Submitted questions will be posted with my response by the following Tuesday or before.
Submitted comments will be moderated and approved within 24 hours.
Is a Plastic Laundry Sink Toxic?
Question from Cecilia
Dear Debra, I need to install a new laundry sink. I wanted to avoid plastic, but since the difference in price is so big (4 times more for stainless steel), I will appreciate your opinion about this one: http://www.mustee.com/product-lines/laundry-utility-tubs/index.html Thanks!
Debra’s Answer
According to their website, it’s made from fiberglass. Fiberglass is molten glass spun into fibers, but then plastic resins of various types are added. Nothing wrong with the glass fibers, but unless you know the type of resin used, we can’t evaluate the toxicity.
I suggest giving the manufacturer a call and then writing again with the answer. Then I can tell you if it is toxic or not.
Saladmaster Cookware
Question from Lisa Ausley
What is your opinion of Saladmaster cookware? It is supposed to be surgical grade stainless steel and titanium. Also, is it true lead is used in making glass products?
Debra’s Answer
According to the Saladmaster website, the interior of the pots and pans are lined with a combination of 316 stainless steel and titanium. They are the only cooking system to use 316Ti made from stell mills in the US and Switzerland.
316 “surgical stainless steel” is better than the 304 stainless steel used to make most stainless steel objects. In addition to chromium and nickel, surgical stainless steel also contains molybdenum to prevent specific forms of corrosion and help maintain the cutting edge. Three hundred sixteen surgical steel is used in the manufacture and handling of food and pharmaceutical products where it is often required in order to minimize metallic contamination.
If you want to use stainless steel cookware, this one would be less likely to leach than most.
Lead is not typically an ingredient in glass cookware. When lead is used, such as to make sparkling lead crystal glasses, it’s generally in the name.
Moldex Mold Inhibiting Paint
Question from Daisy
We’re renovating our house and I’m wondering about Moldex mold-inhibiting paint for the bathrooms? I saw it in a “green” products store, but I’d like to know how this paint compares to other paints as far as VOC’s or other problem ingredients.
Debra’s Answer
Well, it looks fine to me. The MSDS for Moldex Paint lists NO regulated hazardous chemicals and the mold-inhibiting agent is a silver, which does not outgas.
So fine with me if you want to use this.
In my bathroom I used colored clay plaster from [American Clay Plaster]=Naomi find listing on Debra’s List for link. It’s just made from natural minerals and has no petroleum ingredients at all. It absorbs moisture and then releases it, so mold doesn’t get created in the first place. That’s a more natural approach.
Do In-House Saunas Cause Mold?
Question from Abner
I’ve seen a few sources–including a fine book written by Holmes (the contractor & house inspector guy)–that advise against installing saunas in houses because they can cause trouble (e.g., mold) by introducing too much moisture into the house. In that regard, another source lumped saunas in the same category as indoor pools, indoor hot tubs, and steam showers. But surely saunas do not create nearly as much moisture as those other items do? Debra, do you think it safe to install a sauna in a house? Thank you.
Debra’s Answer
A sauna can contribute to mold growth in a home, particularly in a humid climate. If you do decide to use one I would make sure you find someone to install it who is very well informed about mold prevention.
Teflon Coasting on Polo Shirts
Question from Helen
Our kids’ school uses uniform items from Lands’ End. Today I learned that the only polos they sell now have Teflon finishes. Can heavy, hot laundering remove the Teflon?
Debra’s Answer
I don’t know what to make of this.
The DuPont Teflon Fabric Protector website says that it repels water and protects the fabric from stains and soil. And then it says
Compliant with OekoTex Standard 100. That’s the standard to meet for absence of toxic chemicals in textiles.
They must have changed the formula for what they call Teflon.
I don’t think it’s removable. Not even with heavy, hot laundering.
I don’t know the whole formula but I was able to find an MSDS for a different textile protection application that says it’s a plastic with added fluoride. It also says the toxic exposure is limited to the product in manufacture and not in use.
