Household Chemicals Linked to Reduced Fertility

From the LA Times:

Household chemicals linked to reduced fertility Flame-retardant chemicals found in many household consumer products mayreduce fertility in women, researchers reported today. Their study joinsseveral other papers published in the last two years suggesting that thechemicals, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, affect human health. PBDEs have been used as flame retardants for four decades and are found infoam furniture, electronics, fabrics, carpets and plastics. The chemicalsare being phased out nationwide, and certain PBDEs have been banned for usein California. But they are still found in products made before 2004.Californians may have higher exposures compared with residents of otherstates because of the state's strict flammability laws, according to thestudy authors, from UC Berkeley. Most of the previous research on the chemicals has been in animals. But a2008 study linked the chemicals to disrupted thyroid levels in men, and astudy published this month tied PBDE exposure in pregnancy toneurodevelopmental delays in young children. "These are association studies. You can't show cause and effect," said Dr.Hugh Taylor, an expert on endocrine-disrupting chemicals at Yale Universitywho was not involved in the new study. "But we have cause-and-effectstudies in animals, and we have association studies in humans. I think thatis fairly convincing." In the study, published today in the journal Environmental HealthPerspectives, researchers measured PBDE levels in blood samples from 223pregnant women. The women, who were primarily Mexican immigrants living inan agricultural community, were asked to recall how long they had beentrying to become pregnant, which was defined as being sexually activewithout the use of birth control. Women with the highest concentrations of the chemicals experienced a longerdelay before pregnancy. Each 10-fold increase in blood concentration ofPBDEs was linked to a 30% decrease in the likelihood of becoming pregnanteach month. "It's a pretty strong effect," said Kim Harley, the lead author of thestudy and associate director of the Center for Children's EnvironmentalHealth Research at UC Berkeley's School of Public Health. "They can allbecome pregnant, but they all had very different amounts of time it tookthem to become pregnant." Previous studies suggest that 97% of Americans have detectable levels ofthe substances in their blood. PBDEs are also found in some foods,particularly dairy products and higher-fat meat and fish, but householdproducts are considered a major source of exposure. "PBDEs have the ability to just leach out of these products into ourenvironment," Harley said. "We're thinking the routes are probablyingestion or hand to mouth. But it seems that the larger route of exposureis house dust." How the chemicals might impair fertility is unclear, she said. "One of the strongest associations of PBDEs is with thyroid hormone,"Harley said. "Thyroid hormone does seem to play an important role infertility. Either too low or too high levels can impair fertility. PBDEsalso seem to mimic estrogen. It could be through a hormonal mechanism. Butwe need more research on that." Fertility may be one of the first biological processes affected by chemicalexposures, said Taylor, director of reproductive endocrinology andinfertility at Yale. "Fertility is easy to perturb," he said. "Miscarriage is another thing thatmay be related to environmental exposures. We also have to ask: What arethe effects on the next generation? We know these endocrine-disruptingchemicals can affect the next generation's fertility. Is it due to themother's exposure?" Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency and the two largestmanufacturers of one type of PBDE agreed to phase out the chemical.However, the substances will be in the environment a long time, Harleysaid. And understanding their effects is important. "The thing is, they are used in these durable goods that we have in homes,"she said. "Couches, chairs, TVs, carpet padding. These are things that willstay in our house for years to come."

shari.roan@latimes.com Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times

Travelling with MCS....and two dogs

The trip from Fort Collins, Colorado to Tucson really did go better than we could have hoped for. However, there were a few gliches here and there.

The first day we got to Albuquerque about 1:00 PM. The Bed and Breakfast was really cute and well located for looking around and touristy type things. The only problem was the room. It was basically okay for me odor wise but we couldn't use the very old heater (MCS people can't do gas heaters) and there was a drip in the ceiling in the kitchen. We decided to deal with it but at night when it started raining and wind blowing, things started banging like crazy and the leak got worse. We would never have stayed another night and she didn't charge us for the room after hearing what happened. She did make a yummy breakfast to send us on our way so it wasn't a total loss.

