Question from Rebecca David

Hi Debra,

I recently painted my daughter’s room using “Old Fashioned Milk Paint. Later I heard that they add “radioactive Kaolin clay” to their paint as a filler. Do you think this is harmful?

Thank you.

Debra’s Answer

First of all, I’ve been recommending Old Fashions Milk Paint for so many years I can’t remember when I started. I have this paint on the walls of my house because it is completely natural and contains no VOCs or plastics, as most paints do. I love this paint.

I contacted the President, Anne Thibeau and asked her about this. She said, no, their paint is not radioactive.

“We use a blend of a few different clays that are proprietary,” said Anne, “And have actually had them tested for radioactivity (zero).”

“Our paint does not have, nor has it ever had, any radioactive or otherwise harmful materials in it. That goes against everything we stand for. Even our paint palette is limited because we have found many pigments are questionable as far as toxicity goes. But the colors we do make are easily blended to create hundreds of other beautiful colors, which many of our customers do on a regular basis. We are proud to have developed what we feel is one of the safest paints on the planet for the past 41 years.”

I did some additional research because the phrase “radioactive kaolin clay” just did not make sense to me. Here’s what I found.

Natural radioactive materials are present in all geological rocks in varying amounts, including clay. And also any other rocks. It is easily released into the environment.

A study was done on clay specifically to “measure the natural radioactivity due to the presence of radionuclides in clay and kaolin, used widely as raw materials in ceramics, bricks and cement industries, and to assess the possible radiological hazards associated with these raw materials.” The study concluded that while some natural radionuclides do exist in clays, “the calculated alpha index values for all samples are below the recommended upper level.”

Clays have been used since the beginning of humankind to make ceramic items of all kinds. Some clays may be more radioactive than others, or contain other naturally-ocurring metals or minerals.

But in general, clay is widely considered to be a safe ingredient. So much so that clay is recommended to be applied to the skin and taken internally as a means of removing radioactive materials from the body.

Radiation is present throughout the environment. You cannot escape it. Our bodies can accommodate the levels of radioactivity in the natural environment. The problem comes when we are exposed to levels beyond the natural ambient levels from human activities.

The bottom line is, clay is unlikely to contain more than natural levels of radionuclides, and Old Fashioned Milk Paint has had the clays they used tested for radioactivity, and none was found.

I don’t see a toxic danger here.

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Question from John Landau

Hi Debra,

I order clothing, sheets, etc. from so-called organic companies, and without fail, I’m always left disappointed. Organic clothing has arrived reeking of toxic perfumes and chemicals. Sheets are a nightmare!

I’ve ordered organic sheets from West Elm that came in a ‘duffle bag’. They smelled like perfume. I assumed it was because they were in the store exposed to God knows what. I sent a complaint to their headquarters, and alas, no response.

Fast forward. Someone gave me a gift card from there recently. I ordered (2) sets of organic sheets. These arrived in plastic. However, I’ve washed them a zillion times, and they still reek of some awful chemical smell.

I recently ordered organic t-shirts from a company out west. When they arrived they, too, had to be washed a zillion times. I finally just threw them away. The chemicals would not come out..

I’m going crazy because I have no clothes and sheets left and can’t find a company that is not being deceptive about their product.

I ordered a shower curtain (hemp) from another company. I had a severe reaction (MCS). How could they send something like this to someone and claim its “safe”? Is there such a thing as truly organic?

I’m beginning to wonder if it’s not just easier to order conventional items, pay less for them, and call it a day. I’m in the market for new pillows, but I’m afraid to order them and receive toxic smelling pillows. Any ideas? What to do, what to do? Thanks.

Debra’s Answer

I can understand what you are saying. “Organic” can refer to the raw cotton only, but not necessarily to the process of making the fabric or finishes applied. So it’s possible to get “organic” clothing and bedding that contain chemicals.

You didn’t mention the places you purchased all these items, except for West Elm. So I’m just going to comment on them. On their website, West Elm says, “west elm offers modern furniture and home decor featuring inspiring designs and colors” Hmmm, nothing in that statement suggests to me that their business is about providing safe anything for people with MCS. So even though they might sell something called “organic,” they really don’t know much about choosing a product that’s really organic.

I suggest that you try businesses listed on Debra’s List. And if you have any problem with products from those businesses, come to me. While obviously it’s impossible for me to inspect every product on every website (the idea behind Debra’s List is to POINT you to websites that have an underlying philosophy of having pure products, but you need to evaluate them for yourself if they meet your own needs), it’s more likely you will find what you are looking for on these websites.

And it’s perfectly fine to choose non-organic fabrics. I wear a lot of non-organic clothing because I can’t afford organic. And by the time the fiber is turned into fabric, there are little, if any, pesticide residues. Of course, there are environmental reasons why one should choose organic, but I find that if you choose the right clothing, non-organic fabrics are not toxic.

I stick with cotton or linen fabrics and cotton knits. Things without no-iron finishes that I can toss in the washer.

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Question from Nancy Carew

Hi Debra,

We are considering installing Torlys engineered hardwood flooring in our new house. We are building on a concrete slab and are considering electric in-floor radiant heat. All Torlys floors and underlays are said to be “CARB compliant and meet the Healthy Home requirements set by the European (E1) and California (Section 01350) indoor air quality standards”. I have been concerned about engineered hardwood flooring in the past because of the glues and formaldehyde. These floors do not require glue for installation because these snap together. What do you think about this product? Also, any concerns about radiant in-floor heat?

Thanks.

Debra’s Answer

OK. When you see something that says they are “CARB compliant” etc, that does NOT mean zero emissions. It means it meets a low standard.

If you put this type of flooring over radiant heat floors, the heat will cause them to outgas formaldehyde and other chemicals that may be used in manufacture.

I have no concerns about the toxicity of radiant floor heat, however not sure about EMFs from electrical radiant.

There are three types of radiant heat floors: hot air, electric, and hot water. Air or water would have less of an EMF concern.

Here’s a good article about radiant heat flooring: Energy.gov: Radiant Heating

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