Toxic Fashion

Toxic Fashion

Textile production is a dirty business. When we think about pollution, we tend to think of something that is far away from us. Even many 'healty lifestyle zealots' don't realize that both natural and synthetic fabrics are treated with nasty chemicals during and after processing. These chemicals affect not only the environment, but also humans who wear the finished product.

Many of the chemicals used in textiles are classified by the World Health Organization as moderately to extremely hazardous, and have been associated with genetic mutations, cancer, abnormal hormone levels, birth defects and reproductive problems.

Why are chemicals used in textile production?

Obviously, it's not easy to make thread from wood pulp or petrochemicals. Chemicals are used to make synthetic fibers suitable for spinning and weaving. Man-made dyes are used for colour. Formaldehyde compounds are applied to prevent shrinkage. Various synthetic chemicals are added to make clothing softer, wrinkle-free, fire-retardant, moth-repellent and stain-resistant.

It's time to check labels on your child's school uniform...

Chemicals which belong to the family of perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), otherwise known as non-stick, are being used in synthetic clothing to make it more durable and stain resistant. Unfortunately, many (if not most) school uniforms are made from 'non-iron' fabrics which include PFCs. PFCs have been classified as cancer-causing by the US Environmental Protection Agency. PFCs are incredibly resistant to breakdown and are turning up in unexpected places around the world - in wildlife species and humans worldwide.

Many non-governmental agencies demand action on reducing our dependence on dangerous chemicals and developing safer alternatives, especially in children's clothing. As I mentioned in my previous posts, children are especially vulnerable to hazardous chemicals due to their immature immune and liver detoxification systems.

How can you avoid health hazards associated with chemically treated textiles?

There are steps you can take to reduce your exposure to dangerous chemicals in clothing, especially when youngest lives are at stake:

# Go for natural fabrics made of cotton, linen, wool, silk or hemp.

# Avoid synthetic fabrics, especially those which are wrinkle-free, non-iron, fire, stain and static resistant, or moth repellent.

# Choose organic cotton when possible. Organic cotton can be affordable thanks to H&M and other companies which are more environmentally friendly.

# Avoid cheap clothing from 'bargain' stores. These are produced at high human and environmental cost.

# Wash and dry new clothes at least three times before you wear them. Avoid fabric conditioners. Opt for more eco-friendly and less chemically overloaded washing powders such as Ecover.

# For your little ones look out for Confidence in Textiles label. It's a global testing and accreditation scheme for the screening of harmful substances in consumer textiles.

Healthier and more affordable options

All clothes and underwear available in LIDL's bear Confidence in Textiles label. Children's pyjamas and underwear are much cheaper than from 'high street shops' and much safer.

H&M has just launched their 'Conscious' collection. For less than 20 euro I bought all these organic clothes for my little person:  

I believe that consumers have the power to induce changes in the textiles industry. Showing Toxic Fashion The Red Card is a good start. Will you join me?

How green are energy-saving bulbs?

Well, I admit, the picture to the left is somehow chilling, but how elase can I attract your attention in the cyber hum? :)

I have a good reason, though, so forgive me, my reader, and carry on to find out what I have 'dug out' for you today.

Mercury can be closer than you think. Not some 77 million kilometers away, but a few meters or even less. All thanks to the global movement to save the planet (sic!) by forceful introduction of compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL bulbs), commonly known as energy-saving bulbs. Many enviro-zealots (including myself) embraced this lovely bulb with a sigh of relief. The bad news was that this new friend of us has a very nasty side kept somehow secret from us, consumers.

What are CFL bulbs?

A CFL bulb is a type of fluorescent bulb. A fluorescent lamp is a gas-discharge lamp that uses electricity to excite mercury vapour to produce light. Compared to the 'old-fashioned' incandescent lamps, CFLs use less power and have a supposedly longer rated life.

So what is wrong with CFLs?

The M-word. MERCURY.  Most CFLs contain 3–5 mg per bulb, with the eco-friendly bulbs containing as little as 1 mg. Because mercury is poisonous, even these small amounts are a concern for landfills and waste incinerators where the mercury from lamps may be released and contribute to air and water pollution. In response to that concern, the amount of mercury used in CFLs is regulated by the RoHS law in the EU. Supporters of CFL bulbs argue that in areas with coal-fired power stations, the use of CFLs saves on mercury emissions when compared to the use of incandescent bulbs. This is due to the reduced electrical power demand, reducing in turn the amount of mercury released by coal as it is burned.