Next we got into Tucson about 4 PM and all we wanted was our room and a bed:) So we go to check in and find that my carefully prepared room (the manager and I had been talking about it for almost two months) had mistakenly been given away because the $%$#^%$$ girl at the desk didn't read the notes that said that the room was closed and for ME!!!!! WE can't just take any old room because if cleaning products so my husband and I were about to blow and I do mean BLOW!!!! So they ended up giving us the bridal suite because it isn't used much, and it wasn't just cleaned with toxic cleaners. So, there we were in the bridal suite with the two dogs. It was hysterical. Then they sent us dessert to compensate for the trouble. Chocolate goes a long way toward making things better for weary travellers.

The Appreciation Night Dinner for my husbands company was fabulous. They had a gambling night and it was decorated just beautifully with amazing food and drinks. Everyone was just as gracious as can be to me and they and the room was perfect for me. I didn't have any trouble there. I almost felt princess like with all the attention I was getting. I know a lot of it is because they think so well of Bob, but I lapped it up and enjoyed meeting a lot of new people and seeing many that I had known when we lived there. Bob got his award, so all in all it was a very good night.

We left the next morning for Sante Fe keeping our fingers crossed that our room would work there. We only had a day to find something since we weren't going back to the first bed and breakfast as planned. One night of leaks and banging is all we could put up with. We arrived in Sante Fe just before dark and the room was doable. Bob was starving so they told us about a really good Chinese restaurant and we enjoyed that immensely.

We left for home the next morning and here we are!!!!!! The dogs travelled just beautifully. We loved looking at the scenery and seeing that we could travel again.

Its harder for us than it should be with finding rooms that do not reek of chemicas, but it can be done and we are already talking about trying other places!!!

Why are Many Chemicals Connected with Cancer?

Take a Look at the Chemicals in Processed Foods
http://www.naturalnews.com/027969_processed_foods_chemicals.html


Americans spend about 90 percent of their total food budget on processed foods - and we wonder why we have a health care crisis. Besides being enzyme deplete, processed foods are often crammed with chemicals, including colors, flavors and preservatives. Apparently, many people don`t think twice about filling themselves and their children with chemicals, so let`s look at the effects of just a couple of them.


Aspartame

Aspartame is common in diet sodas; it`s also found in chewing gum, sweets, and diet foods. It`s even sold in packets as chemical sweeteners and placed on most restaurant tables. Actually, aspartame is found in about 6,000 foods on grocery store shelves.

The fact that aspartame was once listed by the Pentagon as a biochemical warfare agent should be all the information you need to avoid it. But if you need more, have a look at these rats fed aspartame daily. http://myaspartameexperiment.com/index.php?page=3

This experiment was done by a woman concerned about the amount of aspartame her family was consuming. Each day, she fed 108 rats the amount of aspartame in two-thirds of an 8-ounce serving of diet soda, when adjusted for size. In less than three years, 37 percent of the female rats developed tumors. The pictures speak for themselves.

Of course, this begs some serious questions. If this woman was getting these results at home just by putting aspartame in the rats` water, what does it say about the scientists who tested aspartame for safety before it inundated the food supply - or about the government agency that approved its use?

In addition to tumors, aspartame is associated with brain damage and nervous system disturbances; it also affects brain development in fetuses.


BPA

BPA has been in the headlines lately; it`s often used in making baby and water bottles. The chemical then leaches into the liquids inside. BPA is also used in the lining of tin cans, and it`s being found in canned foods. Even if you are eating otherwise healthy green beans or peas - if it`s canned, it`s likely contaminated with BPA.

Consumer Reports took a look and found BPA in several popular canned foods:
Green Beans: 35.9 to 191 ppb
Vegetable Soup: 67 to 134 ppb
Chicken Noodle Soup: 54.5 to 102 ppb

BPA is dangerous even in small amounts; it`s been linked to reproductive abnormalities, diabetes, neurological problems, heart disease, and cancer. A recent look at the umbilical cord blood of newborns found BPAs there, pointing loudly to the widespread nature of the problem. When you start adding up how many brain damaging chemicals are eaten by or injected into the average person, is it any wonder that 1 in 110 children born these days have an autism related disease?


