Question from Star

Hi Debra, Do you know where one can purchase an oral irrigator made of non or low toxic plastic [w/no bpa’s etc.] The one from ‘waterpic’ leaves a bitter taste to the water.

Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

I have a Hydrofloss which is made with ABS plastic. It’s very hard plastic and I have not noticed any outgassing or leaching into the water. It was recommended by my biological dentist and my chiropractor.

Be sure to get extra tips. The tips get clogged after a few months and need to be replaced.

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Question from Star

I seem to react badly to carbon, but am also allergic to something (possibly pesticides) in my tap water (Berkeley, CA) so I want to buy a counter-top or portable filter without carbon. Any ideas?

Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

There are no water filter that remove the pollutants that carbon removes without carbon.

However, there are different types of carbon and various degrees of purity. Many filters are made with carbon from China that might contain contaminants.

The Pure Effect water filters I recommend contain “allergy-free” carbon that is certified by NSF. The entire unit is made in the USA.

I would suggest that you try this filter and see if you tolerate it. I’ve been told by the company that my customers have reported that they are happy with the unit as am I.

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Question from Cool girl

I read about losing weight in 28 days with Garcinia Combogia. I also read in the link that Racheal Ray tried this on her own. How reliable is this product? Is it safe to take? I’m trying to lose 25 pounds. Any suggestion in this regard would really help. I have read lot of your Q&A and I’m one of your website followers. http://www.amazon.com/Garcinia-Cambogia-Pure-Extract-Suppressant/dp/B00CDWF5A8/ref=sr_1_7?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1374909243&sr=1-7&keywords=garcinia+cambogia+extract

Debra’s Answer

Sorry, I can’t recommend that. It sounds like another marketing scheme.

The healthiest way to lose weight is to eat vegetables and protein, drink plenty of water, and exercise moderately. Let your body lose weight gradually. These quick weight loss plans are a stress on your body and also quickly release into your body a flood of toxic chemicals stored in your fat.

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Question from Mary A.

Help! My husband stepped in gas while at the gas station…he was wearing rubber soled, leather shoes. How can we get rid of the horrible odor ??

Debra’s Answer

I would put them out in the sun for a few days, sole side up. If that doesn’t work, toss them.

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I’m passing this along to you from Washington Toxics Coalition…

Are you buying back-to-school clothing to replace the worn out and the outgrown? Under the Children’s Safe Products Act, toxic metals, phthalates and formaldehyde were reported to the Washington State Department of Ecology by makers and retailers of children’s clothing. While the presence of a chemical does not necessarily mean a product is harmful, read on to learn about the chemicals found in clothing and how to minimize exposure until we know more about the risks.

Where do chemicals on clothing come from? Some come from the dyes used to give our clothing color; others from the inks used for screen printing logos, sports designs and special characters from movies and TV. Chemicals may also originate in the processing of the yarn into clothing and the sizing used to finish a garment. Small metal parts or ornamentation on clothing often contain heavy metals.

What can you do?

• Opt for hand me downs or shop at second hand stores as repeated washings may reduce chemical load from the finishing process.
• Choose screen printing designs carefully to avoid those with a raised, plastic feel.
• Try to avoid clothing with metal parts or ornamentation especially if the metal part can fit into a young child’s mouth.
• Forego clothing with wrinkle free, anti-microbial and stain-resistant labeling.
• Always wash new garments several times before wearing to reduce manufacturing and shipping residuals.
• Patronize retailers and manufacturers that have made a commitment to reducing their chemical footprint. Search for this type of information at a company’s website.

What about organic clothing? The USDA Organic standards vouch for how the cotton plant was grown, but do not certify how the fiber was processed into clothing. Certification programs such as GOTS and OEKO-TEX® label garments made of textiles that were manufactured responsibly. The GOTS and OEKO-TEX® standards differ in which chemicals are restricted and the allowable limits for others, but both may indicate that a company is taking care of how its textile manufacturing impacts health and the environment. Certified clothing can be expensive, however, so prioritize garments that your child will spend many hours in such as pajamas.

Think about following the precautionary principle when it comes to nano-textiles, fabrics with nano-particles embedded to provide primarily stain-resistance or anti-bacterial properties. There is concern that nano-particles such as silver may detach from the textile and enter the body or be dispersed in the environment.

* * * *

And here’s some good news: Swedish clothing chain H&M will sell only organic cotton by 2020. I’m told they have lots of organic and 100% natural fiber clothing. http://about.hm.com/AboutSection/en/About/Sustainability/Commitments/Use-Resources-Responsibly/Raw-Materials/Cotton.html

It would be wonderful if other stores would follow suit.

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Question from E.

Hi Debra, What are your thoughts on flame retardants in natural insulation? I’m trying to fill cracks around a doorway inside my house with a natural type of batting but I’ve noticed all the natural options (sheep’s wool, denim/cotton insulation) are treated with boron/boric acid. I’m confused because I’ve read flame retardants should be avoided at all costs but all these suppliers are stating this is a non-toxic product that you don’t need a dust mask or eye protection for. I thought breathing this stuff in was a no-no – why would I want it in my house? I don’t know what material I can use because it seems everything is treated with flame retardants.

Debra’s Answer

Well, they are incorrect.

For many years boric acid was used on natural fiber mattresses because it was thought to be nontoxic, but there is evidence now that it has health effects of concern.