But that is only part of the story...

While no mercury is emitted when the CFL is intact or in use, according to the National Poisons Information Centre for Ireland, 'a small amount is vapourised when they break'. 'Although CFLs only contain a small amount of mercury, cleaning up breakages properly will prevent chronic (long-term) exposure to mercury.'

Health Effects from Mercury Vapour Exposure

The factors that determine how severe the health effects are from mercury vapour exposure include: the dose, the age of the person exposed (!!!), how long the exposure lasts.

 Short-term inhalation: cough, breathlessness, and chest tightness, within a few hours of exposure, flu-like symptoms with muscle pains and fever. 

Long-term inhalation of mercury vapour may cause damage to the central nervous system, kidney damage and stomach upsets.

Irish Guidelines on Cleaning Up a Broken CFL bulb

• DO NOT use a vacuum cleaner to clean up the breakage.
• Keep people and pets away from the breakage area until the cleanup is complete.
• Ventilate the area by opening windows, and leave the area for 15-30 minutes before returning to begin the cleanup. Mercury vapour levels will be lower by then.
• Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the sharp glass.
• Carefully remove the larger pieces of bulb and place them in a secure closed container e.g. a glass or plastic jar with a screw top or a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. If you don’t have a suitable container use a plastic bag.
• Use two stiff pieces of card such as index cards or playing cards to scoop up the smaller pieces and dust.
• Pat the area with the sticky side of masking tape or sticky tape, then wipe the area with a wet wipe or damp paper towel, to pick up fine particles.
• Put all waste and materials into the glass/plastic container, including all material used in the cleanup.
• Place the container holding the breakage and cleanup materials outdoors, out of reach of children, until you can bring it to your local authority WEEE re-cycling facility. Click here to find your nearest WEEE facility.
• Continue ventilating the room for several hours.
• Wash your hands and face.

Breakages on Carpet

If the break happens on carpeting, follow the instructions above.

• Open the window to the room during the next several times you vacuum the carpet to provide good ventilation. Keep the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming.
• When finished, remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag. Place the bag in your outdoor waste disposal bin.

What is wrong with these guidelines?

The guidelines are a copy and paste duplication of revised guidelines by The Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Except for two important details: the use of plastic bags for safe disposal of mercury and the breakage of CFL bulb on the carpet. Read on to find out how easy it is to manipulate public awareness with deleting a few 'inconvenient' lines.  

A report by The Maine DEP in 2008 found out that, despite following best-practice cleanup guidelines on broken CFLs, researchers were unable to remove mercury from carpet. This  has particular significance for children rolling around on a floor, babies crawling, or non mobile infants placed on the floor. In addition, the study warned that the recommendation of plastic bags was the worst choice, as vapors well above safe levels continued to leach from the bags. The report recommends homeowners to consider removing throw rugs or the area of the carpet where the breakage occured as a precaution, praticularly if the rug is in the area frequented by infants, small children or pregnant women. If it is not possible to remove the carpet, hoovering it while ventilating the room is advised.

Why am I concerned as a consumer?

Special handling instructions for breakage are currently not printed on the packaging of household CFL bulbs in many countries. Most people I have spoken with since were not aware of any danger associated with using CFL bulbs. Finally, it is unclear what the exact health risks are from exposure to low levels of elemental mercury, especially for sensitive populations. I would also like to find out from the author of the Irish Guidelines on CFL Clean-up Procedure, P Casey, what makes her or him to misinform Irish society by arbitrary omission of vital information. (Postriptum. I have contacted Ms Casey and she assured me that she will look into updating the guidelines. A small step in the right direction!)

Teaching through fun is a very efficient method. Mindful of that, I would like to brighten up your day by this hillarious video which shows how easy it is to follow the guidelines for cleaning up a broken CFL bulb. I hope it will make you laugh histerically :)

Is there a better alternative?

The good news is that there IS.

