Flower

Chemicals

“The most alarming of all man’s assaults upon the environment is the contamination of air, rivers and sea with dangerous and even lethal chemicals”

–Rachel Carson

“Remember when atmospheric contaminants were romantically called stardust?”

- Lane Olinghouse

Objectives

  1. Understand the what happens to the chemicals we put down into our drains and pipes in our homes
  2. Understand the effects of chemicals that go into our body through our food
  3. Know which chemicals are considered safe
  4. Consider alternatives to chemicals for pest control

 

Problem

Everyday humans expose their bodies to unknown chemicals that are harmful to their body. These chemicals are untested, unregulated and potentially dangerous to the environment, wildlife, and humans. According to the World Health Organization, there have been an estimated 3 million deaths around the world each year due to pollutants in the atmosphere. In the U.S. this number is 70,000 each year. Most people don’t understand the full impact of the chemicals they use in their products, leading to ignorance for the effects of them on the environment and their bodies.

 

Did you know?

-A study found that three quarters of 300 commonly consumed foods and beverages are contaminated with perchlorate, a toxic rocket fuel ingredient. The levels of percholoarte in food potentially put the health of millions of children at risk.

- A 2006 study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that long-term low-level exposure to pesticides raised the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by 70 percent

- The European Union has banned 1,100 chemicals from cosmetics while the U.S. has banned 10.

 

Solutions

1. Avoid harmful bodycare products

  • use a tool that lists out what chemicals to avoid in your body care products. A good one is the Environmetnal Working Groups database at www. Ewg.org/skindeep for cosmetics.
  • you can search products, ingredients, companies, and brands.
  • Another good website is http://www.cir-safety.org/priorities.shtml for a list of 2011 priority review ingredients that should be avoided. A few examples are:
  • citric acid
  • xanthum gum
  • nylon-12
  • tin oxide

2. Use the safest cleaning products available

  • use chemicals only when absolutely necessary. The less chemicals you use, the less exposure to you and your household.
  • don’t use hot water with toxic chemicals. This will cause the chemical to produce more toxic gases more easily.
  • minimize use of spray chemicals as they can spread throughout your home easier
  • Chlorine bleach alternatives starting with “oxy-“ or “oxi-“ are generally used for eco-friendly cleaners.
  • use less that is recommended. For example, use only ½ of the laundry detergent. Not every wash needs the wash to be optimum every single time. Also, diluting liquid hand soaps can get the job done as well.

 

3. Buy less harmful chemical products

  • opt for rechargeable batteries instead of one-time use batteries. Over 6 billion batteries are placed in landfills every year.
  • buy non-bleached, chlorine-free products. These products don’t have the chemical dioxin, a harmful chemical
  • don’t buy air fresheners. Open a few windows instead.
  • watch out for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in paint, and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

 

Know your signs!


http://wastetransferuk.com/tipping.aspx



http://www.safety.vanderbilt.edu/resources/cls_sign.htm



 

Places in Davis

  1. Yolo County Central Landfill
    1. Specific Fridays and Saturdays are listed as designated drop-off days for hazardous waste for any households.
    2. 44090 County Road 28H Woodland, CA 95776
    3. http://cityofdavis.org/pw/recycle/HHW_dropoff.cfm

2. Members of the public can recycle 6-volt, 9-volt, AAA, AA, C, and D alkaline, lithium, and rechargeable batteries at these collection sites in Davis:

▪       Davis Senior Center, 646 A Street

▪       CVS Pharmacy (Longs Drug Store), 1550 E. Covell Blvd.

▪       CVS Pharmacy (Longs Drug Store), 1471 W. Covell Blvd.

▪       Rite Aid, 655 Russell Blvd.

▪       Rite Aid,  2135 Cowell Blvd.

▪       Hibbert Lumber at 5th & G Sts.

▪       Davis Ace Hardware at 3rd & G Sts.

 

Books

  1. Exposed – by Mark Schapiro
    1. The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What’s at Stake for American Power
    2. Silent Spring – By Rachel Carson
    3. Not Just a Pretty Face – by Stacy Malkan
    4. Clean House, Clean Planet- by Karen Noonan Logan

 

Documentaries

  1. Blue Vinyl
    1. “A toxic comedy look at vinyl, the world’s second largest selling plastic. With humor, hope, and a piece of vinyl siding firmly in hand, Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Judith Helfand and co-director Daniel B. Gold travel from Helfand’s hometown to America’s vinyl manufacturing capital and beyond in search of answers about the nature of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).”

 

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 1st, 2011 at 9:05 pm and is filed under chemicals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.