Question from Suzanne Foster

Hi Debra,

Thanks again for your wonderful website, books and resources.

I am looking at an office chair at IKEA, the GREGOR swivel chair. The product description says the seat cushion is made of “high Resilient polyurethane foam ( Cold foam)”. Do you know what that is and is it safe?
Thank you

Debra’s Answer

Polyurethane foams come in a number of different types.

High Resiliency Cold Foaming process is the most widely used today in the manufacture of molded flexible foams.

It’s still polyurethane foam, which is made from toxic chemicals.

I love to shop at IKEA. Many chairs I would have liked to purchase, but I never purchase anything made from polyurethane foam.

A recent study published in the Journal of Environmental Sciences (JES) shows that embryonic stem cells could serve as a model to evaluate the physiological effects of environmental pollutants efficiently and cost-effectively.

The use of stem cells has found another facade. In the world we live in today, people are constantly exposed to artificial substances created by various industrial processes. Many of these materials, when exposed to humans, can cause acute or chronic diseases. As a consequence, validated toxicity tests to address the potential hazardousness of these pollutants have become an urgent need.

Although stem cells have been used before in the field of toxicology, researchers at the State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences China, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and the University of California at San Diego (UCSD), successfully detail the use of stem cells to gauge the neurotoxicity effects of the environmental pollutant Bisphenol A (BPA) in their study.

ENN: Stem Cell Research Identifies Effects of Pollution on Human Health

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Question from Jenny

Hi Debra,

Hope all is well. And your having a nice summer 🙂

We are packing an emergency bin and I wanted to know if it was safe to store the following below with the other food. Or should I disregard all together:

Coghlan’s 0450 Camp Heat (that is still in cans)

Coghlan’s 0450 Camp Heat

Or is this one better?

Grabber Outdoors Solid Hexamine Fuel Tablets- High Performance

Debra’s Answer

The first one contains ethylene glycol, which is toxic enough to require a spot in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Emergency Response Safety and Health Database.

They say “Following absorption, 80% or more of ethylene glycol is chemically converted by the body into toxic compounds.” And much more

www.cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/emergencyresponsecard_29750031.html

The second one contains hexamine which is listed on the New Jersey Department of Health Right to Know Hazardous Substances List.

www.nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/0996.pdf

I can’t believe these products are labeled nontoxic. They just aren’t.

Here in Florida we need to pack emergency rations for possible hurricanes. We only pack food that doesn’t require cooking, like nuts, dried fruits, jerky, etc.

But I also know that after a hurricane, rescue teams do rush in and provide everything. I know because I was on one of those teams after a hurricane.

Depends on the emergency what you might need.

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Question from Lauren C

Hi Debra,

Thank you so much for all the info you provide–I have been able to find a lot of great information here and I so appreciate how you take the time to answer questions!

I have been looking for a while for a non-toxic hairbrush with no success.

I cannot find any information about what type of plastic is used in any plastic hairbrush, I have read that bamboo products sometimes use glues containing formaldehyde, and I have also read that sometimes boar hair can be treated with pesticides.

I found one solid wood brush that was finished with linseed oil (Widu brushes)—not sure if that’s ok?

Do you have any recommendations? Would love to find a safe hairbrush and a comb too!

Debra’s Answer

Well, first off, I have never considered that hairbrushes of any kind were so toxic that I needed to research this subject at all.

That said, I’m going through a phase now where I am looking at everything with new eyes and am systematically researching all products to find out materials used.

So I can’t answer your question immediately. It will require some research. But I’m posting it here to maybe get some help with that.

First I’ll say I use a wood handle brush with boar bristles and a wooden comb. I’ve had these for so long I don’t remember where I got them. I’ve never noticed any toxic effects from them.

If I were researching this I would call manufacturers and ask them the questions you have brought up about materials. If you like that Widu Brush, call and ask them more about the materials.

Common plastics used for hairbrush handles are ABS and polyacetal. Bristles are nylon. None of these plastics are particularly toxic.

The key here is not to rely on what you read, but to take what you read and start asking questions.

Anyone who wants to do some research can comment here and I will publish it.

Readers, any suggestions for hairbrushes and combs you use and like?

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Question from TA

Hi Debra,

Did you receive my submission to your Q&A page about this table? It has a Tuff Gloss UV finish (whatever that means!) and is Greenguard certified. Is this enough to give me assurance that it’s non-toxic? I contacted the company and found out they are formaldehyde-free. Anything else I should find out before purchasing?

Debra’s Answer

I have no first hand experience with these tables, but the description looks fine to me.

