: what to look for.

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The trick with green 'spin' is that you won’t always be able to tell you've been duped. Think no distractions.

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Think about the impact of the product itself. Is the packet recyclable, refillable or biodegradable.

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Ignore green pictures, random words like ‘Natural’ and ‘Organic’ where there is no certification to back it up and unofficial logos.

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Specific and precise Look for precise claims that explain and give evidence.

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Full ingredients Listing not just the active ingredients required by law.

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Helpful contact info: Be suspicious if there’s no robust evidence of the green claim on the pack and no easy way to obtain it when you get home. Don’t support a manufacturer that doesn’t want you to be able to find out more about them.

4 Simple Things That We Have Control Over! •

What we put in our mouths

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What we put on our skin

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What we use in our homes

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What we put down our drains

GROW WHAT YOU CAN

SKIN: our biggest organ! • Toxic chemicals that we use on our skin

are absorbed and processed by the body.

• This process places a chemical load on

our liver that in time lowers our immunity making us more susceptible to being sensitive to chemicals in the first place!

Labelling Laws In Australia • Labelling Systems for Household Cleaning Products

• Any product that goes into our body via our mouth is controlled by labelling regulations to ensure that ingredients are clearly stated.

• Yet products whose ingredients enter our body via the air we

breathe or through skin contact during use do not fall under the same regulatory system.

• Regulation often requires labelling to contain the words DANGER, WARNING, CAUTION or POISON when there is risk of acute severe toxic effect.

• This means manufacturers do not need to mention lesser effects

or possible long-term effects. Most countries do not require manufacturers to mention on their labels that the products contain neurotoxic agents, carcinogens or hormone-disrupting chemicals.

Labelling Laws In Australia cont…. • Ingredients that are added to bulk up a product or make them

easier to use pose an additional concern, these potentially toxic additives do not have to be identified by name or content percentage on the label. Yet, for individuals who are chemically sensitive, even brief exposure can produce dire effects.

• As consumers we need to be demanding appropriate labelling on all household cleaning products and all body care products.

• Consumers require a reliable and uniform method to identify

household hazardous products at the point of sale. We need two kinds of information on the label. We need to know what chemicals are in the product and how dangerous they are in the short and long-term.

• If manufacturers do not take responsibility for appropriate labelling, we need to ask them why?

Household and Commercial Paints • Most mainstream paints on the market today are quite toxic. Once applied they give off gases called VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) for up to five years

• It is mainly the tints and colours that are added that you need to be careful of

• Research has linked these toxins in some paints to

health problems relating to the skin, mucous membranes and brain function.

• Flooring products applied to wood also contain solvents that end up in our air. Some synthetic products carry over 15,000 ingredients!

•There are approximately 900 identified indoor air pollutants. •Health problems related to exposure to these chemicals may include:•asthma •chronic respiratory disease •upper respiratory infections •suppressed immunity •altered nervous system function •possible permanent nervous system damage •Immune dysfunction •Cancer •Learning difficulties and behavioral problems are also implicated

Children are at much greater risk of chemical exposure than adults are because they inhale or ingest more chemicals per unit of body weight. A child's immune and nervous systems are still developing and are more susceptible to environmental damage.

DEET: What’s the buzz? DEET is the active chemical ingredient in most mosquito repellents, both coils and ones that are applied topically. • Lance Winslow co-founder and moderator of a Think Tank on pesticide usage in the

home states on his website that ‘most people know that DEET works for protecting against Mosquitoes’…..Some say that DEET is bad for you because it is a neurotoxin and they say that it is simply unwise to smear a neurotoxin on your skin’.

• It is for this reason they say that DEET is therefore problematic and serves no one. Many have a problem with this from a medical standpoint, perhaps a moral one, I have not decided, because it is similar to the issues with DDT’.

• Do you risk brain problems for health risks of Mosquitoes? You see the brain in my

opinion is the most important part of humans. This is why evolution has incased it into a skull for protection. Then you see the problem here? That is simply fundamentally unwise. DEET should not be smeared on the skin, it cannot be used in any components taken internationally, we know this and the skin also absorbs such things.