Getting Mold Off Basement Walls
Question from sheila
what else can you use to get mold off basement walls other than bleach I really don’t like bleach.
thank you
sheila
Debra’s Answer
Try Twenty Mule Team Borax, which you can buy in the cleaning products section of any supermarket. That often works well on mold. But remember mold grows in dark and damp conditions. If those conditions remain, you will continue to have mold growing.
Are Duraflame Logs Safe to Burn in the Fireplace?
Question from Rachel
Are duraflame logs safe to burn in the fire place? I have heard the are pretty “green” but wanted to make sure with you’d kids and dogs in the house. Thank you.
Debra’s Answer
Whenever you burn anything, it gives off toxic combustion by-products, which is why houses have fireplaces–to vent the toxic gasses and particles to the outdoors.
Duraflame and other manufactured logs are made from recycled materials, in this case sawdust, but other logs are made from other recycled materials such as coffee grounds, held together with plant wax. So they burn like a candle.
Surprisingly, there are independent test results that show Duraflame burns cleaner than natural wood.
How do I Remove Old Carpet Glue From the Floor?
Question from John
Hi Debra, Excellent service you’re running here.
I just spent 2 days chizelling out a glued down carpet. Apparantly this was common in the 70s. How do I get rid of the adhesive smell short of replacing the plywood floor? Sanding it off is too toxic an option.
Thanks,
John
Debra’s Answer
I don’t have any experience doing this.
Readers, any suggestions?
New Consumer Products Law in California Will Require Toxic Chemical Disclosure as of October 1
Just a few weeks ago the State of California approved the Safer Consumer Products Regulations, which go into effect almost immediately on October 1.
A media statement from the Department of Toxic Substances Control said, “The regulations require manufacturers to seek alternative safer chemical ingredients in widely used products. This is one of the first programs of its kind in the world.”
They will be publishing a list of some 1200 Candidate Chemicals and a list of proposed Priority Products. The first list of 230 candidate chemicals is expected to be available in mid-September.
This is pretty amazing because it is a regulation requiring manufacturers to make their products less toxic.
Here is an article directed to businesses about how the new law will affect them: GreenBiz: What you need to know about California’s new consumer products law
This is going to shake things up because I know that many companies don’t have a clue about what toxic chemicals are in their products.
Yesterday on Toxic Free Talk Radio I interviewed Martin Wolf, Director of Product Sustainability and Authenticity for Seventh Generation. We talked about exactly this: identifying toxic chemicals throughout the supply chain of products. You can listen to the interview at How Seventh Generation is Eliminating Toxics Throughout Thier Supply Chain
Times are changing for toxics! Finally!
I’m going to be watching how this plays out.
Aluminum Found to Cause Cancer
A new study published in the Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry has demonstrated that exposure to aluminum can increase the migratory and invasive properties of human breast cancer cells. This is important because death from breast cancer is caused by the spread of the tumor and not from the presence of the primary tumor.
Another study, also published in the Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry found increased levels of aluminum in breast fluids from women with breast cancer, in comparison to healthy women.
Apparently aluminum has cancer-causing properties at levels 100,000 times lower than found in some consumer products. Aluminum is widely used as a food additive (and is present as a contaminant from aluminum cookware), is present in vaccines, and is sprayed by millions under their arms every morning in aluminum chlorohydrate antiperspirant.
The article concluded, “These forms of aluminum may be contributing to the burgeoning cancer epidemic in exposed populations. Given this possibility, the further use of aluminum in foods, cosmetics and drugs should be halted until adequate risk assessments can be made thoroughly proving its safety.” They admit this is not likely to happen, but warn individuals to discontinue exposure to aluminum to prevent cancer.
Read the full article at: GreenMedInfo: The Cancer-Causing Metal Millions Eat, Wear or Have Injected Into Their Kids
We all have residues of past aluminum exposures stored in our bodies as part of our “body burden”. Touchstone Essentials’ PureBody liquid zeolite can remove aluminum, as well as other toxic metals stored in your body.