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This spring 17 certified organic farmers signed on to a letter to Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey asking him to withdraw the company’s “Responsibly Grown” produce labeling program, at least temporarily. The farmers, all of whom sell produce to the 400+-store high-end grocery chain, objected to having to pay for the grocer’s marketing program and to the fact that non-organic produce could qualify to be labeled “GOOD,” “BETTER,” or even “BEST” under the program.

Read the article at cornucopia.org

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Here is an interesting article about the connection between toxic chemicals in household products and breast cancer.

The Silent Spring Institute is dedicated to finding the specific chemicals that cause breast cancer from among the thousands of chemicals women in our society are exposed to daily. And they’ve developed their own tools to find them.

Idaho Mountain Express: Are Household Products Killing Us?

Silent Spring Institute

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Pesticides are identified by their active ingredients, but they also contain so called “inert ingredients” that are not revealed on the label, nor are they even vetted by the EPA.

This article talks about two nanoparticle additives that are commonly used to boost the effectiveness of pesticides.

Mother Jones: Scientists Say Supposedly Miraculous Ingredients in Weed Killers Don’t Actually Work

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Question from Sandy Van Wagoner

Hi Debra,

Hi…I read that some flatscreen t.v.s outgas the lifetime of the TV. Wondering what your input on this is.?? Is there a website that rates TV’s on the greenest etc. Thanks

Debra’s Answer

We’ll if you are up for reading a lot of complaints about plastic offgassing from tv’s, here’s a whole list of them: www.cnet.com/forums/discussions/sony-52-lcdtv-strong-acrid-smell-out-of-the-box-289843/

OK here’s what I think we’re looking for: the Greenpeace guide to greener electronics, September 2014

Here’s what the guide says about toxic chemicals in electronics (including TV’s):

The presence of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) results in the release of highly toxic dioxins, among other hazardous chemicals, when scrap is burnt. Other examples of hazardous chemicals commonly used in electronics also pose a range of environmental and human health problems.

Phthalates, used widely as softeners for PVC, migrate out of plastics over time. Some are classified as “toxic to reproduction” and are known to be hormone disrupters.

Antimony trioxide is recognised as a possible human carcinogen; exposure to high levels in the workplace, as dusts or fumes, can lead to severe skin problems and other health effects.

Beryllium and beryllium compounds, when released as dusts or fumes during processing and recycling, are recognised as known human carcinogens. Exposure to these chemicals, even at very low levels and for short periods of time, can cause beryllium sensitisation that can lead to chronic beryllium disease (CBD), an incurable and debilitating lung disease.

This guide is pretty long and technical, so here’s an easier-to-read summary.

Forbes: Greenpeace Updates Guidance On Green Electronics

I don’t see that there is any television yet on the market that does not contain these toxic chemicals. Some seem to outgas more than others. I have a Vizio brand flat screen and it has never has a smell that I can detect.

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Last Thursday the House of Representatives passed HR 1599, the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015. Those who oppose it call it the DARK Act—Deny Americans the Right to Know.

I’m not even going to try to explain the pros and cons of this here, you can search the internet for all kinds of information on this.

The point I want to make is that we don’t have adequate labeling of food in this country.

Here is a food label from Europe. It clearly states the produce contains genetically modified soyabean oil. By labeling this ingredient in this way, consumers have a choice to purchase GMOs or not.

I would love to see GMOs on the label in America, but in my opinion, it’s not enough. I think that pesticides should be noted on the label too, as well as country of origin.

Food labels today require most ingredients to be listed. I say most because the law requires all ingredients that “go into the pot” to be on the label. But it’s like if you are making soup at home, you might put in carrots and onions and ham, but that ham might contain sugar and nitrates. It’s the same for food manufacturers. If they put carrots and onions and ham in the soup, all they need to list is carrots and onions and ham, even if the ham contains sugar and nitrates. And the BPA in the can lining that migrates into the food isn’t required to be listed at all.

So you really don’t know what is in processed foods under the current labeling system.

We need to go far beyond GMO labeling. We need a major overhaul of food labeling.

In the meantime, my recommendation is to prepare your own food from fresh organic ingredients, local as much as possible. Doing this, you know what’s in your food and you could even meet the farmers. When I lived in California, I belonged to a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, where I bought a share from the organic farmer and got a share of the harvest every week.

I love to cook! And I know what’s in my food.

Now even the labeling of fresh foods needs a revamp. Some stores voluntarily give country of origin, which is extremely important. And the more you can know about the growing practices, the better.

Many food producers now have a lot of information on their websites.

As a consumer, get curious. Ask. Find out as much as you can. The information is there, even if it’s not on the label.

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