Why are so many chemicals connected with Cancer?
Have you ever wondered why chemicals so often create tumors? It`s because the body isn`t designed to remove so many man-made chemicals. Toxic chemicals are commonly found inside cancers, and cancers are a way your body corrals all of the chemicals most people eat and are exposed to, along with other toxic crud, to keep it out of your bloodstream.

If you`re interested in avoiding cancer in your life - and the pain and enormous price tag associated with conventional treatments, a large part of the answer is in avoiding as many chemicals as possible. This includes avoiding as many processed foods as possible to limit your chemical exposure dramatically, and this will leave nature`s protective, cancer-fighting foods as your options. You`d be surprised at what some simple diet and lifestyle changes can do for the last few decades of your life.

Plastics Chemical Linked to Heart Disease

Plastics Chemical Linked to Heart Disease

Wednesday, January 13, 2010 8:46 AM

http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/health_stories/plastic_chemical_heart/2010/01/13/30\
7886.html


Exposure to a chemical found in plastic containers is linked to heart disease, scientists said on Wednesday, confirming earlier findings and adding to pressure to ban its use in bottles and food packaging.


British and U.S. researchers studied the effects of the chemical bisphenol A using data from a U.S. government national nutrition survey in 2006 and found that high levels of it in urine samples were associated with heart disease.


Bisphenol A, known as BPA, is widely used in plastics and has been a growing concern for scientists in countries such as Britain, Canada and the United States, where food and drug regulators are examining its safety.


David Melzer, professor of epidemiology and public health at the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, England, who led the study, said the research confirmed earlier findings of a link between BPA and heart problems.


The analysis also confirmed that BPA plays a role in diabetes and some forms of liver disease, said Melzer's team, who studied data on 1,493 people aged
18 to 74.


"Our latest analysis largely confirms the first analysis, and excludes the possibility that the original report was a statistical blip," they said in a statement.


BPA, used to stiffen plastic bottles and line cans, belongs to a class of compounds sometimes called endocrine disruptors.


The U.S. Endocrine Society called last June for better studies into BPA and presented research showing the chemical can affect the hearts of women and permanently damage the DNA of mice.


"The risks associated with exposure to BPA may be small, but they are relevant to very large numbers of people. This information is important since it provides a great opportunity for intervention to reduce the risks," said Exeter's Tamara Galloway, who worked on the study published by the Public Library of Science online science journal PLoS One.


U.S. environmental health advocacy groups are urging a federal ban on BPA.


"There's enough research to take definitive action on this chemical to reduce exposures in people and the environment," Dr. Anila Jacob of the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization, said in a telephone interview.


The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering whether any action needs to be taken.


U.S. government toxicologists at the National Institutes of Health concluded in 2008 that BPA presents concern for harmful effects on development of the prostate and brain and for behavioral changes in fetuses, infants, and children.


Canada's government plans to outlaw plastic baby bottles made with BPA. The charity Breast Cancer UK last month urged the British government to do the same because they said there was "compelling" evidence linking the chemical to breast cancer risk.


Experts estimate BPA is detectable in the bodies of more than 90 percent of U.S. and European populations. It is one of the world's highest production volume chemicals, with more than 2.2 million tons produced annually.

