Question from Stephanie

I have inherited a number of my mother’s Jello molds that are a type of metal. I love using them for tomato aspic and the like. A friend mentioned that she thought they might be aluminum. How do I tell if they are indeed made from aluminum or just from tin? I hate to give them away and want to use them but only if they are not aluminum.

Thanks,

Stephanie Pope

Debra’s Answer

Well, there are jello molds made from aluminum and jello molds lined with tin and jello molds that are “copper-toned aluminum.” And maybe more materials.

I would say if in doubt don’t use it. Particularly acidic tomatoes would pull aluminum from the mold.

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Question from Carol

I am installing solid bamboo in my living room (concrete slab) and am told I need a vapor barrier. They recommend a 6 ml polyethylene vapor barrier, but I’m wondering about offgassing during the hot summer months here. I plan on using a cork underlayment and thought this would act as a vapor barrier, but they are telling me it is not a vapor barrier.

Debra’s Answer

It’s totally fine. Polyethylene is one of the least toxic plastics and is not likely to outgas as a result of temperatures found in a home.

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Question from HG

Do you or any of your readers know of a non-PVC medicine ball (the large exercise and birthing balls)?

Debra’s Answer

Yes! Fitness Ball in Honeydew

The box says “Latex,PVC,Phthalates, and Chloride Free”. Plus there is a review on this page from someone with MCS who ordered it and says “to my complete and utter amazement NO SMELL whatsoever! I mean not even a HINT of something! It’s fabulous!”

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Question from Concerned Mommy

What do you think about this product to block radiation from a smart meter? http://smartmeterguard.com

I don’t understand a whole lot about smart meters, but enough to know I’d rather not have one. But we do have one, so I’m interested in this product to help reduce/eliminate the radiation from it. I don’t want us as adults exposed to it, and I especially don’t want to expose my baby to additional radiation – though it’s everywhere, it seems. I would appreciate any feedback or other suggestions for how to eliminate this radiation from our home and yard.

Debra’s Answer

I’m going to ask some EMF experts to look at this, but at first glance it looks to me like it’s only shielding the FRONT of the meter. What about the back? Like if you are on the other side of a wall it’s attached to?

Not sure about this one…

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Question from LW

Hi Debra,

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer questions and giving such valuable information!

I am thinking about using galvanized steel shelving in my home—I have found some shelving units that are at a good price, and am looking for an alternative to plastic. I have been reading about galvanized steel and some controversy over using it to cook with, but I wanted to know if it is safe for storing food (pantry items and produce), clothing, towels and linens? Thank you for any help you can provide!

Debra’s Answer

When making a decision about using materials, it’s always important to consider the nature of the materials and the use.

I wouldn’t cook in galvanized steel because metals from it can leach into the food over a long contact time using heat.

But I see no problem using galvanized steel for shelving. It does not outgas and would not leach into fabric or pantry items in containers.

I actually love the look of galvanized steel and have a few containers and boxes made from this material. I consider it nontoxic from an indoor air viewpoint, though as I said, I wouldn’t cook in it or store water in it.

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Question from Susan

As an older couple, my husband and I both wear dentures, but are not satisfied with the two cleaning tablets available on the market. They are toxic, as they say on the box to “wash hand thoroughly after touching tablets”. They leave a terrible aftertaste even after rinsing many times. They also say to contact poison control if a child puts in mouth.

Is there a safer product or can I use baking soda and water as a soak? My dentist offered no help at all.

Many thanks if anyone has a remedy.

Debra’s Answer

Readers? What are you using?

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Question from Gigi

Debra, I understand that you have a dehydrator. Which one do you have?

I am looking at the following four models:

How would you rank them in terms of safety?

Also, I plan to use good quality parchment paper such as Beyond Gourmet.

Debra’s Answer

I have the Excalibur 9-Tray with Timer and am very happy with it.

I considered the stainless steel, but it was more expensive and I know enough about plastics to know which are the safest and which to avoid.

Here’s what Excalibur says about their case material:

The tray screen material is NOT polycarbonate. It’s polyprolylene.

I feel satisfied that this is safe at this low temperature. I had to balance this against the possibility of metals leaching from stainless steel or chrome.

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Question from Diane

Is Original Indian Earth makeup non-toxic?

Debra’s Answer

Wow. It’s been a long time since anyone has mentioned this to me.

About thirty years ago this was one of the only natural mineral makeup powders available. I used to use it. Nothing wrong with it that made me stop using it, just more choices became available and I’m always trying new products.

The ingredients are “a naturally occurring mixture of minerals containing iron, silicon, aluminum, calcium, copper, vanadium, molybdenum, nickel and strontium, existing in oxide, silicate and carbonate forms as they occur in nature.”

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Question from Jennifer

I need to find garment/storage bags to hang dresses in when not in use. Are vinyl ones okay to use?

Debra’s Answer

No, they outgas toxic vinyl chloride.

Google “natural garment bags” and you’ll get lots of results for garment bags made from natural fibers.

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From Debra Lynn Dadd

One of my readers sent this to me.

Five young women in the ninth grade in Denmark devised a science fair project to see the effects of their cell phones on plants. I had to smile at this because it reminded me of a science fair project I did in the ninth grade to see if there was a listening to classical music or rock music made a difference to plants.

Here is what was forwarded to me:

 

Photo courtesy of Kim Horsevad, teacher at Hjallerup Skole in Denmark.

It started with an observation and a question. The girls noticed that if they slept with their mobile phones near their heads at night, they often had difficulty concentrating at school the next day. They wanted to test the effe ct of a cellphone’s radiation on humans, but their school, Hjallerup School in Denmark, did not have the equipment to handle such an experiment. So the girls designed an experiment that would test the effect of cellphone radiation on a plant instead.

The students placed six trays filled with Lepidium sativum, a type of garden cress into a room without radiation, and six trays of the seeds into another room next to two routers that according to the girls calculations, emitted about the same type of radiation as an ordinary cellphone.

Over the next 12 days, the girls observed, measured, weighed and photographed their results. Although by the end of the experiment the results were blatantly obvious ? the cress seeds placed near the router had not grown. Many of them were completely dead. While the cress seeds planted in the other room , away from the routers, thrived.

The experiment earned the girls (pictured below) top honors in a regional science competition and the interest of scientists around the world.

According to Kim Horsevad, a teacher at Hjallerup Skole in Denmark were the cress experiment took place, a neuroscience professor at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, is interested in repeating the experiment in controlled professional scientific environments.

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In my experiment, the results were the same. The seeds wouldn’t sprout. I also did an experiment trying to sprout seeds in microwaved water. Again, they didn’t sprout.

This is why I use a Pong case to reduce radiation up to 95% from my cell phone. I also now only use my cell phone in speaker phone mode and do not hold it up to my ear. I only use my cell phone when I’m away from my landline, which I always use at home.

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