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Submitted questions will be posted with my response by the following Tuesday or before.
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Cardboard Storage Boxes

Question from Patti

Hi, I bought many cardboard storage boxes, the decorated kind you get at Home Goods, TJ Maxx, etc. to store photos and things like that. I’ll use them in my bedroom and they don’t smell when closed, but they smell terrible opened up. They told me it was the glue that they put the boxes together with.I’d thought it was pesticides. I love the boxes, I need the boxes very much. Is this possible to air this out and get rid of the smell or toxicity, or do I have to return them? I do have MCS. Thanks!!! Patti!

Debra’s Answer

Yes, you can air this out. I use these boxes too, but before I do, I take them outside, open them up, and give them a good airing in the sun. For a day or two. Until I can’t smell them any more.

I think what we are smelling is the glue.

Nonstick Baking Pans with Silicone Finish

Question from Lana

Dear Debra, I came across this line of baking pans made in the US called USA Pan. It says it has natural silicone non-stick coating, PTFE and PFOA free. Would this be a good choice since silicone is considered safe so far. Bed Bath and Beyond caries this line.

Thank you so much.

Lana

Debra’s Answer

I called USA Pan and all they would tell me was what you said. I asked if it was 100% silicone and the woman said she believed they were (she wasn’t in customer service). I asked if it was like a silicone baking mat and she said yes.

These sound interesting. I’m going to go to Bed Bath & Beyond and take a look at them.

Has anyone tried these? Apparently they have been around for a while because the woman who answered the phone has been using them for years and loves them. She is constantly giving them as gifts. I know I would love a muffin pan with a silicone finish.

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Cooshee baby changing pad

Question from Irina

Hello Debra, I am worried about my baby’s changing pad. It’s a Cooshee pad made from closed-cell PVC foam, manufacturer claims it is free of phthalates and lead. I’ve had mine for about a year. Thank you in advance! Irina

Debra’s Answer

It may be free from phthalates and lead but it still is PVC.

You can get an organic cotton changing pad from Naturepedic.

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Yumdrops water flavoring drops — is this Natural?

Question from Anne

Dear Debra and readers!

Recently a friend sent me information of “yumdrops” water flavoring drops that are supposed to be natural. They look wonderful, but if you dig hard enough to check the ingredients, they containpropylene glycol. How safe is this for those of us with MCS and candida? The site advertising it implies the drops are “natural” but this ingredient is both a degreaser and anti-freeze, food-safe or no! I can’t find anything that addresses it as a food ingredient (except in fortified milk). Is it likely to be a problem?

Debra’s Answer

You’re right, propylene glycol is both a degreaser and anti-freeze, so what’s it doing in a “natural” product?

Well, here’s an interesting piece from Tom’s of Maine about propylene glycol as a “natural” ingredient: Tom’s of Maine: Propylene glycol

It says “Propylene glycol is a derivative of natural gas. It is commonly used in a variety of consumer products and food products, including deodorants, pharmaceuticals, moisturizing lotions, and fat-free ice cream and sour cream products.”

OK. Since when is an ingredient derived from natural gas a natural ingredient. Natural gas is a fossil fuel. It is a mixture of gases that formed from the fossil remains of ancient plants and animals buried deep in the earth (the same stuff crude oil and petroleum and gasoline is made from). To say that a manmade ingredient made from natural gas is natural is like saying a manmade ingredient made from crude oil is natural.

Since the beginning of natural products, a natural product is one made from plants, animals, and minerals, not fossil fuels. There is no legal definition for this, but it’s been the standard practice. Apparently no more.

They go on to say “Propylene glycol is considered a safe and appropriate ingredient not just for cosmetic products, but also for ingested products like food and pharmaceuticals. It is on the US Food and Drug Administration’s list of ingredients which are Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) and is recognized by the World Health Organization as safe for use.” And then they address the antifreeze argument.

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Mortar and Pestle

Question from Karen

I use a mortar a pestle daily to crush large mineral pills that I can’t swallow. I have a stainless steel one. I also have a ceramic one that is made in China. All ceramic mortar and pestles appear to me to have a chalky area where the grinding occurs and it looks like some minute amount of the ceramic must end up in the final grind. Which is safer? I know there are also marble ones on the market. Thank you!

Debra’s Answer

There are so many mortars and pestles on the market made of different materials.