Toxic metal in kids jewelry

Toxic metal commonly found in kids' jewelry
Jan. 10, 2010 01:51 PM
Associated Press

Cadmium is a soft, whitish metal that occurs naturally in soil. It'sperhaps best known as one half of rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries,but also is used in pigments, electroplating and plastic. Lab testing organized by The Associated Press shows that it also is presentin children's jewelry - sometimes at eye-popping levels exceeding 90percent of the item's total weight. Most people get a microscopic dose of the heavy metal just by breathing andeating. Plants, including tobacco, take up cadmium through their roots andpeople absorb it during digestion or inhalation. Without direct exposure,however, people usually don't experience its nasty side: cancer, kidneysthat leak vital protein, bones that spontaneously snap. Cadmium is particularly dangerous for children because growing bodiesreadily absorb substances, and cadmium accumulates in the kidneys for decades. "Just small amounts of chemicals may radically alter development," said Dr.Robert O. Wright, a professor at Harvard University's medical school andschool of public health. "I can't even fathom why anyone would allow foreven a small amount to be accessible." Recent research by Wright found that as cadmium exposure increased, kidswere more likely to report learning disabilities. Dr. Aimin Chen of the University of Cincinnati's medical school also hasstudied how cadmium affects young brains. While lead is the heavy metalmost associated with harming cognitive development, Chen has concluded thatcadmium lowers IQ even more than lead - though cadmium isn't harming theaverage American child because the typical exposure is not as large as lead. Scientists don't know how much cadmium it takes to kill a child. The onlychild's death attributed to cadmium that AP found was a nearly 3-year-oldboy from Toronto. According to a case study published in 1994, an autopsyshowed his brain had swollen; the researchers concluded his exposure camefrom items around his home such as paint pigments, batteries orcadmium-electroplated utensils.

Use of potentially harmful chemicals kept secret under law

Use of potentially harmful chemicals kept secret under law
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/03/AR2010010302110_pf.htm

"Of the 84,000 chemicals in commercial use in the United States -- from flame retardants in furniture to household cleaners -- nearly 20 percent are secret, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, their names and physical properties guarded from consumers and virtually all public officials under a little-known federal provision.

The policy was designed 33 years ago to protect trade secrets in a highly competitive industry. But critics -- including the Obama administration -- say the secrecy has grown out of control, making it impossible for regulators to control potential dangers or for consumers to know which toxic substances they might be exposed to.

At a time of increasing public demand for more information about chemical exposure, pressure is building on lawmakers to make it more difficult for manufacturers to cloak their products in secrecy. Congress is set to rewrite chemical regulations this year for the first time in a generation."

Dangers of Plastic Becoming Known

Could plastic kitchenware be causing girls to reach puberty at earlier ages than nature intended, and be putting them at increased risk of breast cancer?

It’s a question most recently raised by New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof, who notes that researchers are becoming increasingly concerned about a class of chemicals called endocrine disruptors, which can simulate the effects of estrogen in triggering hormonal change. Suspected sources of exposure to such chemicals include certain plastics, as well as various cosmetics, according to Dr. Alisan Goldfarb, a surgeon specializing in breast cancer, whom Kristof consulted.

So what can we do to avoid such unnecessary and unnatural exposures?

Well, one obvious thing might be to discourage teens from using make-up, which admittedly might be a difficult challenge in our style-driven youth culture. Or, we might go to the trouble of looking for cosmetics without estrogenic compounds (taking into account that "organic" cosmetics aren’t subject to the same rigorous standards as organic foods).

Kristof, however, did have some very practical advice to offer in regard to that kitchenware. Medical experts whom he interviewed on the subject told him that they avoid microwaving food in plastic or putting plastics in the dishwasher, because heat may cause chemicals to leach out," he noted. Another suggestion came from a reminder card he was given at a symposium conducted at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, which listed "‘safer plastics’ as those marked (usually at the bottom of a container) 1, 2, 4 or 5. It suggests that the ‘plastics to avoid’ are those numbered 3, 6 and 7 (unless they are also marked "BPA-free")."

Kristof added that he planned to spend the weekend going through containers in his own home and tossing out those with the offending numbers – which is something that conscientious parents everywhere might want to do as well, without waiting to see whether Congress acts on legislation introduced this month by Representative Louise Slaughter, the only microbiologist in the House of Representatives, that would establish a comprehensive program to monitor endocrine disruptors.