Question from Alison

UPDATE 2/1/11

One of my readers contacted an attorney about filing a class action lawsuit, and they are interested. Here is a message from the attorney, inviting you to contact them with your problems with Natura paint:

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Hi Debra and readers,

I have MCS and am trying to find a safe interior paint that is also high quality and durable. Benjamin Moore’s new paint “Natura” has been recommended to me. Any experience with this?

The possible hazardous substances listed on the MSDS are: Titanium Dioxide, Kaolin, Amorphous Silica, Nepheline Syenite, and Diatonaceous Earth.

Debra’s Answer

UPDATE 5/14/10

Originally I wrote that none of the ingredients listed above were hazardous, however, I then began receiving comments (see below) that readers were having trouble with this paint.

Today I received an email from a reader saying:

Apparently that’s the solution.

I personally haven’t tried this Natura paint yet, but if you have used it and have a problem with it, contact your local store and have them contact the manufacturer for this fix.

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Question from -E-

I came across the EPA’s website Design For The Environment Label and was wondering what your thoughts were on the products they have listed? Thanks for your advice!

Debra’s Answer

The EPA’s Design for the Environment program allows manufacturers to put the DfE label on household and commercial products, such as cleaners and detergents, that meet stringent criteria for human and environmental health.

Their Alternatives Assessments Program helps industries choose safer chemicals by providing an in-depth comparison of potential human health and environmental impacts of the chemicals they currently use or plan to use. For situations in which safer chemicals have yet to be identified as viable substitutes, their Best Practices Program shows workers how to protect themselves and their communities’ health by using chemicals safely and minimizing exposures.

List of products approved to carry the DfE seal

One good thing about this program is that the manufacturers are required to submit the complete product formulation information. All ingredients are reviewed to ensure that the potential environmental and human health effects of prod ucts and ingredients are accurately and adequately identified. Applicants must report all ingredients intentionally added to the formulation, regardless of percentage. This is important because current law does not require disclosing to the public all ingredients of many hazardous products, such as cleaning products, which makes them difficult to evaluate. So seeing this seal, you know that all the ingredients have been considered.

I did spend some time looking for the standards they use when evaluating these ingredients. I went to DfE’s Standard and Criteria for Safer Chemical Ingredients expecting to find maybe a list of acceptable chemicals, and what I found were documents with a lot of references to other documents and requirements for toxicity tests.

Just from this quick look it appears to me that the difference between their approach and my personal approach is that I’m looking for products that clearly have tried-and-true safe ingredients, like soap, for example. It appears at first glance that what this program is looking for is products made with safer industrial chemicals.

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Question from joyinjesus

I have MCS, and my husband bought me a 100% cotton bathrobe, which I wanted. It is white (he said it was the only color in my size at the store he went to). My whites don’t tend to stay nice and white, so I was thinking I would dye it. Then I realized that dye might be toxic. Is there a non-toxic way to dye a white terry cloth cotton bathrobe? Thank you very much for your help.

Debra’s Answer

I have never dyed anything myself personally, but I did research dyes quite a bit some years ago.

I wouldn’t use regular dye, and even natural dyes have toxic elements in the fixatives.

Readers, any experience and advice with this?

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Question from Miemiemuis

I am trying to find safety information regarding the InfraChef oven. It uses a halogen light to cook with. It has a glass base that you put the food in and the light sits on top. Thanks for your input.

Debra’s Answer

I don’t see anything toxic about the glass part that the food comes in contact with. But it does have a plastic top. I don’t have any experience with this oven, so can’t advise if there might be some offgassing from the plastic.

Readers, any experience with this oven?

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Question from Violet56

Can anyone recommend how to dispose of carbon water filters, that are in a system, contained in a housing, under the kitchen sink, attached with a spout on the counter. (it is a CBR-210 R water filter). I have been using them for the past 27 years and very happy with them….but, when I throw them in the garbage, I always feel badly. I asked the company a few years ago and they said that they were working on it…..any ideas? Thanks.

Debra’s Answer

Readers? Maybe take it to Household Hazardous Waste Collection?

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