Am I stoned?

Phthalates/Bisphenol A

• Wal-Mart, Target, Toys ‘R’ Us phasing out, San Francisco, California, Europe, and Canada have banned phthalates; Australia phasing out use in baby bottles
• 9 states, Chicago, Multnomah County (Portland), OR, and Suffolk County, NY have banned BPA in baby bottles and sipper cups
• Consumer Product Safety Commission reforms of 2008 eliminate lead and phthalates from toys and children’s products
• Sugar-derived epoxy lining could replace BPA in cans

Phthalates/Bisphenol A

• 2009: Ban Poisonous Additives Act (to ban use of BPA in food and beverage containers and items used by young children) submitted in U.S. House and Senate
• 2009: BPA-Free Kids Act (to ban BPA in food and beverage containers and utensils marketed for children aged 3 or younger) introduced into U.S. Senate

Phthalates/BPA

• 2012: EPA bans BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups, but not food packaging
• EU has also banned BPA in baby bottles
• 90% of government-funded studies found adverse health effects
• vs. 0% of industry-funded studies
• Substitutes (e.g., polystyrene [Styrofoam] and biphenol sulfonate [BPS]) also estrogen-like endocrine disruptors

Phthalates/BPA

• Associated with:
• Demasculinization and alterations in genitalia in male infants
• Prematurity and low birth weight
• Lower testosterone levels
• Early menarche (12-13 now, down from baseline 16-17)
• PCOS in women
• Early menopause

Phthalates/BPA

• Associated with:
• Infertility
• Miscarriages
• lower sperm counts in adults; impaired sperm function
• male sexual dysfunction; decreased libido in women
• Decreased effectiveness of IVF

Phthalates/BPA

• Associated with:
• Childhood behavioral, emotional, and conduct problems, including depression and inattention
• Obesity
• Destruction of tooth enamel
• Asthma
• Childhood HTN
• Heart disease

Phthalates/BPA

• Associated with:
• diabetes
• breast cancer
• prostate cancer
• elevated liver enzymes
• Meningiomas
• Weaker teeth/poor enamel growth

Feminine Care Products

• Fragranced products contain phthalates
• Tampons contain dioxins (byproducts of bleaching process)

Phthalates/PVCs and Medical Devices

• EPA regulations weak, based on 50-year old study
• FDA has advised healthcare providers to use alternatives to DEHP-containing PVC medical devices, esp. in neonatal units
• Banned by EU, CA, and WA
• Federal legislation bans use in children’s products

Triclosan

• Pesticide used as an antimicrobial in many soaps and hand sanitizers, including those commonly used in hospitals
• Also found in toothpastes, deodorants, colognes
• Linked to reproductive, endocrine, and developmental damage, and cancer in animals

Triclosan

• FDA: Antibacterial soaps are no more effective than regular soap and water in fighting infection; banned from soaps (2016), but still found in toothpastes
• AMA: It may be prudent to avoid the use of antimicrobial agents in consumer products
• Use restricted in EU, Canada, Japan

Food Dyes

• None of the 9 artificial food dyes approved for use in the U.S. has been proven safe
• E.U. warning labels required for six food dyes: “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”
• Animal studies suggest some may be carcinogenic

Teflon (PFOA – perfluorooctanate)

• Non-stick material made by Dupont and other companies until 2013, when they agreed on a voluntary phase-out (although substitutes no safer)
• Chemicals released under high heat and when cookware damaged
• Exposure linked with cancer, birth defects, gestational hypertension, heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, liver damage, and early menarche
• Dupont hit with largest-ever civil penalty ($10.25 million) in 2006 for concealing health consequences and transmission from mother to fetus

Flame Retardants

• Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) found in furniture produced before 2004 ban
• Endocrine disruptors
• Associated with behavior and cognition difficulties; thyroid dysfunction in women
• Provide no meaningful protection from fire; actually increase smolder propensity

Flame Retardants

• Newer brominated and chlorinated flame retardants
• Slow spread of flames, but release carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide when burned (these compounds account for 60-80% of fire-related deaths)
• Also endocrine disruptors, damage DNA

Pepper Spray

• Contains TCE (trichloroethylene) and PCE (tetrachloroethylene)
• Both can cause liver and kidney cancer, lymphoma, and other illnesses

Toxins in Apparel

• Formaldehyde – permanent press
• Phthalates, PVC – softeners, decorative printing
• PCBs - ink
• Nanosilver- antimicrobial agent to inhibit odor-causing bacteria

Toxic Pollutants – Economic Costs

• Chemical brain drain – value of lost IQ points in children worldwide estimated at hundreds of billions of dollars
• Americans pay more than $55 billion annually for direct medical expenses plus special schooling and long-term care for pediatric diseases caused by lead
• This excludes the greatest toxic pollutant - tobacco

Lead

• Present at “actionable levels” in nearly 20% of water systems in U.S. (e.g., Flint, other cities, as well as many schools and child care facilities)
• Found in car batteries, paint (pigment and drying agent), gasoline (anti-knocking additive), second-hand tobacco smoke, and some cosmetics
• Most paint sold in Asia-Pacific region contains large amounts of lead