Learning and Sharing

Everyday environmental hazards: Not necessarily the usual suspects...

Most of us like to believe that substances known or strongly suspected to cause cancer aren’t in what we normally eat, drink, breathe, wear, let our children play with or otherwise invite into our homes.  The trouble is, sometimes they are.  Among those familiar things now known to be more than we bargained for:

w Aflatoxin.  Aflatoxins are toxins produced by a mold that grows on nuts, seeds and legumes.  Although they’re known to cause cancer in animals, the FDA allows them at low levels because they’re considered "unavoidable contaminants" of these foods. The agency says that the occasional consumption of small amounts of aflatoxin poses little risk over a lifetime, and considers it impractical to attempt to remove the contaminant from food products in order to make them safer.  The mold that produces aflatoxin may be found in the following foods: peanuts, peanut butter and tree nuts (such as pecans), corn, wheat and oil seeds (such as cottonseed). 

To help minimize risk, the FDA tests foods that may contain aflatoxin, and peanuts and peanut butter are two of the agency’s most rigorously tested products.  Aflatoxin intake may be reduced by buying only major brands of nuts and nut butters and discarding any shelled nuts that look moldy, discolored or shriveled.  For those                                                                                           

who’ll never look at peanut butter in the same way again, one internet health adviser suggests Arrowhead Mills organic, made from peanuts grown in New Mexico, where dry conditions reportedly thwart mold. Henry’s carries it.    

Other foods which may contain dangerous substances (best uneaten, or not eaten raw) include common white mushrooms (which contain several carcinogens) celery (especially if it has brownish patches, a toxic fungus), alfalfa sprouts (frequently contaminated with Salmonella) or mung bean sprouts.  Dr. Andrew Weil expands this list, cautioning against eating raw peas, beans, alfalfa sprouts, lentil sprouts, mung bean sprouts and mushrooms.  While alfalfa sprouts can’t be cooked, peas, beans, bean sprouts and mushrooms can, which is thought to destroy toxins. Other vegetables also contain toxins in small degrees; potato skins have more than most.      [Top]

w Air fresheners/deodorizers and mothballs.  Two compounds commonly used in these products (paradichlorobenzene and napthalene) are classified by the state of California as  human carcinogens.  These chemicals are used as space deodorants in products such as room deodorizers, urinal and toilet bowl blocks and diaper pails.  Exposure occurs through breathing vapors. In homes using moth crystals or air deodorizers, levels of paradichlorobenzene are 25 times higher than those in outside air.  Some brands of potpourri also contain these chemicals.   [Top]

w Alcohol.  Too many Margaritas can be problematic, but so can Listerine. Its maker recently reformulated it after a study showed higher rates of mouth and throat cancers in users of high-alcohol mouthwashes.  For safer alternatives, see www.preventcancer.com/consumers      [Top]

w Browned and barbecued foods.     [Top]

w Candles and incense.  When burned, common paraffin (petroleum-based) candles and incense emit small amounts of organic chemicals including formaldehyde and naphthalene (both federally recognized carcinogens). Candles are a common source of indoor air pollution, creating black soot deposits on floors and surfaces. (Scented candles create the most soot.) Soot deposits contain phthalates and volatile organic compounds like benzene, toluene, formaldehyde and polyaromatic hydrocarbons---all recognized carcinogens linked to neurological damage. Black soot is especially attracted to electrically charged surfaces like freezers, plastic blinds, TVs and computer monitors.

A small percentage of cheaper candles, especially those made overseas, have lead-based wicks that give off lead dust when burned.  Lead is a carcinogen, and also recognized for causing impaired learning and brain damage in children. (Lead wicks have visible wires in them.) The burning of candles or incense also releases polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, normally outdoor air pollutants (as from gas and diesel fuel burning) that are thought to cause cancer and low birth-weight in infants. The burning of candles and incense has been linked to an increased incidence of childhood leukemia.  Relatively new on the market are soy candles, which bill themselves as non-toxic and soot free.  [Top]

w Chlorine.  In 1893, the founder of Dow Chemical Company split the compound sodium chloride (table salt) to make commercially valuable sodium hydroxide, a process that released a highly toxic gas: free chlorine. Experiments showed that this byproduct gas combined well with other elements, and gave rise to useful and lucrative (though toxic) substances, including thousands of products now found nearly everywhere in the world today.  These “organo-chlorines” include more than 11,000 chemicals that are persistent in the environment, reactive with human tissues and associated with cancer.  One group interferes with the normal function of hormones, mimicking estrogen.  In experimental settings, these chemicals have made human breast cancer cells multiply and been shown to cause mammary tumors in rats.