It is known that boric acid is poisonous if taken internally or inhaled in large quantities. The Thirteenth Edition of the Merck Index says that hat 5 to 20 g/kg has produced death in adult humans. A kilogram (kg) is about 2.2 pounds. So you would have to ingest about 10 to 40 grams of boric acid for it to be fatal. A gram is about one thousandth of a kilogram, so 10 grams would be about .35274 ounces or about 2 teaspoons. So two to eight teaspoons would be fatal, if you opened a container of boric acid and ingested it.

But there is also concern about long term exposure. Repeated day-in and day-out, or in this case night-in and night-out exposure can cause kidney damage and eventually kidney failure.

Long term exposure to boric acid may be of more concern, causing kidney damage and eventually kidney failure.

In Europe, there is a list of chemicals called Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals Regulations (REACH). As of 2010, the classification of Boric Acid CAS 10043-35-3 / 11113-50-1 is H360FD (May damage fertility. May damage the unborn child.)

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Question from Brenda Alexander

What kind of flatware is the most non toxic without heavy metal contamination? Also, What brand of tableware–plates and dishes are the most safe? Is pyrex safe to eat off of?

Thanks,

Brenda Alexander
brenda@wwdb.org

Debra’s Answer

There isn’t one brand of tableware that is “most safe,” but there are certain types.

My first choice would be clear glass, which is sold in many places. Here is some clear glass dinnerware sold online.

After that I would choose glazed porcelain or pottery, as long as the glaze does not contain lead.

I would not use any kind of plastic dinnerware.

I’ve listed some websites that sell dinnerware I like on the dinnerware page of Debra’s List.

As for flatware, honestly the best recommendation (no kidding) would be to eat with your fingers, and next would be wooden chopsticks without a finish and those Chinese porcelain spoons.

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Question from Angelique

Someone on one of my MCS groups is gushing with praise about this expensive air purifier. Do you or any of your readers know anything about it, or have any experiences with it? It’s called Airocide.

Debra’s Answer

I have no personal experience with this, but it makes sense to me.

The Airocide website says:

Airocide is different from any other air purifier you’ve ever heard of or tried because it’s not a filter. This technology, developed by NASA, clears the air of virtually 100% of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) – the harmful gasses emitted by products you have around your home, like aerosol sprays, cleaning supplies, disinfectants, hobby supplies, dry-cleaned clothing, building materials, paints and paint thinners, strippers, pesticides and even air fresheners. This FDA approved device also completely eliminates all mold, fungi, viruses and bacteria (all major causes of allergy symptoms) that enter the chamber. All that exits is clear, crisp air.

Airocide draws in harmful airborne pathogens and forces them into a densely packed matrix of highly reactive catalysts that are activated by a high intensity 254-nanometer light. The reaction destroys these harmful pathogens on contact. Nothing is captured so there is nothing to clean. All that exits is crisp, clear air, with zero ozone emissions.

Readers, any experience?

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Question from Bruce

For a rental home with particle board kitchen cabinet shelves, (the particle board is 11 years old and likely mostly offgassed), does anyone know if cork is safe for lining shelves and drawers? Williams-Sonoma sells some. Okay for chemically-senstive people? Odor?

Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

I’m not sure I understand your question. Particleboard cabinet shelves have nothing to do with the toxicity of cork.

I have used cork myself to make bulletin boards. You can buy it in big sheets for flooring underlayment, and it would probably cost less per foot that way that if you bought it at Williams-Sonoma. It’s a good material for lining shelves and drawers as it holds things in place instead of having them slide around.

I’m not aware of any chemicals used on cork, but it does have a slight odor from the natural cork itself, as is true for many natural materials.

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Question from Orsolya

Dear Debra,

All the clothing what we wear is made from 100% natural fibers. I say no to synthetics it is the way we decided to live. (same goes for cosmetics, cleaning staff…etc.) For my baby I bought unbleached, undyed or low impact dyed organic 100% natural fiber clothing only.

I understand that non organic natural fiber clothing is safe if it is colorfast. I always handwash everything so I can see if it is safe to keep it. I have hard time with jeans because I have never purchased jeans that is 100% colorfast. I bought two jeans for my son, one of them is bleeding blue colors even after handwashing it three or four times. The other bleeds only very light blue color and only when I handwash (with detergents) it not bleeding at all during rinse. Do you think it is safe to keep it? How about after washing it fifty times? 🙂 I go crazy handwashing and checking if it still bleed the color… 🙂 My son (and myself too) can live without jeans. I started to hate them because all of them bleed colors as hell…

So please share your jeans experience with me. Have you ever seen a 100% colorfast jeans?

Does colorfast means that during the first three-four handwash non of the colors should bleed just like if we washed an undyed fabric?

Thank you for your time and wonderful website!!!!

Debra’s Answer

Blue jeans are blue from a natural plant dye called indigo. Historically, this dye was important economically because blue dyes are rare in nature. Today virtually all blue dyes are made from petroleum. Indigo is used almost solely to dye the cotton yarn used to make blue jeans, and the rest is used to dye other natural fiber yarns.

There is lots of information about indigo online, here is one site Indigo: The Indelible Color That Ruled The World.

Indigo is what makes blue jeans fade over time, because the dye washes out bit by bit.

Another source says that virtually all of the indigo dye used to dye blue jeans is synthetic, that is, made from petroleum. They go on to say, “All these chemicals and toxins added in the production process are leaking from the jeans during the consumer use, washing and end of life. Most salesmen recommend their consumers not to wash their jeans the first couple of weeks, but it actually takes about 3-5 washes to get rid of the worst chemicals stuck in the fabric. This means that the consumer will end up absorbing dangerous toxins and this could result in allergies or rashes.”

I would stick with colorfast dyes, since there is so much unknown here.

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