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) present many advantages including lower energy consumption, longer lifetime, improved robustness, smaller size, faster switching, and greater durability and reliability. LEDs are powerful enough for room lighting. The main disadvantage is their relatively higher cost. Unsurprisingly, their availability on the Irish market is limited, but there are excellent retailers in UK who ship the bulbs at much lower cost.

This is the supplier that I used to buy my LED bulbs. I was very happy with their efficient serivce:
The UK Supplier of LED bulbs

Other useful links:

Guidelines by EWG

Guidelines by The Maine Department of Environmental Protection

Baby Shampoo Should Be Safe. Not Toxic.

Whether we like it or not, our bodies are continuously exposed to hundreds of industrial chemicals. It may be shocking for an unsuspecting loving parent that a newborn baby is pre-polluted with as many as 300 industrial chemicals in their bodies (source: EWG).

Tests carried out by Environmental Working Group have identified 455 industrial chemicals in people, and again, no one really knows if these exposures are safe. Scientific research timidly associates the pollution in people with a range of serious diseases and conditions which I will resist mentioning, but we all know what I'm talking about here. While our knowledge about the links between chemical exposure and human disease grows, the government agencies always seem to be a few 7-mile steps behind the chemical industry with regard to ensuring consumers' safety. In addition, in its recently updated cancer risk guidelines, the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that babies are 10 to 65 times more vulnerable to cancer-causing chemicals than adults.


No More Toxic Tub!

Children’s bath products are often marketed as safe and gentle. However, a report by the American Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found these products are commonly contaminated with formaldehyde or 1,4-dioxane – and, in many cases, both. These two chemicals, linked to cancer and skin allergies, are anything but safe and gentle. 61% of the children’s bath products tested for this report contained both formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane. Popular products that contained both contaminants include: Johnson’s Baby Shampoo and L'Oreal Kids Shampoo. Aveeno Baby Wash range contained various levels of 1,4-dioxane. Some of the products tested (82%) contained formaldehyde at levels ranging from 54 to 610 parts per million (ppm). Formaldehyde, see my previous post on its controversy, is banned from personal care products in Japan and Sweden. The European Union limits formaldehyde concentration in cosmetics to 0.2% (2,000 ppm), and requires that personal care products containing formaldehyde or formaldehyde-releasing ingredients be labeled with the warning "contains formaldehyde" if the concentration of formaldehyde in the product exceeds 0.05% (500 ppm). Luckily, The European Union bans 1,4-dioxane from personal care products at any level.

Children: Not Just Little Adults

Several factors contribute to children’s exceptional vulnerability to the harmful effects of chemicals: 
Children are less able than adults to detoxify and excrete chemicals (in most cases).
Children’s developing organ systems are more vulnerable to damage from chemical exposures.
Children have more years of future life in which to develop disease triggered by early exposure.


Using a contaminated product once is unlikely to cause harm, but when used repeatedly and in combination with numerous other products, can add up to harm. Advertising claims appeal to parent’s desire to be gentle and loving to their children, but with so many ingredients of concern, parents need to look twice before they buy.

Check the baby product here in the Skin Deep Database before you buy it.

 Common Ingredients Likely to Be Contaminated with 1,4-dioxane: Peg-100 stearate, Sodium laureth sulfate, Polyethylene, Ceteareth-20.

Common Ingredients Likely to Be Contaminated with Formaldehyde: Quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, Imidazolidinyl urea, Diazolidinyl urea, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate.

Toxic Beauty

Your cosmetics are covering up a dirty little secret...
         
According to research carried out a few years ago by Bionsen, a cosmetics manufacturer, an average woman applies up to 515 synthetic chemicals to her body every single day. Sounds impossible? Let's have a look then... An average shampoo contains around 15 chemicals, hairspray -  11, deodorant - 15, body lotion - 32, foundation - 24, blusher 16, eyeshadow - 26, lipstick - 33, nail varnish - 31, perfume -250.

As I mentioned in my previous posts, there are laws designed to protect consumers from dangerous chemicals in cosmetics. However, few people realize that there are a number of impurities found in the raw materials or used in the manufacturing process which occasionally might end up in the finished product, especially in bad-quality ones.  Obviously, the toiletries industry insists that cosmetics are safe (surprise, surprise!), and that the number of ingredients in a product, or whether it is natural or man-made, has no bearing on how safe it is. They also claim that chemicals in cosmetics are used in safe doses that can't harm us. What constitutes a safe dose for an average person, might not be so safe for a sensitive adult or child. Not to mention the cumulative effect of so many chemicals being used all over the body every day, for many years.