These chlorines include PVC, PCBs, DDT (what turned the town of Love Canal into an infamous toxic waste site), and worst of all---dioxin---created mainly through the burning of plastics and the production of paper when chlorine is used as a bleaching agent. Although DDT and PCBs were banned in the 1970s, they persist in our bodies and are found in high concentrations even at the North Pole, as is dioxin.  For more, see http://www.usgbc.org/Docs/LEED_tsac/Greenpeace-Cradle_to_Grave.pdf#search='North%20Pole%20dioxin'

Chlorine is a building block for plastics and numerous chemicals, including pesticides, refrigerants, anti-knock compounds and antifreeze. Dissolved in liquid to form sodium hypochlorite (AKA bleach) it’s widely used as a disinfectant, in whitening and to purify public water supplies. Another form, hydrochloric acid, is found in some toilet bowl cleaners. Concern about chlorine exposure arises both from its fumes and its ability to form more toxic byproducts. Chloroform gas builds up when a dishwasher is run, making it important to allow dishes to dry fully with the door closed.  Trihalomethanes are produced when chlorine reacts with organic matter in drinking water, creating carcinogens which also are believed to cause miscarriages and birth defects.  Nitrogen trichloride, used to chlorinate indoor pools, has recently been linked to childhood asthma.  Chlorine’s most dangerous byproduct is long-lasting, highly toxic dioxin.

Traces of dioxin may remain on chlorine-bleached paper products (paper towels, coffee filters, napkins, facial tissues, toilet paper, diapers and feminine hygiene products) but alternative products without bleach are made by brands like Seventh Generation.  Non-chlorine laundry detergents, bleaches and other cleaners (usually made with far safer hydrogen peroxide) are sold by Seventh Generation and Citra-Solv.  All-cotton (many organic cotton) natural feminine pads and tampons (some believe important to protect against not only cancer but Toxic Shock Syndrome [TSS]) are sold by Natracare, Seventh Generation, Pandora and Naturalfempro

Less-chemically-saturated disposable diapers are marketed as Tushies (cotton and non-chlorine woodpulp, no gel filler) and Seventh Generation (including the super-absorbent gel crystals most disposables have, which  prevent leakage better, but are made of sodium polyacrylate---the same substance that was removed from tampons because of its links to TSS.  No studies have been done on the long-term effect of this chemical or others that remain in contact with a baby’s reproductive organs for 24 hours a day for upwards of two years.  It is, however, known that sperm counts have fallen precipitously while testicular cancer rates have risen dramatically in the last 35 years, the time when disposables came into wide use.  The more natural diapers and feminine hygiene products can be found at most health-oriented stores or ordered online from amazon.com.  Further information on less-toxic home products may be found at http://es.epa.gov/techinfo/facts/safe-fs.html

w Cosmetics/personal care products. Despite the fact that “whatever we put on our skin sinks in,”  the cosmetics industry is the least-regulated industry under the jurisdiction of the FDA---which neither oversees nor inspects products for known carcinogens.  Shockingly, OSHA says that over 880 potentially cancer-causing agents today are being used in personal care products, although not a single cosmetic company warns consumers of their presence.  While some might expect that trouble lies only in the cut-rate stuff, many high-end items also are chock-full of problems.  For an eye-opening look at that favorite shampoo, cleanser, cream, perfume and more, see http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/   

The Environmental Working Group recently found unsafe products in cosmetics including (in nail polish) formaldehyde and toluene, both known or suspected causes of cancer or birth defects; (in foundations and lotions) acrylamide, strongly linked to breast tumors; and bibutyl phthalate, known to damage the liver, kidney and reproductive systems, disrupt hormonal processes and increase breast cancer risk. Use of such toxic products by teens, whose growing bodies absorb more of the carcinogens, is considered particularly worrisome.  For more on the problem, see http://www.nottoopretty.org/  To check whether to toss that lotion, mascara or lip gloss, see http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep/. To see which companies have committed to change, visit safecosmetics.org.  For safer alternatives today, consider products by Aveda, The Body Shop, Dr. Hauschka, Burt’s Bees or Ecco Bella.  [Top]

Dry-cleaning solvent. That jacket that just came home from the cleaners probably brought an unexpected guest.  Ninety-five percent of dry cleaners treat clothes using a fluid containing perchloroethylene, a chlorinated solvent that emits dioxin---one of the most dangerous of all toxins.  Inhaled or absorbed into the skin, it accumulates in the body and poses risk for throat and urinary tract cancer, as well as asthma.  Dry-cleaned clothes continue to “offgas” once they reach home, and may be safer if removed from their wrapping and hung outside for a few hours.   

