Video on chemicals in cosmetics
Proposed law would strengthen toxic chemical regulations
An attorney for the National Research Defense Council has written a blog post listing the reforms proposed under a new law that was presented in Congress yesterday. Daniel Rosenberg says the new Toxic Chemicals Safety Act would update old laws that he thinks have failed to keep the public safe. Among many other reforms, the new law would force the EPA to use modern methods to test chemicals, make sure chemical safety standards keep vulnerable populations (children) in mind, and force companies to disclose the ingredients in all chemicals.
Women’s health risks from cleaning products
E-The Environmental Magazine has an article today detailing a recent study that researched the health risks posed by household cleaners for women, who do “about 70% of housework.”
The report looked at 37 scientific studies in order to determine the chemicals that pose the greatest risks. The data focuses on phthalates or synthetic musks and allergens that are common in most cleaning products. Phthalates have been linked to a number of health concerns such as allergies and reproductive malformations in baby boys. Other health risks include increased cancer risk and an increased vulnerability to other toxic chemicals.
You can download and read the full report here.
Harmful chemicals in flea and tick sprays
Some flea medications and topical treatments can include harmful chemicals “that could poison pets and harm people, even when applied as instructed on the box,” according to the Simple Steps website by the National Resources Defense Council.
Binx is a five-year-old Jack Russell Terrier that is terribly allergic to fleas.
This worries me, because my dog Binx is extremely allergic to fleas. I know, it’s a terrible rap for a dog. God must be laughing at that one. Seriously, though, when Binx is bitten by fleas, the bite immediately swells so much I can see it protrude through his fur. The little guy itches it like a five-year-old child with Texas mosquito bites. He won’t stop until he’s scratched the entire thing off into a bloody, scabby mess, creating the distinct probability of secondary infections. One bite will make him break out in a rash, far away from the primary bite. You can imagine how bad this gets during Texas flea season, when the pesky bugs are just crawling all over the poor dog.
I have no choice but to control Binx’s flea problem with outright aggression. I use Advantage flea medication, which is supposed to last four weeks but typically loses its potency within three. So I have over-the-counter flea spray to deal with the remainder. Because those tiny biting assholes only die after they’ve bitten a treated dog at least once, Binx still does his itchy-scratching even during times when he’s on his flea meds. So I have a lotion with hydro-cortisone that reduces irritation, and a spray with gentocine to heal minor wounds. My other dog, Zoe, must also have flea treatments because I can’t risk her bringing the fleas around Binx.
Whew.
Although I’m convinced it’s necessary to go through this regimen, I’m still concerned that the products I choose to help Binx may actually end up hurting him. There may be options out there that will do the job with lower risk than using other options. For this reason, I think the GreenPaws Flea and Tick Products Directory will be useful for me.
Advantage
Check out the entry for Advantage. It gets “two paws” indicating it may be slightly toxic. The entry says the active ingredient, Imidacloprid, created signs of toxicity in rats that included “lethargy, respiratory disturbances, decreased movement, staggering gait, occasional trembling, and spasms.” The guide suggest for me to “look for lower risk products such as those using Pyriproxyfen, Nitenpyram, Spinosad, S-Methoprene, or Lufenuron as the active ingredient.” I’m not sure that comparable products on the market would actually be better for my dog than Advantage. Check out the entries for Frontline (possible carcinogen and endocrine disruptor), K9 Advantix (“likely to cause cancer”), Revolution (needs further research) … However, the entries for oral flea control tablets Sentinel and Program and give me some hope–Maybe I’ll ask my vet if it makes sense to switch.
Flea Spray
I was using a Hartz brand flea spray, but when it ran out I opted for a bottle with “natural” ingredients: Natural Chemistry Natural Flea & Tick Spray. To my great surprise the next day, this spray dyed my two white dogs a pee-pee yellow color! However, it smells delightful, so maybe it balances out. Although the spray killed fleas on contact, and it’s supposed to last one week, I started seeing fleas on both dogs within the next one or two days. To be effective, I think you’d have to apply the spray more often than once per week.
Now for a review of the active ingredients in this product.
I want to choose the least-harmful flea control options for Binx.
Sodium lauryl sulfate–I can’t find this ingredient in the GreenPaws directory. But according to Wikipedia, it’s a surfactant commonly used in household products that is meant to remove oily residues. It’s not a carcinogen, but it can irritate the skin after hours of contact.
Cinnamon oil–This ingredient gets “two paws,” indicating it should be used sparingly. The flea spray contains just 0.50% of cinnamon oil, so I’d already say it’s sparing. According to GreenPaws, cinnamon oil has been linked to allergies and it can be toxic for animals, especially cats. The directory says it would be better to have sprays with “lemongrass, cedarwood, peppermint, rosemary or thyme.”
Clove oil–This gets the same rating as cinnamon, and comes with similar advice. However, the entry says clove oil is listed on EcoWise Certified Integrated Pest Management Program Materials List. The company licenses pest control specialists and teaches them to control bugs effectively without pesticides. “Pests are denied food, water, shelter and access to your home or facility, providing lasting control,” according to EcoWise.
Cedarwood oil–This is the first ingredient I’ve seen with just “one paw:” Use only when chemical control is needed. However, the rating is followed by this disappointing comment: “little information is available on the efficacy of these oils for flea control. Peppermint and rosemary are listed on EcoWise Certified IPM Program Materials List.”
“Other ingredients”–Most of the stuff in this flea spray, nearly 98 percent, is made up of water and vanillin, an organic compound that can be extracted from the vanilla bean. But vanillan can also be produced synthetically.