MetaEfficient Reviews » Toxic Chemicals

Ozone Generators: Effectively Deodorize Rooms and Purify Water

Justin — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:47:51 +0000

One of the simplest and most inexpensive ways to purify water is to bubble ozone through it. Ozone is a molecule made of three oxygen atoms ( O₃₎. It disinfects water very effectively, through a process called oxidation. Ozone ruptures the cellular structure of organisms, killing them. It also oxides toxic organic chemicals, minerals and metals by reducing them to their insoluble form, so that they can be filtered out. This means it neutralizes most of the compounds that cause odor and off-tastes. Note, however, that ozonation does not remove nitrates, sulfates or heavy metals (see my article on water filters to find how to remove these). (more…)

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Inexpensive, Non-Toxic Solvent: Washing Soda

Justin — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 00:41:12 +0000

Washing soda is an efficient substitute for conventional toxic solvents. It cuts grease, cleans petroleum oil, removes wax, and neutralizes odors in the same way that baking soda does. Washing soda is sodium carbonate — it is in the same family as baking soda, but it has been processed differently. It is much more caustic/alkaline, with a pH of 11, and while it doesn’t give off harmful fumes, you do need to wear gloves. Don’t use it on fiberglass, aluminum or waxed floors — unless you intend to remove the wax. Washing soda can be found at most supermarkets.

The book Better Basics For the Home has many other non-toxic recipes and suggestions.

Via: Care2

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A Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides

Justin — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 18:52:31 +0000

Consumer Reports recently published a guide (subscription required) detailing which fruit and vegetables contain the most pesticides. They recommend always buying organic when purchasing the following fruits and vegetables: Bell Peppers, Celery, Cherries, Grapes (imported), Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Potatoes, Red Raspberries, Spinach and Strawberries. Their report was based on the free Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides created by the EWG (Environmental Working Group).

Also available is a downloadable wallet guide to produce. It lists the 12 popular fresh fruits and vegetables that are consistently the most contaminated with pesticides and those 12 fruits and vegetables that have low levels of pesticides.

Food News: A Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides

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How To Grow Fresh Air

Justin — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 11:50:58 +0000

Author B.C. Wolverton originally began his research to investigate creating a breathable environment for a NASA lunar habitat. What came of that research was the discovery that houseplants are the most efficient filters of common pollutants such as ammonia, formaldehyde and benzene. (See our list of the top plants for cleaning the air).

In this well laid-out book, Wolverton presents 50 plants that are ranked on removal of chemical vapors, ease of maintenance, resistance to insect infestation, and transpiration rate. Each plant gets a two-page spread — one page discusses the plant’s ideal environment, sunlight conditions, care, and general information about the plant along with a full photo of it. The next page has a zoomed-in full-page photo of the leaves and/or flowers so the reader gets a feel for what the plant looks like.

How To Grow Fresh Air is available from Amazon for $12.24.

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Anti-Metaefficient: PBDE: A Poison That Is Now Everywhere

Justin — Sun, 27 Mar 2005 17:54:19 +0000

PBDE (polybrominated diphenyl) is a toxic flame retardant used in many products, including computer cases, carpet pads and foam cushions in chairs and couches.

This recent article in the The Oregonian sums up the problems for humans:

Research has shown that the levels of PBDEs in American women are doubling every two to five years. Even low-level exposure, particularly for developing infants, poses some risks to brain development, hormone functioning, memory, learning and behavior.

It’s nearly impossible to create a PBDE-free environment if the chemicals remain in broad use. However, European nations that have banned forms of PBDEs have seen the chemicals decline in the environment and in women’s breast milk. California, Hawaii, New York, Michigan and Maine all have restricted these chemicals.

They article goes on to point out that PBDEs can be replaced fairly easily:

It’s also clear that the use of the chemicals is not essential to fire safety, or to manufacturers of electronics and furniture. Many electronics companies — including Intel, Hewlett-Packard and Epson — have stopped using PBDEs in the face of the European Union restrictions. With California restricting the chemicals, Washington moving to do so and companies adjusting to bans elsewhere…

The Environmental Working Group says:

PBDEs are now found in house dust, sewage sludge and the water and sediments of rivers, estuaries and oceans. They’ve been found in the tissues of whales, seals, birds and bird eggs, moose, reindeer, mussels, eels, and dozens of species of freshwater and marine fish. Like scores of other industrial chemicals, they have also been found in human breast milk, fat and blood.

…[I]n the last few years, it has become clear that PBDEs and other brominated flame retardants have joined PCBs, DDT and dioxin on the list of persistent, bioaccumulative chemicals contaminating people, animals and the environment everywhere on Earth.

Why do we even consider using chemicals like this in the first place?

Worldwide, only eight companies manufacture PBDEs. Two of the largest are in the U.S. — they are Great Lakes Chemical Corporation and Albemarle Corporation.