How you can protect yourself from chemical overload

• Reduce overall cosmetics use
• Switch to natural or organic products (A word of precaution - NATURAL on the label does not necessarily mean that the product is natural.)
• Read the labels on your beauty products with care  

Here is a list of Dirty Dozen Cosmetic Chemicals to Avoid.
A handy shopper's guide that can be easily folded and carried in the wallet.

Easier said than done, I know, but it's do-able and quite enjoyable. Using beauty products consciously and mindfully can be a source of great joy. My personal journey of 'detoxifying' my body started over two years ago and since then I have been enjoying natural beauty products. I don't remember the exact day I decided to stop using commercial synthetic cosmetics, but what I do remember is that I didn't wait until my cosmetics finish. I gave them away or threw them in the bin,  and decided to make a fresh start! 

The most comprehensive source of information on cosmetics potential (un)safety is, in my opinion, Cosmetics Database by the Environmental Working Group*. It's a very useful tool, and most importantly, easy to use.

Reducing overall cosmetics use is not easy. It requires change of the whole mindset from trusting and unsuspecting to discerning and critical. Whether we realize it or not, a lot of effort is being invested to make us, customers, consumers, citizens, trust and believe what we hear and see in public media. Mass media, in turn, create the norm, the usual, the average, the standard and tries to silence any inner voice of doubt.

'If everybody is using it, it must be safe.' 'If it was unsafe, the government would do something about it.' These are most common comments I hear in response to my publicly expressed concerns about cosmetics safety. It makes me wonder where this trusting, innocent, unsuspicious, callow, gullible, childlike attitude comes from in this rather violent world...

* The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is an American environmental organisation that specializes in environmental research and advocacy in the area of toxic chemicals. EWG is a non-profit organisation whose mission is "to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment." EWG was founded in 1993 by Ken Cook and Richard Wiles and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States.

Cosmetics Database

The Women's Environmental Network

David Suzuki Foundation

Turn Off the Red Light

Finally, prositution in Ireland is gaining some attention. Tony Bates, the founding director of Headstrong, talks in The Irish Times about the new campain Turn Off the Red Light aiming to end prostitution and sex trafficking in Ireland. It is being run by a new alliance of civil society organisations. There is no doubt that trafficking women and girls for the purposes of sexual exploitation is a modern, global form of slavery. The campainers believe that, based on the Swedish example, the best way to combat the demand for prostitution is by criminalising the purchase of sex.

Full Article in The Irish Times can be read here.


After watching the following videos, even those who might still have some doubts on the issue of forced prostitution will most likely abandon them...


The Journey by Richard Jobson and Emma Thompson

To gain more insight into the world of sex trade, you might want to read  The Natashas: Inside the New Global Sex Trade by Victor Malarek. If you have any doubt whether prostituttion in Ireland exists, visit one of the busiest websites where all 'punters', as the clients like to call themselves, go for information such as which girl is best, how much she costs and, most shockingly, they even leave reviews and rate the girls according to their level of satisfaction. You will find there that the most prolific escort client is MrFussy, who left more than 150 reviews so far. The most rated 'female escort' is JessicaJessy with 166 reviews so far. Unsurprisngly, most girls 'advertised' on the website claim to come from countries which are not normally associated with forced prostitution.

What you can do


Visit Turn Off the Red Light and take action. You can help lobby your local TDs on the issue. I have contacted a number of my local TDs and quite a few of them DID reply to me! So why don't you give it a go?

"A journey of a thousand miles began with a single step."

Attributed to Lao-tzu (c 604-c 531 bc), founder of Taoism.

Toxic Air

Shutting the front door behind you after a long day on earth may not necessarily give you the comfort you need. Where does your mind take you when I say 'air pollution'? ..........factories? busy mothrways? centres of bustling cities?

What about your sitting room? Your bedroom?

According to a recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report on selected indoor pollutants public awareness of air pollution in houses and offices is far behind that of outdoor pollutants. The report looks at the levels of chemicals in indoor air and what harm they can do. Understanding these chemicals is the first step in avoiding harm.