DEET: What’s the buzz? cont Effects of DEET on human health • As a precaution, manufacturers advise that DEET products should not be used under clothing or on damaged skin, and that preparations be washed off after they are no longer needed or between applications. DEET can act as an irritant; in rare cases, it may cause skin reactions;

• In the DEET Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED), the EPA

reported 14 to 46 cases of potential DEET-associated seizures, including 4 deaths. The EPA states: " ..it does appear that some cases are likely related to DEET toxicity," but observed that with 30% of the US population using DEET, the likely seizure rate is only about one per 100 million users.

• The American Academy of Pediatrics found no difference in safety

for children, between products containing 10% and 30% DEET, when used as directed, but recommends that DEET not be used on infants less than two months old.

DEET: What’s the buzz? cont Effects on the environment

• Although few studies have been conducted to assess possible effects on the

environment, DEET is a moderate chemical pesticide and may not be suitable for use in and around water sources. [citation needed] Though DEET is not expected to bioaccumulate, it has been found to have a slight toxicity for coldwater fish such as the rainbow trout and the tilapia, and it has also been shown to be toxic for some species of freshwater zooplankton. DEET has been detected in significant levels in water-bodies as a result of production and use, such as in the Mississippi River and its tributaries, where a 1991 study detected levels varying from 5 to 201 ng/L.

• The Pesticide Information Project of Cooperative Extension Offices of Cornell

University states that "Everglades National Park employees having extensive DEET

exposure were more likely to have insomnia, mood disturbances and impaired cognitive function than were lesser exposed co-workers".

• The option of safe and natural Australian Sandalwood preparations both for topical application and to be burned are available readily in health food stores and garden centres nationwide

Investigate and learn

What to look for in your Cleaning Products

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100% BIODEGRADEABLE SEPTIC, SEWAGE & GREY WATER SAFE NO PHOSPHATES NO SULPHATES NO PETROCHEMICALS NO TOXIC RESIDUES NO CHLORINE NO CAUSTICS NO SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE

TOXIC & HAZARDOUS • Caustics - Irritate skin and are still used in most soaps to break down tallow (animal fat), vegetable oils and waxes.

• Chlorine - Chlorine (most commonly known as bleach) destroys the living organisms (bacteria) required to biodegrade and break down cleaners in our soil and water. Harmful to the respiratory system. The World Health Organisation has called for a phase out and ban on chlorine in domestic products worldwide.

• Petrochemicals - Petroleum based chemicals exude synthetic estrogen which are

called Xeno Estrogens. These 'bad' estrogens are absorbed through the skin and accumulate in our organs. They also affect our respiratory systems and can play havoc with the hormone balance in animals and humans. Petrochemicals are used in artificial colours, plastic, polyester, foam rubber, cosmetics, perfumes, pesticides, cleaners, sprays, tars, printer’s inks, paints, solvents, toothpastes, mouthwashes, hair sprays, shampoos, gums, glues, drugs, and preservatives (that go in any number of products including foods, drugs, and cosmetics).

• Formaldehyde – The chemical name is Formalin. Used as a preservative in

shampoos, baby washes, mascara, creams, bubble baths, anti-dandruff shampoos and some deodorants. Also a common ingredient in fabric softeners, glue preparations used in building and cabinet making (especially panel boards such as those used in caravans and melamine) It is known to cause eye, nose and throat irritation, coughing, asthma attacks, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, skin rashes, nose bleeds, headaches, dizziness and is suspected to be a human carcinogen. It is known to cause serious weakening of the immune system.

Does it all come down to cost?

At around $6.95 for a box of 16 x 20gm serves = approx .44c a serve

At around $19.95 for a 1kg tub that lasts a minimum of 200 washes = approx .09c a serve

You would have to buy 12.5 packs of the product on the left to 1 tub of product on the right! Please consider the landfill that this would create.

This slide is purely showing a comparison of size and price and in no way is a reflection of quality and efficacy.

5 Simple Things That We Have Control Over! 1.

What we put in our mouths

2.

What we put on our skin

3.

What we use in our homes

4.

What we put down our drain

5. BECOME INFORMED & VISIT www.energyhealthandliving.com