Art | Resources
Mortar and Pestle
Question from Karen
I use a mortar a pestle daily to crush large mineral pills that I can’t swallow. I have a stainless steel one. I also have a ceramic one that is made in China. All ceramic mortar and pestles appear to me to have a chalky area where the grinding occurs and it looks like some minute amount of the ceramic must end up in the final grind. Which is safer? I know there are also marble ones on the market. Thank you!
Debra’s Answer
There are so many mortars and pestles on the market made of different materials.
Stainless steel contains heavy metals that could grind in. Likewise ceramic.
I would choose one made of marble, wood, or some other natural material that is not manufactured. That would have the least contaminants.
How Phtalates in PVC Enter Your Body
A new study at Karlstad University in Sweden shows that phthalates from PVC flooring materials shows that children can ingest these softening agents with food but also by breathing and through the skin.
Phthalates are a group of chemical compounds that occur in a great number of common consumer goods. They are suspected of disrupting hormones and may be related to several chronic diseases in children, like asthma and allergies.
Earlier studies showed that PVC flooring can be tied to the occurrence of phthalates in indoor dust, and that exposure for BBzP in indoor dust could be associated with allergic conditions in children. This study shows that the uptake of phthalates in infants ( which are banned from use in children’s toys because of health risks) can be related to flooring materials using softened PVC in the home. “With this study as a basis, we can establish that there are other sources that should be taken into consideration in regard to the uptake of banned chemicals and that we do not only ingest them in our food,” says Carl-Gustaf Bornehag, professor of public health at Karlstad University and leader of the study. The findings also show that phthalates can be taken up in different ways, both through food and probably through breathing and through the skin.
So what we really need to do is eliminate phthalates altogether.
Just When You Thought it Was Safe to Buy “BPA-Free”
Well, it seems that manufacturers throughout the world who were using toxic Bisphenol A (BPA) may have just switched to Bisphenol S (BPS) a toxic chemical that may be equally, if not more, toxic.
Read this article to learn more about the family of bisphenols.
Bioshield “solvent-free” wall paint
Question from Judith
Dear Debra and readers!
Does anyone have any experience with Bioshield’s “solvent-free” wall paint? We used it on only one wall in my daughter’s bedroom a week ago and it still has a very strong paint smell.
The company said that there should have been very little smell and it should be diminishing rapidly, but it is just as bad as when we painted it.
We had looked at their ingredient list and it sounded very safe, but now I am really worried!
Last year we had used Olympic Premium “no-VOC” paint on another wall and it was so horrendous that my daughter had to sleep in the living room for seven months. It can’t be a repeat of that experience!
This is Bioshield’s ingred. list: Technical info: Our Zero-VOC, Solvent-Free Wall Paint is an economical, breathable, washable paint with a high-hiding capacity. Ingredients: Water, Chalk, Asbestos-Free Talcum, Titanium Dioxide, Polyphosphate (a water softener), Cellulose, Alcohol Ester, Sodium Hydroxide, and Preservative.
Debra’s Answer
Well this is surely a mystery!
It’s interesting that you had a problem with Olympic no-VOC (which I use to paint trim and have never had a problem with) and now with Bioshield.
There is nothing in that list of ingredients that would have an odor except the alcohol and that would evaporate within a day at most.
Which makes me wonder what is going on with the walls you are painting on. This just doesn’t make sense.
Perhaps there is something in the wall or the paint that is being reactivated by the liquid in the paint. That would be my guess from afar without seeing it.
It would be interesting to paint some other surface, like a plain wood board, outdoors and see if you have the same problem with this paint.
How to Remove Cat Dander
Question from ari
Anyone have suggestion for removing cat dander from a house. There are no carpet, but there house does have ducts.
Debra’s Answer
I’ve had cats, but never a problem removing dander from the house in general.
I suggest a high-efficiency filter on your central HVAC system.
Readers, any ideas?
Ozone for Destroying Chemicals
Question from Barb P.
I haven’t read that anyone has used any ozone machines to remove chemicals and odors. There are a few listed on the Internet, but I haven’t bought any of them, except the Ionic Breeze (originally sold at Sharper Image) and Aclair. The two work well together for allergies and low level toxicity. But, for major problems, I am considering one that will hook up to both the main heating/air conditioning vent and can also be put in one room. I do not sleep or stay in a room with ozone, but it disipates quickly when the machine is shut off and windows opened. It’s the only way to get rid of most toxic chemicals because ozone destroys the toxicity. Prooof: a health food store here had a huge fire and they ozinated the whole store for 6 months until the smell finally went away. My big ozinator broke and don’t know anyone who can fix it. They actually could be made at home by a clever mechanic. I don’t know how, but would share info that I know. Ozone works faster than heat. I’ve successfully aired out new rental cars, toxic blinds, toxic paint, pesticide smells, dust/dirt, and area rugs that did NOT have glue on the backing. Let’s find a way for us to build an ozinator ourselves and save ourselves a lot of problems. Thanks.
