Question from kris

Greetings Debra,

We relocated to Oregon in part to escape heavy pollution in LA as we have a son who has autism and suffers from enhanced allergy attacks.

Themove has helped a lot, but I’m learning now of toxins potentially in the home and I’m not sure where to start.

Is there testing available on the residential scale that could let me know of contaminants and their levels?

I see lots of kits online but I’m not sure which to choose and we cannot seem to find an air quality service here in Oregon (near Eugene).

Thank you for any help and for your website.

Debra’s Answer

One of the services I offer is home inspections, where I can go to a home or non-industrial workspace, evaluate the toxic chemicals there and tell you how to replace them with safe products. I am available to travel anywhere in the world.

I’ve been doing this for more than thirty years, so I can identify toxic products by looking at them and recognizing toxic materials.

You could have someone come out and take a variety of tests for thousands of dollars. I don’t do those tests and don’t recommend them because they aren’t very useful for finding specific chemicals. Rather, if you know the chemical is there, it can measure how much is there.

It’s not so important to me to know the levels because I like to eliminate any toxic chemicals found.

You could start with any of the home test kits.

The fastest thing to do would be to have me come take a look, as I can tell you what’s toxic, which are most toxic and therefore most important to improve first, and tell you what to replace it with.

I also answer questions over the phone.

www.debralynndadd.com/consultations

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Polychlorinated biphenyls, aka PCBs, have been banned in the United States since 1979. Recent studies, however, have found that one PCB in particular, PCB 11, is still being found in yellow pigments commonly used in paint and for printing clothing and paper. It’s leaching into the air and water and also found in human blood samples.

“For the current study, Rodenburg and other researchers tested readily available consumer goods for the chemical. They found PCB 11 in all 16 pieces of the yellow-printed clothing they tested, most of them children’s items. They also found it in all 28 ink-treated paper samples, including maps, glossy magazine advertisements, postcards, and colored newsprint, that were manufactured abroad. And it was in 15 out of 18 U.S.-manufactured paper goods tested. According to other research, the chemical is also present in yellow paint.”

Source:
PCBs Banned for Decades but Still Lurking in Some Yellow Products

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Question from Angelique

The plumbers can fasten almost all the pipes in our bathroom with “no hub bands,” which are rubber bands and metal clamps (I assume this is the safest thing for me!)

However, the ring where the toilet meets the floor has to be glued, and our plumber warned us that this is a very stinky glue that the chemically-sensitive clients he knows could smell for days. I don’t know if I need to be too worried about it, as we will still have weeks of remodeling after they glue that thing in, but still, I’d like to know the safest and/or least smelly ABS glue.

Debra’s Answer

I’m not sure you need glue. There is a wax ring that seals the pipe.

Here are some instructions. No mention of glue. I’ve installed toilets in my house and don’t recall any glue.

How to Replace a Wax Ring

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Question from D.

I have had four polyester curtains with acrylic backing on my bedroom windows for one year. I have noticed no smell and no negative reactions. ( I am not chemically sensitive).

I then decided to put up six more curtains,made of the same material so they would match, on my very long section of closet doors. When I bought the new set of curtains, I noticed that the backing was made of acrylic. I then googled acrylic and realized that some people consider it to be a carcinogen.

If there is no smell, and the backing is not the typical foam-like blackout material, is the acrylic doing any harm? I presume it is VOCs that would be harmful? With 10 curtains, we would be sleeping exposed to a lot more VO C’s than when we had just four.

Should I take the financial hit and throw out these now ten curtains and purchase 100% cotton fabric to make new curtains? I am really just not sure how dangerous acrylic backing is…

Debra’s Answer

I myself would throw out the acrylic curtains and replace them with 100% cotton curtains.

I have some black curtains I bought at Target and after I washed them they were perfectly fine. I don’t see them on their website, so they may not carry them any more. This was a few years ago.

Question from woksawi

I bought a few sets of bamboo sheets at a store closing sale. They were manufactured in China, by Home Environment.

I reacted to the sheets after washing and then whatever it was got stuck in washer. I’m wondering what it is but can’t find any contact info for the company online. The sheets say “100% rayon from bamboo” and “naturally sustainable, renewable, antibacterial”.

Anyone have experience with this brand? Know what it would be treated with? Know how to remove without vinegar (I’m sensitive to that). I

Any help welcome. Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

I don’t know what might be in these sheets that you are reacting to. Chemicals are used to break down the bamboo into rayon, but who knows what else might be added or what they may have picked up in transport from China.

