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Watch Us on YouTubeToxic Chemicals Found in Baby Products
A study of products designed for newborns, babies, and toddlers – including car seats, breast feeding pillows, changing pads, crib wedges, bassinet mattresses and other items made with polyurethane foam – found that 80% of products tested contained chemical flame retardants that are considered toxic, according to a peer-reviewed study published in Environmental Science & Technology Journal. Other retardants discovered had so little health and safety data on them it is not possible to know their effects at this time. The same flame retardants found in some of the products are also found in children’s bodies and widely dispersed throughout the environment and in food.
Read more...States Lead on Toxic Chemical Reform While Congress Lags
A first-ever analysis of votes on state laws aimed at protecting the public from toxic chemicals found that 18 states have passed 71 chemical safety laws in the last eight years by an overwhelming margin with broad bipartisan support. According to the report released today, of more than 9,000 votes cast by state legislators, 73% of Republicans and 99% of Democrats favored stronger protection of children’s health and the environment from dangerous chemicals, with equal support from governors of each party. The report found that the pace of state policymaking on chemicals has more than tripled in eight years.
Hazardous Chemicals in Health Care Professionals
Physicians for Social Responsibility, along with JustGreen Partner Clean New York, SAFER States partners in nine other states, Health Care Without Harm, American Nurses Association and the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families campaign, released a new biomonitoring report, Hazardous Chemicals in Health Care: A Snapshot of Chemicals in Doctors and Nurses.
20 doctors and nurses from ten states donated blood and urine samples which were tested for six categories of chemicals (62 individual chemicals in all) and the results were disturbing - though sadly, not surprising. Each of the 20 participants had at least five of the chemical categories, and at least 24 individual chemicals. All participants had the same four categories and the same 18 individual chemicals in their bodies.
Read more...Onward! BPA, DecaBDE and E-waste bills pass NY Assembly
Tuesday, May 5th was Earth Day Lobby Day, and the New York State Assembly passed all 12 environmental bills in their Earth Day package.
New York's BPA bill (Assembly Bill 6919b) passed 133 - 12, the E-waste bill (A. 7571) passed 121 - 22, and the exciting story of the day was the decaBDE victory. The bill (A. 7573) passed 141 - 2, after weeks of intense negative lobbying by the bromine industry.
They generated a number of opposition memos. Assemblyman Joseph Saladino challenged the sponsor during debate by raising all of the industry arguments.
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