 The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences states that: "Short-term exposure to “PERC” can cause effects including dizziness, fatigue, headaches, sweating, lack of coordination and unconsciousness. Long-term exposure can cause liver and kidney damage." Alternative methods and chemicals exist, but aren’t now widely available.  Living near a dry cleaner also is unsafe.  In 2002, Southern California’s Air Quality Management District became the first authority in the nation to approve phase out of toxic dry cleaning chemicals.  Dateline? 2020. 

w Estrogen.  The growth of most human breast tumors is stimulated by estrogen.  Breast cancer is higher among women who eat a diet high in meat and dairy products.  What’s the link?  Many food animals are injected with estrogen hormones (to fatten them up and increase milk production) and eating their meat and milk increases estrogen load.  Long-term use of synthetic estrogens (hormone replacement therapy) and/or oral contraceptives are risk factors for breast cancer as well. Surprisingly, pesticides and petroleum products also are sources of estrogens that mimic natural hormones---even affecting women drivers in the fuel fumes they inhale commuting in heavy traffic.  And then there’s those ubiquitous plastics: everything from PVC pipes to food wraps to car seats and furniture, all of which give off estrogen.

Another estrogen source is “phytoestrogens, “ precursors to human hormones that may stimulate the body to produce more estrogen. Both flax and soy are phytoestrogens, although research now seems to show that flax offers consistent benefits against breast cancer, while soy’s performance has been mixed, with some studies actually showing it as a cancer promoter.  Soy farmers and major food manufacturers have a lot invested and continue to promote their product, but some in the health field have begun to step back and advise a more restrained approach to soy’s use.  Soy appears in hundreds of products these days, from soy sauce to soy flour and soy milk, lecithin, tofu and hundreds of processed food items. If a label says "vegetable protein," it’s probably soy.   A final source of increased estrogen is vegetable oils---the exception being extra virgin olive oil (always best in a glass bottle, which won’t leach estrogen-mimicking carcinogens [phthalates] into the oil).       

In the past 60 years, man-made estrogens created through pollution and food manipulation and relied upon as drugs have launched a veritable assault on female hormone balance.  A phenomenal 42-percent increase in breast cancer has been seen in women born in the years since World War II, an era marked by widespread changes in food, drugs and background pollution.  Many of these changes began during the press of wartime, and were put into use without the normal years of testing that could have determined their long-term effects. After the war, a great many of these substances found their way into agriculture and household products. Most pesticides, household chemicals and common plastics now in use---the major estrogen imitators---didn’t exist before World War ll.  And only in the last five years has anyone realized how common synthetic estrogens are in today's world. Today, because of their pervasive spread, chemicals including highly toxic dioxin, DDT and PCBs---all of which alter estrogen levels---are found in more highly concentrated form in human breast milk than in any other food on the planet.  [Top]

w Fried snack and fast foods.  Crackers, chips and especially French fries contain high levels of acrylamide, a potent dietary carcinogen.  [Top]

w Hair dye.  A recent study by researchers at USC found that women who use permanent hair dyes once a month are up to three times more likely to develop bladder cancer. Six earlier studies pointed up high risk for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, as well as breast and other cancers. Most concerns surround dark-colored, permanent dyes used every month to six weeks, and center on chemicals para-phenylenediamine and tetrahydro-6-nitroquinoxaline, which have been shown to damage the body's genetic material and been linked to damage to unborn children.   [Top]

w Hot dogs (and other nitrate-preserved meats).  Ingestion of hot dogs by children AND their parents (before their birth) is strongly linked to childhood leukemia. [Top]

w Indoor air, chemical pollution.  Indoor air pollution from hazardous chemicals (formaldehyde and others that ooze out of building materials and consumer products) poses a greater source of exposure to hazardous chemicals than outdoor air---even for those who live near major sources of pollution, according to a study by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA estimates that 1170 people die each year from exposure to formaldehyde, ozone, xylene and benzene (most often from particle board construction) in mobile homes, and 630 die due to exposure in conventional homes. Indoor air pollution also is a suspected culprit in sudden infant death syndrome, which occurs far more often in winter, when homes are closed tighter against the cold. In a typical day at work and home, people breathe in two to five times as many hazardous chemicals as they would if they sat in their backyards for 24 hours. This is true even if they live within a mile of an industrial air pollution source. Chemicals in carpeting, wallboard, paneling, shelving, furniture, paint, wallpaper and more give off toxic fumes---and do so as much as 50 percent more on hot, humid days.