Stainless steel contains heavy metals that could grind in. Likewise ceramic.

I would choose one made of marble, wood, or some other natural material that is not manufactured. That would have the least contaminants.

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How Phtalates in PVC Enter Your Body

A new study at Karlstad University in Sweden shows that phthalates from PVC flooring materials shows that children can ingest these softening agents with food but also by breathing and through the skin.

Phthalates are a group of chemical compounds that occur in a great number of common consumer goods. They are suspected of disrupting hormones and may be related to several chronic diseases in children, like asthma and allergies.

Earlier studies showed that PVC flooring can be tied to the occurrence of phthalates in indoor dust, and that exposure for BBzP in indoor dust could be associated with allergic conditions in children. This study shows that the uptake of phthalates in infants ( which are banned from use in children’s toys because of health risks) can be related to flooring materials using softened PVC in the home. “With this study as a basis, we can establish that there are other sources that should be taken into consideration in regard to the uptake of banned chemicals and that we do not only ingest them in our food,” says Carl-Gustaf Bornehag, professor of public health at Karlstad University and leader of the study. The findings also show that phthalates can be taken up in different ways, both through food and probably through breathing and through the skin.

So what we really need to do is eliminate phthalates altogether.

Phthalates in PVC Floors Taken Up by the Body in Infants

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Bioshield “solvent-free” wall paint

Question from Judith

Dear Debra and readers!

Does anyone have any experience with Bioshield’s “solvent-free” wall paint? We used it on only one wall in my daughter’s bedroom a week ago and it still has a very strong paint smell.

The company said that there should have been very little smell and it should be diminishing rapidly, but it is just as bad as when we painted it.

We had looked at their ingredient list and it sounded very safe, but now I am really worried!

Last year we had used Olympic Premium “no-VOC” paint on another wall and it was so horrendous that my daughter had to sleep in the living room for seven months. It can’t be a repeat of that experience!

This is Bioshield’s ingred. list: Technical info: Our Zero-VOC, Solvent-Free Wall Paint is an economical, breathable, washable paint with a high-hiding capacity. Ingredients: Water, Chalk, Asbestos-Free Talcum, Titanium Dioxide, Polyphosphate (a water softener), Cellulose, Alcohol Ester, Sodium Hydroxide, and Preservative.

Debra’s Answer

Well this is surely a mystery!

It’s interesting that you had a problem with Olympic no-VOC (which I use to paint trim and have never had a problem with) and now with Bioshield.

There is nothing in that list of ingredients that would have an odor except the alcohol and that would evaporate within a day at most.

Which makes me wonder what is going on with the walls you are painting on. This just doesn’t make sense.

Perhaps there is something in the wall or the paint that is being reactivated by the liquid in the paint. That would be my guess from afar without seeing it.

It would be interesting to paint some other surface, like a plain wood board, outdoors and see if you have the same problem with this paint.

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How to Remove Cat Dander

Question from ari

Anyone have suggestion for removing cat dander from a house. There are no carpet, but there house does have ducts.

Debra’s Answer

I’ve had cats, but never a problem removing dander from the house in general.

I suggest a high-efficiency filter on your central HVAC system.

Readers, any ideas?

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Ozone for Destroying Chemicals

Question from Barb P.

I haven’t read that anyone has used any ozone machines to remove chemicals and odors. There are a few listed on the Internet, but I haven’t bought any of them, except the Ionic Breeze (originally sold at Sharper Image) and Aclair. The two work well together for allergies and low level toxicity. But, for major problems, I am considering one that will hook up to both the main heating/air conditioning vent and can also be put in one room. I do not sleep or stay in a room with ozone, but it disipates quickly when the machine is shut off and windows opened. It’s the only way to get rid of most toxic chemicals because ozone destroys the toxicity. Prooof: a health food store here had a huge fire and they ozinated the whole store for 6 months until the smell finally went away. My big ozinator broke and don’t know anyone who can fix it. They actually could be made at home by a clever mechanic. I don’t know how, but would share info that I know. Ozone works faster than heat. I’ve successfully aired out new rental cars, toxic blinds, toxic paint, pesticide smells, dust/dirt, and area rugs that did NOT have glue on the backing. Let’s find a way for us to build an ozinator ourselves and save ourselves a lot of problems. Thanks.

Debra’s Answer

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