Debra’s Answer
Closet shelving conundrum
Question from NewEnglandSara.
Hi there, we are in a conundrum about our closet shelving, and I thought I would reach out for ideas….
We recently built a new house, and I became more aware of toxins as time went along. For some reason, it never occurred to me to think about what our contractor would buy for closet shelves. I think I assumed he would use wood and that we could paint the wood with Safecoat or Mythic.
It turned out that our contractor bought Melagard shelves from Roseburg. These shelves do include particle board, although they meet the California Phase 2 regulations. Half of the shelves utilize a PVC tape on the edges, and the other half utilize a melamine tape.
My husband and I are overwhelmed because we have about thirteen closets in the house: each with two shelves. We wish we could go back and choose another material, but it might be prohibitavely expensive at this point.
Any suggestions on remedying or replacing? Thank you!
Debra’s Answer
My #1 choice would be to go back and replace with solid wood. If that is prohibitively expensive, you could consider some other type of nontoxic board such as wheatboard or PureBond formaldehyde-free plywoo. I don’t know what the cost is of these boards.
Another thing you might consider is wire shelving, which is pretty inexpensive and allows for air flow. And you wouldn’t need to paint them. That would probably be my choice if I needed shelves in a closet.
“Safe” wipeable fabric (or covering plastic) for kitchen chairs?
Question from NewEnglandSara.
Hi there, we just bought a new set of kitchen chairs (via Craig’s List), and my husband wants to re-cover them with fabric that we can wipe down since we have three young kids. When we did this four years ago, we bought reasonably priced fabric and then a clear plastic to put on top of the fabric. The solution worked great, but I now realize that the plastic must have contained PVC and surely off-gassed. I am wondering if you know of: 1) fabrics that are wipeable but low in toxins OR 2) a plastic-style overlay that will be less toxic. I welcome your thoughts! Thanks so much, Sara
Debra’s Answer
This is a good question to ask, and I’m sure I can’t give a definitive answer at the moment, but I will think out loud here.
The two options would be a waterproofed fabric or a sheet of nontoxic plastic.
Waterproof fabrics are natural or synthetic fabrics that are laminated to or coated with a waterproofing material such as rubber,polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), silicone, fluoropolymers, or wax. The difficulty with fabrics is that it can be almost impossible to find out what the fabric is waterproofed with. You could search on “waterproof upholstery fabric” like I did and come up with gorgeous designer fabrics for $69 a yard used in hospitals, but which have no information on the waterproofing process. It will take time to research and review various waterproofing processes, but I think it’s worth opening this post for this purpose as this type of fabric is needed for outdoor use as well as indoor uses such as yours.
I’ll just tell you that “oilcloth,” which comes in many bright patterns and colors is vinyl, so don’t use that.
For your needs, I would probably go with just replacing the fabric cover. The first idea that came to mind was to go down to IKEA and buy a PVA shower curtain for about $4 and cut it up. Transparent and nontoxic. Or you could buy a polyethylene tarp. Both of these plastics are nontoxic.
Nontoxic Colonoscopy?
Question from CarolynB
My Mother will be having a colonoscopy soon. Does anyone have any advice about anesthetics? They use Versed for amnesia twilight zone? What about the pain killer? To clean out, she will be using 1 cap of Miralax mixed with Pedialite. I think it was 8 oz of Pedialite. My husband said they use saline to flush her out as needed, and either air or gas to help her colon open up. Any feedback? Suggestions? Thanks.
Debra’s Answer
Readers? Any experience with this?
You might try Health Care Without Harm.
Resin Covered Wicker
Question from Nell
Hi Debra, I like the furniture I keep seeing: Resin covered wicker. There is one chair I’d like to use indoors. Is the resin considered safe? Is it likely to have a smell for a while? Would appreciate any help on this. Thanks!
Debra’s Answer
See if you can find out what the resin is. Some resins on wicker is polyethylene, which would be safe, but I’m not sure all resins on wicker are polyethylene. See if you can find out and write back and I will tell you the safety of the resin.