Formaldehyde, one of the most prevalent of toxic household chemicals, also is found in consumer products like fabric softener, glue, grocery bags, paper towels, facial tissue, shoe polish, some cosmetics and especially fingernail-hardening solutions. Experts aren’t sure how effective common household air purifiers are at removing these chemicals from the air, but they agree that houseplants do the job well.  Among the best low-tech air scrubbers?  Philodendron, spider plant, golden pothos, Boston fern, peace lily, areca and bamboo palm, weeping fig, Chinese evergreen and ivy (grape and English).  Two potted plants per 100 square feet has been shown by scientists at NASA to effectively clean and refresh indoor air, with placement best in regular breathing zones (near desk or bed, etc.). Good ventilation is crucial to maintaining lower levels of pollution.  [Top]

w Industrial and other chemicals.  On-the-job chemical exposure has been shown as a factor in cancer among domestic workers, exterminators, farmers and house painters, as well as workers in beauty salons, chemical and dye plants, furniture and cabinet-making shops, hospitals, laundries, service stations/garages, scientific labs, textile mills, wood-processing plants and airplane, machinery, metals, plastics and shoe manufacturing.  Exposures extend, with the use of paints, dyes, pigments, pesticides and chlorinated solvents, not only to the worker, but to his or her children (born and yet unborn), particularly in the case of leukemia and brain cancer.  [Top]

w Outdoor air, chemical pollution.  Caution: Breathing may be hazardous to your health.  A 1998 report published by the EPA concluded that 100 percent of the outdoor air in the continental United States is contaminated with eight cancer-causing industrial chemicals at levels that exceed its own "benchmark" safety standards. Using 1990 data on toxic industrial emissions, the EPA applied well-known mathematical models to estimate year-round average outdoor air concentrations for 148 industrial poisons in each of the nation's 60,803 census tracts---and found that levels of eight poisons exceed safety levels at all times in all places. All eight chemicals are carcinogens: bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, ethylene dibromide, ethylene dichloride, formaldehyde and methyl chloride.   

What’s worse, the report went on to say that these models probably underestimate the true levels to which the population is exposed, and that levels are at least this high---and probably higher---indoors. This is sobering news, but not nearly the full story for those of us in Southern California, where air “quality” ranks as the worst in the nation.  For how we stack up, see http://www.scorecard.org/env-releases/county.tcl?fips_ county_ code=06059#major_chemical_releases  It might be wise to reconsider strenuous outdoor activity on smoggy days, and good to hit the AC re-circulate button when commuting in traffic. [Top]                       

w Pesticides.  Not just a population center, but also a major agricultural producer, California uses one-fourth of all pesticides in the United States. Household pesticides are increasingly implicated in cancer, especially childhood cancers. A study at USC showed that household pesticide use before and during pregnancy, or while nursing, significantly increased the risk of non-Hodgkins lymphoma Use of known cancer-causing pesticides in the state increased 127 percent between 1991 and 1995, but dropped back slightly after 2002.

The risks of childhood brain cancer and leukemia are associated especially strongly with the use of flea and tick collars on pets, pesticide "bombs," no-pest strips and head lice shampoos made with the chemical lindane (banned in California).  Lesser (although still strong) links are made with pesticide applications to control termites, garden insecticides, and herbicides used to control weeds. The impact of pesticides on unborn children is so great that animal tests show small single doses on a critical day of development can result in brain damage.  The risk for leukemia increases by four to seven times for children 10 and under whose parents use home or garden pesticides, according to a USC study. (Pets and shoes can also carry pesticides into the home from outdoors, where they remain on carpets.) Pesticides additionally are linked to cancers of the female breast, the prostate, stomach and lymph system (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma).   

Consumption of non-organic fruits and vegetables, particularly in baby food contaminated with high concentrations of multiple residues of carcinogenic pesticides, poses major risks of childhood cancer, besides delayed cancers in adult life.  Organic baby food is available from Earth’s Best, Healthy Times and Well Fed Baby (online and now at many commercial markets). 

Safer anti-pest strategies include keeping all foods tightly covered, sprinkling boric acid and pepper in strategic places (in the back of cupboards, along the inside of crawlspace walls) and using cedar chips and herbal sachets to deter moths in closets and drawers. For flea-free pets, feeding them small amounts of brewer's yeast or rubbing their fur with cloves, citrus, eucalyptus oil or pennyroyal also can work.  A line of more natural pet products can be found at www.onlynaturalpet.com/Natural_Treatments_for_Dog_Cat_Flea_Tick_Control_s/80.html

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Check it Out; Keep in Touch -- Part 4