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Siskiyou County Government urges you to read this before you buy land or move
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HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS AT HOME Coal burning power plants are the most common source of mercury pollution due to the natural occurrence of mercury in coal. When coal is burned mercury becomes airborne and can travel thousands of miles. This then gets deposited in waterways around the globe. In the waterways bacteria absorb the mercury and convert it into methyl mercury, which then moves up the food chain into fish, and in turn into our bodies. American’s generate 1.6 million tons of Household Hazardous Waste per year. Landfills make up approximately 20 percent of the sites on the EPA, Superfund National Priorities List. Childhood asthma has increased 40% since 1980. Though mercury has been shown to cause damage to the brain, nervous system, immune system, enzyme system and genetic system, industrials uses of mercury remain. Between 2004 and 2007 the US Geological Survey states that the US industry imported more than 1 million tons of mercury. The US government has not conducted even basic toxicity for about 75% of the 15,000 high volume chemicals in commercial use. More than 90% of these high volume chemicals have not been tested for health effects on children. Each year US industries create one ton of hazardous waste per US citizen. In US 70 million pounds of pesticide gets sprayed on home lawns, trees and shrubs each year, sending phosphates, and nitrates into our lakes, streams and rivers. Only 10% of the 35,000 chemicals introduced since 1945 have been tested for their effects on people. In the last 50 years, the sperm count has dropped 50%, and the incidence of some cancers has grown at about 1% per year. In the same 50 year period the use of synthetic chemicals and pesticides exploded. A study found that three quarters of 300 commonly consumed foods and beverages are contaminated with perchlorate, a toxic rocket fuel ingredient. In 2005 the Center for Disease Control found 148 chemicals to be in the blood of Americans dispersed across the population. A similar mix was found in the blood of Europeans. As many as 500,000 products pose physical or health hazards and can be defined as hazardous chemicals. Each year 1000 new synthetic chemicals are introduced. In 2005 and 2006 the Environmental Working Group conducted tests on the blood from the umbilical cords of 200 newborns and discovered the presence of likely carcinogenic, endocrine disrupting, and neurotoxic chemicals that pass from mothers to their developing fetuses through the placenta. They found 287 chemicals – 133 linked to cancer in animal tests, 151 to birth defects, 153 that can alter the hormone system, and 85 that are associated with infertility and reproductive problems, 130 that affect the immune system, 157 that are toxic to the nervous system. In the Los Angeles region, emissions from household products are projected to exceed tailpipe emissions as the number one source of smog by 2020. Solutions: Avoid Body care products that are harmful to your health. Use the safest cleaning products available or make your own. Avoid chemicals for pest management in your garden and home. 1) Avoid Body care products that are harmful to your health. Use www.ewg.org/skindeep to research what is in your personal products, Avoid Coal Tar Parabens Formaldehyde Petroleum by products Fragrance Mercury Phthalates Lead Triclosan
2) Review www.cir-safety.org for a complete list of cosmetic ingredients. Avoid Sodium Chloride Alpha Hydroxy Acid Bentonite Lanolin Mineral oil Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Ammonium Laureth Sulfate (SSLES, ALES) Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS, ALS) Avoid using around kids and pets. Don’t use hot water with VOC’s. Avoid spray cleaners as they release tiny particles everywhere into the air. Use Chlorine bleach alternatives (Oxy and oxi) Try using less laundry soap, hand soap etc. Make your own cleaning products from natural ingredients such as: Baking soda Salt Lemon juice Sponge Non-chlorinated scouring powder Liquid vegetable oil Distilled white vinegar Powdered soap flakes Scouring pads For cleaning recipes go to WWW.ladpw.org/hhw/alternative_recipes.pdf. Avoid chemical for pest management in your garden or home. Go to www.smgov.net/department/ose/catergories/content.aspx?id=4175 for support on integrated pest management. Change your behavior: Quit smoking, cigarette smoking is a toxic pollutant. Leave shoes at the door, vacuum frequently to avoid tracking pollutants indoors. Reduce your purchases of harmful chemicals Buy rechargeable batteries. Over 6 million batteries are tossed in the trash each year and account for over 250 tons of toxic battery waste. Buy non bleached chlorine free products, i.e. paper products. Chlorine bleached paper can contain dioxin and organochlorine residues. The EPA says that using bleached coffee filters alone can result in a lifetime of exposure to dioxin. Other unbleached products include tampons, diapers, coffee filters and all bathroom tissues or towels. Avoid using air fresheners, 80% of them contain phthalates which are hormone disrupting chemicals. Note that none of the air fresheners listed phthalates on their labels. Use beeswax, soy or other plant wax candles only. Avoid plywood, and particle board, both emits formaldehyde, and is known to cause cancer, cars, carpeting and plastic also emit formaldehyde. Use water based, low VOC paint. Avoid soaps and detergents containing phosphates or antibacterial ingredients. Avoid Teflon coated materials. See www.ewg.org/reports/toxicteflon Avoid products made with PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride); PVC is a major source of dioxin in the environment. Products containing PVC include Packaging, home furnishings, children’s toys, automobile parts, building materials, hospital supplies, credit cards and hundreds of other products. Bring a plant into a room to clean the air, one plant for approx. 10 square yards of floor space. Use safest alternative to a Perc Dry Cleaner possible. Conventional dry cleaning relies on perchloroethylene, a toxic solvent and air pollutant and probable carcinogen, Avoid products that accumulate toxins in your body. Various chemicals resist degradation in the environment and accumulate in the tissue of living organisms. Persistent bioaccumulate Toxins (PBT’s). Examples are: Outdoor lighting, sodium lamps, thermostats, caulking and sealants, electrical switches, varnishes and wood stains, floor polishes, batteries, paper products (dioxins), PVC products and carpet. Test your home for Radon. Get active, volunteer, write to your state representative and the EPA, and demand they begin the phase out of PVC now. |