In 2002, Great Lakes reported total sales for all products of $1.4 billion, up 4 percent from the previous year. Albermarle reported sales of $980 million, up 7 percent.

More details: here is a FAQ on PDBEs by the Washington State Department of Ecology.

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Not Efficient: Pharmaceutical Drugs Found In Rivers, Tap Water

Justin — Tue, 14 Sep 2004 17:50:08 +0000

A variety of pharmaceuticals have been found to be present in rivers and tap water in the U.S.

The drugs include painkillers, tranquilizers, anti-depressants, antibiotics, birth control pills, estrogen replacement therapies, chemotherapy agents, anti-seizure medications and many others.

The pharmaceuticals are found in treated sewage effluents, surface waters, soil, and tap water, though at very low levels (measured in parts per trillion). These levels do not induce acute effects in humans, but have been found to affect aquatic ecosystems.

Water treatment plants are not set up to filter these chemicals. They find their way into the water when people or animals taking medications excrete them, in addition to people who flush medications into the toilet. In some cases, 50 to 90% of a pharmaceutical drug is excreted from the body in its original biologically active form.

Even if you drink bottled water or filter your water, you come into contact with municipal water through activities such as brushing your teeth or consuming beverages and foods that have been produced using municipal water. To avoid this, we recommed installing a rainwater catchment system for your house, and purchasing food and beverages of known quality.

In 2002, hydrologists with the U.S. Geologic Survey released the first nationwide government study about medicine and hormones, such as estrogen and other organic waste in streams around the United States.

They found low levels of 82 chemicals. The most common were steroids, such as cholesterol, nonprescription drugs, insect repellant, detergent chemicals and disinfectants.

Kelly A. Reynolds, a research scientist at the University of Arizona, writes: “The truth is, no one knows [the effects of pharmaceuticals and similar contaminants in the water]. Some scientists believe the exposure levels are so low they’re ineffective. Others are concerned about long-term, chronic and combined exposures to agents designed to cause a physiological effect in humans. Many more scientists agree we should be concerned about aquatic ecosystems where sperm levels and spawning patterns in aquatic organisms have been clearly altered in environments heavily polluted with a class of hormone-altering pharmaceuticals known as endocrine disrupters.”

More information can be found in these articles: Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water Supplies and Hormones and pharmaceutical drugs found in wastewater in California.

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Teflon: Strong Indications That It’s Toxic

Justin — Fri, 27 Aug 2004 17:13:14 +0000

Teflon contains a toxic chemical called C8 or PFOA which has been linked to cancer and birth defects in animals. Its effects have never been formally tested on humans.

The chemical, perfluorooctanoic acid, is a soaplike material. It is used to make many widely used products, such as non-stick cookware, fast food containers, clothing, Gortex outdoor gear, furniture, carpet treatments such as Stainmaster, cleaning products and even cosmetics.

It is part of a family of perfluorated chemicals, or PFCs, that have been detected in the blood of more than 90 percent of Americans and in Arctic Circle polar bears. Recently PFCs were detected in the Great Lakes, the source of drinking water for 33 million Americans and Canadians.

PFOA does not occur naturally, so researchers suspect that it is being spread either in the manufacturing process or in the gradual release of the chemical from products as they age and wear out.

Officials from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) have expressed mounting concern over PFOA because it has been found to contaminate human blood pervasively and does not appear to break down in the environment. In 2000, the EPA forced a chemical cousin of PFOA off the market. Known as PFOS, it was the original chemical ingredient in 3M’s Scotchgard products. PFOS has also been found almost universally in human blood, does not decay in the environment and is considered toxic.

The EPA has charged DuPont with illegally suppressing Teflon birth defect and water pollution studies for 22 years. Du Pont allegedly knew that the tap water at a community near a Teflon manufacturing site in West Virginia was contaminated, and that a woman working at the plant who was exposed to Teflon gave birth to a child with a facial defect.

Fluoropolymers, the class of plastics to which Teflon belongs, accounted for nearly $800 million of the company’s $24.1 billion in 2002 sales. Teflon, DuPont’s best-known brand, is worth considerably more through licensing to products that don’t necessarily contain the material but pay to use the name. DuPont doesn’t say how much money it gets from licensing the brand.

Further information on this issue can be found at the EWG web site, a Washington Post article, and news articles from the U.K., China and Canada.

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Not Very Meta-Efficient: Plastics

Justin — Sat, 31 Jul 2004 06:01:36 +0000

Plastics are not very meta-efficient. They are toxic to all forms of life, they don’t biodegrade. Practically all the plastic that’s even been made still exists – either in landfills or in places like the ocean. There are other materials that can often substitute for plastic such as ceramics or rubber. Bioplastic is also become a viable option.

