M9.2 Blog: Six Chemical Classes

-
The chemicals that I chose to look more in depth at were bisphenols & phthalates. These chemicals are used to harden products or make them more flexible. However, both have serious health repercussions associated with them. Even at low levels, these negative health risks are seen. Bisphenols & phthalates are considered endocrine disruptors and can mimic or block necessary hormones.  The most vulnerable population to these  chemicals are babies and fetuses, who are experiencing vital hormonal changes. Due to the uproar in banning BPA, chemical companies have just created similar chemicals that do the exact same thing with the same health consequences and naming it something else-while promoting the product as BPA free. It is important that we stay away from  bisphenols & phthalates, and that is fairly easy to do because they wash out of our system pretty quickly. However, these kinds of chemicals are everywhere and being aware of what products have them and which ones don't is vital to the discontinued use of them.

Comments

  1. Daisy AlbarranOctober 26, 2018 at 1:07 PM

    Hey Kera,
    You make a valid point on how we should be cautious about the products being promoted as BPA free. I think holding the chemical companies accountable for this misinformation on BPA and should be penalized for misguiding the public. It is true that these products are everywhere and if we want to discontinue them, not only should we reduce our use, but also shed light on alternatives for these products. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

M1.4 Blog Assignment: List of Environmental Exposures

-
There are several different types of exposures you can come into contact with in your lifetime. You spend the majority of your time at home, work, school, and in the community. It is important to be aware of the chemical, radiological, and biological agents you can be exposed to in those areas. For example, I currently live in Half Moon Bay. In Half Moon Bay it is common to get termites and whenever a property is sold, it is required to be fumigated. When I see so many tented structures, I cant help but wonder how effective are they are sealing and preventing access to those places and what are the lingering effects of sulfuryl fluoride on the things in the home. I did some digging and found an interesting report done by the EPA on fumigation and the risks that it poses to individuals: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-12/documents/_epaoig_20161212-17-p-0053.pdf Even if you feel healthy, it is important to know that you are still being exposed to hazards. One haz...
Read more

M2.3 Household Products

-
Image
In addition to all of the health risks that you can be exposed to through your personal care products, products that you use almost everyday can also pose a risk. The two products that I use a lot and wanted to look up on the Household Product Database were "Nature's Miracle 3 in 1 Stain Remover" and the "Mr. Clean Magic Eraser". I was surprised that the pet stain remover showed minimal risks. I figured that, based on the previous products I have looked up, it would be in the moderate-hazard range since it is a product for pets. The Mr. Clean Magic eraser also surprised me. I assumed that something that markets as "magic" cant be all that good for you. The HPD website showed that it was an irritant, but it also did not have any known hazards. I do think that we need to be more mindful of the different products that we keep in our homes and not just buy products that have "Green", "Organic", "Healthy" in the names. Ever...
Read more

M6.4 Industrial Farming

-
I am aware of the issue of vanishing bees. I found the teatronaturale article very interesting and informative. My dad used to bee keep (part of his many hobbies) in our home in Bakersfield. He taught me how valuable bees are and to not be afraid of them. He explained to me the importance that bees have on the environment and the world we know. This article addressed a lot of the concerns that he had told me about when I was growing up. One thing I did not realize before reading this article, was that loss of pollinators can cause detrimental health effects.  " The researchers found that the complete loss of animal pollinators globally would push an additional 71 million people into vitamin A deficiency and 173 million more into folate deficiency, and would lead to about 1.42 million additional deaths per year from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and malnutrition-related diseases—a 2.7% increase in total yearly deaths. A 50% loss of pollination would result in roughly ...
Read more