To clean your washer, I had a problem with an odor in a washer and I tried a lot of things. What worked was a product called “washing machine cleaner.” You’ll find it in any supermarket on the cleaning products aisle. There are several brands, I bough Clorox brand. It’s basically superstrength chlorine bleach. But it removed the odor and rinsed clean and that was the end of that odor.

While I don’t use chlorine bleach on a regular basis, sometimes you have to remove toxic chemicals with other toxic chemicals.

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Question from Allison

I’m having Marmoleum installed in a bathroom. I’m concerned about
possible long-term health dangers from the Forbo adhesive which contains the antimicrobial agent MicroSept. Another reader had asked you about it, and you advised her to ask the company if the Marmoleum will block the adhesive completely once installed.

This is Forbo’s response when I asked them that question:
“Once the adhesive is dry, there is nothing that should off-gas from it.”

The formula of MicroSept is proprietary, but if I send them a list of ingredients I’m worried about, they can ask their supplier if it contains them. Are there any ingredients I should ask them about? Or would their response to me about off-gassing be sufficiently reassuring?

Thanks so much, Debra.

Debra’s Answer

Here is the MSDS for MicroSept.

The hazardous ingredient is gluteraldehyde, but as they said, it should offgas during the curing process and stop outgassing once it is dry.

The MSDS for Forbo C-930 Conductive Adhesive says there are no hazardous ingredients that require reporting. I don’t know which specific adhesive you are using, but you could look up the MSDS and see what it says.

Forbo is a reputable company that has been making natural products for a long time. I know of many people who have installed it and have been happy with it.

I’m not concerned about this.

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Question from Stacey

Hello,

My question is about area rugs – can I assume any natural area rugs are safe (jute, sisal, or seagrass)? Some have latex backings, so should I ask if it is natural latex? Do you know of any safe rug pad to use (not sure if I need one)?

Thanks so much!

Stacey

Debra’s Answer

I’ve purchased a number of area rugs in the past with varied success. One was 100% jute and I could never get the smell out. I left it out in the sun and rain for a year and it still smelled.

On the other hand, when I moved into the house I live in now, I needed to cover an old heater return grate and bought a little 3×4 wool rug from Home Depot and it’s been fine since day one.

I tend to get the “rag rug” type of area rugs that I can throw in the washer.

I’ve listed some websites that sell area rugs on the Flooring page of Debra’s List.

Check these.

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Question from Becky

Hi Debra, What do you know about UV lamps and their safety? Someone recommended installing this in our furnace to help with allergies – the website says it does not produce ozone but how can you be sure?

http://www.swordfishuv.com/FAQ/SwordfishWholeHome/tabid/162/Default.aspx

Debra’s Answer

I learned something by answering your question.

Years ago I learned about how ultraviolet lights produce ozone because my father was doing some research on using ozone to purify water. At that time, he was using a UV light to produce the ozone.

Today there is apparently a new generation of UV lamps that disinfect with the UV light itself, and not the ozone, as I previously thought. These are ozone-free.

These ozone-free lamps can be used safely to kill micro-organisms within an HVAC unit where you are not exposed to the light.

UV light in a certain range kills living cells by being absorbed by the DNA and breaking up it’s structure.

It also can transform harmful substances by breaking them up into not-harmful molecules.

More about ozone-free UV lamps

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Question from Becky

Do balloons contain toxic or hazardous substances that are harmful to children?

Debra’s Answer

There are basically two types of balloons that are commonly purchased for parties or gifts.

The old-fashioned rubber balloons that stretch and come in bright colors are made of natural latex tapped from rubber trees

The more modern shiny balloons come from the NASA Space Mission. In the balloon industry they are called “foil balloons” because they are made of a nylon sheet, coated on one side with polyethylene and a thin layer of metal on the other side.

Neither of these types of balloons have materials that are particularly toxic.

My only concern is that many people are allergic to latex. And I don’t know what type of colorant or inks are use. These may contain heavy metals.

So as long as your children don’t chew on them, and they are not allergic to latex, I think balloons are fine.

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Question from Becky

Has anyone heard anything good or bad about that Air Scrubber Plus for your HVAC system that cleans the air of bacteria, viruses, gases, air particles, odors. Uses hydroxyation, ionization and UV. Has been tested by 2 universities. Cells need to be replaced every 3 years. Was developed by NASA initially. Can be had with or without ozone. Passes California emissions test. Has Stayseal certification., et

Debra’s Answer

It appears that the technology would result in all the claims they make.

Whether or not this is a good unit for you depends on what you are wanting to remove from the air.

They also say it sends out something into the air and it’s not very clear what that is. I would want to check that out before making a recommendation. So this would require a chat with the company for more information.

Anyone have any experience with this unit?

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