“We should look more carefully at what is going on in the indoor environment,” says James McLaughlin, a physicist at University College Dublin. Some products within buildings can be a source of pollutants, he says, and can cause long-term harm.

Chemicals which were a focus of the report include: benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, naphthalene, nitrogen dioxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, radon, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene.

Not everyone is equally susceptible to these gases. According to the report individuals vary widely in their response to exposure to chemicals. "Each person has a pre-existing status – defined by, for example, age, sex, pregnancy, pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, genetic make-up and lifestyle."

Let's have a closer look at one of the pollutants.
Benzene

Indoor sources   

Benzene is a genotoxic carcinogen in humans and no safe level of exposure can be recommended. Benzene in indoor air can originate from outdoor air and also from sources indoors such as building materials and furniture, carpets, paints, attached garages, heating and cooking systems, stored solvents and various human activities. It’s also in tobacco smoke. Indoor concentrations are also affected by climatic conditions and the air exchange rate due to forced or natural ventilation.

Pathways of exposure

Inhalation accounts for more than 95–99% of the benzene exposure of the general population, whereas intake from food and water consumption is minimal. A study carried out in the United Kingdom estimated a daily dose of benzene of 70–75 μg/day for rural non-smokers and 89–5 μg/day for urban non-smokers. Most of the children’s exposures were produced in the home. The daily dose rose to 116–22 μg/day for urban passive smokers and to over 500 μg/day for urban smokers.

Another European study estimated a daily inhaled benzene dose of 102 μg/day, where 36%, 32%, 2% and 30% of the exposure was attributed to indoor home, indoor work, outdoor and in transit, respectively. Indoor concentrations measured in offices are generally higher than those measured in residential buildings, owing to the presence of sources such as photocopiers and printers. Mean concentrations in discotheques/clubs and pbus are genereally higher than in restaurants and other public spaces.

Relatively high benzene concentrations indoors have been attributed to sources such as incense burning, with benzene concentrations peaking at up to 117 μg/m3; new buildings (e.g. up to 30 μg/m3); attached garages (e.g. 16–19 μg/m3); tobacco smoke (e.g. 16–193 μg/m3); cleaning (e.g. 13 μg/m3); painting (e.g. 9–13 000 μg/m3) and using a kerosene stove (e.g. 166 μg/m3).

What you can do to minimaze the exposure

There are basic measures you can take to help yourself, your family.

• Ventilate your house very well every day. It's not a good idea to make your house airtight.
• Minimaze the amount of synthetic cleaning products. Lemon, soda and vinegar are the best and safest cleaning products.
• New materials and products can give off the chemical for months, especially when high temperatures are combined with high humidity. Be mindful of that.
• Avoid products with volatile organic compounds if possible.
• Ventilate the car before you get in.
• Don't smoke at home.
• Avoid burning incense at home.

Irish Times article on indoor pollutants

Lead in 'fake' jewellery - a word of precaution for parents

Children may be exposed to lead when they suck or unintentionally ingest jewellery. In general, the adverse health effects of lead are severe and children are more vulnerable than adults to the effects it can have on the central nervous system.

Lead and its compounds are used in jewellery for its specific properties and for economical reasons. Lead makes fashion jewellery items heavier and they thus appear to be more “precious”. The use of some lead compounds in coatings gives the jewellery a metallic aspect to the surface and provides shades of colour. Lead is dense and easy to shape and to work with and it allows for welding and soldering. In jewellery, lead is mainly used in copper/lead alloy and in tin/lead alloy (also called “white metal”) with a content of lead of 6% on average. These alloys can be surface treated with rhodium, palladium, gold and silver.

Lead-free alloys are already available on the market for application in fashion jewellery. They usually contain tin, bismuth, copper and silver in replacement of lead. Lead does not normally migrate from jewellery made of crystal glass or treated stones. Precious jewellery is not expected to contain lead and its compounds.

In order to protect children from exposure to lead, France proposed that the use of lead and its compounds in the production of jewellery and the placing of such articles on the EU market should be restricted.

Full text 

Source: European Chemical Agency

EU Legislation on Chemical Safety

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