In terms of toxicity and environmental damage, plastics can be arranged in a pyramid, starting from the worst at the top:

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and other halogenated plastics
Polyurethane (PU), Polystyrene (PS), Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), Polycarbonate (PC)
Polyethylene-terephthalate (PET)
Polyolefins (PE,PP, etc.)
Biobased Polymers (Bioplastics)

PVC plastic (vinyl) is the worst plastic for our health and for the environment because it is produced using chlorine, and it releases dioxins throughout its lifetime. Dioxin is one of the most toxic chemical ever produced. The EPA suggests that there is no safe level of dioxin exposure.

Also, because PVC is a hard and unusable material, chemicals must be added during manufacture — such as
phthalates (pronounced “thay-lates”). Unfortunately these chemicals leak out of the plastic easily. When children suck or chew PVC toys, they can end up ingesting these chemicals.

Here is a 2003 PVC Report Card on Kid’s Toys Manufacturers. Find out which toys are still produced with PVC. Disney products are some of the most hazardous out there. Here is a more extensive list in a PDF file.

Here is a guide to PVC alternatives.

Polycarbonate (#7 plastic) can also be quite toxic. It can release bisphenol A, a suspected hormone disruptor, into liquids and foods. In 1998, the Japanese government ordered manufacturers there to recall and destroy polycarbonate tableware meant for use by children because it contained excessive amounts of bisphenol A.

Polystyrene (#6 plastic) may leach styrene into food it comes into contact with. A recent study in Environmental Health Perspectives concluded that some styrene compounds leaching from food containers are estrogenic (meaning they can disrupt normal hormonal functioning). Styrene is also considered a possible human carcinogen by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.

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Chloramine

Justin — Thu, 29 Jul 2004 09:46:10 +0000

Recently, municipalities around the world have begun to use
chloramine (a mixture of chlorine and ammonia) to disinfect water. This
is done to reduce free chlorine’s ability to combine with organic matter
in the water thereby producing potentially harmful trihalomethanes, or
THMs. Because chloramine has less disinfecting ability than free chlorine,
a higher concentration of chlorine is usually used to get the same bacteria
kill rate. Yet chloramine’s harmful effects are the same
as pure chlorine, so the hazards while showering are greater.

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Chemicals Commonly Polluting Indoor Air

Justin — Thu, 29 Jul 2004 09:00:35 +0000

Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is a ubiquitous chemical found in virtually all indoor environments.
The major sources which have been reported and publicized include urea-formaldehyde
foam insulation (UFFI) and particle board or pressed wood products used
in manufacturing of the office furniture bought today. It is used in consumer
paper products which have been treated with UF resins, including grocery
bags, waxed papers, facial tissues and paper towels. Many common household
cleaning agents contain formaldehyde. UF resins are used as stiffeners,
wrinkle resisters, water repellents, fire retardants and adhesive binders
in floor coverings, carpet backings and permanent-press clothes. Other
sources of formaldehyde include heating and cooking fuels like natural
gas, kerosene, and cigarette smoke.

Formaldehyde irritates the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and throat.
It is also a highly reactive chemical which combines with protein and can
cause allergic contact dermatitis. The most widely reported symptoms from
exposure to high levels of this chemical include irritation of the eyes
and headaches. Until recently, the most serious of the diseases attributed
to formaldehyde exposure was asthma. However, the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has recently conducted research which has caused formaldehyde
to be strongly suspected of causing a rare type of throat cancer in long-term
occupants of mobile homes.

Benzene

Benzene is a very commonly used solvent and is also present in many common
items including gasoline, inks, oils, paints, plastics, and rubber. In
addition it is used in the manufacture of detergents, explosives, pharmaceuticals,
and dyes. Benzene has long been known to irritate the skin and eyes. In
addition, it has been shown to be mutagenic to bacterial cell culture and
has shown embryotoxic activity and carcinogenicity in some tests. Evidence
also exists that benzene may be a contributing factor in chromosomal aberrations
and leukemia in humans.

Repeated skin contact with benzene will cause drying, inflammation, blistering
and dermatitis. Acute inhalation of high levels of benzene has been reported
to cause dizziness, weakness, euphoria, headache, nausea, blurred vision,
respiratory diseases, tremors, irregular heartbeat, liver and kidney damage,
paralysis and unconsciousness. In animal tests inhalation of benzene led
to cataract formation and diseases of the blood and lymphatic systems.
Chronic exposure to even relatively low levels causes headaches, loss of
appetite, drowsiness, nervousness, psychological disturbances and diseases
of the blood system, including anemia and bone marrow diseases.

Trichloroethylene

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a commercial product found in a wide variety
of industrial uses. Over 90 percent of the TCE produced is used in the
metal degreasing and dry cleaning industries. In addition, it is used in
printing inks, paints, lacquers, varnishes, and adhesives. In 1975 the
National Cancer Institute reported that an unusually high incidence of
hepatocellular carcinomas was observed in mice given TCE by gastric intubation
and now considers this chemical a potent liver carcinogen.

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