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Nail Polish, Painter Syndrome and Hazardous Waste
By The Editors In a previous post, we talked about the toxic substances that may be present in lipstick. Now, let’s take a look at nail polish. Nail polish may contain toxic chemicals potentially able to cause poisoning and Painter Syndrome. According to MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the poisonous ingredients that may be found in nail polish are toluene, butyl acetate, ethyl acetate, and dibutyl phthalate (this list may not be all-inclusive). MedlinePlus states that: “Swallowing or breathing in (inhaling) nail polish may lead to nail polish poisoning. Some people intentionally sniff nail polish to become intoxicated (drunk) by the fumes. Over time these people,…
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Lipstick and Heavy Metals
By The Editors Cosmetics are all around us. They have been used for thousands of years. Are they safe? Without discussing the general/global issue of cosmetics safety, we want to bring up something about one of the most used cosmetics worldwide: lipsticks. Although in the last century lipstick use was most prevalent in the Western world, its use is now a global phenomenon. And now, it seems lipsticks contain a potentially unhealthy dose of toxic heavy metals. What are heavy metals? They are high atomic weight elements that exhibit, at room temperature, the properties of a metallic substance. Minute amounts of some heavy metals, including cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, strontium,…
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Electronic Waste and the Global Toxic Trade
By The Editors Here we go with another major source of pollution and serious negative health effects: e-waste, which-stands for electronic waste – also called e-scrap. Electronic waste may be defined as discarded computers (desktop, laptop, computer monitors, etc.), office electronic equipment (printers, scanners, fax machines, etc.), entertainment device electronics, mobile phones, television sets, refrigerators, and more. To make things easier and avoid long lists, we can safely say that e-waste is about anything that works with a cord or a battery — or it’s connected to something with a cord or battery (think for example computer mice, or keyboards). As technology changes come by very rapidly in great acceleration-style, the…
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Lead Poisoning Epidemics and Outbreaks: A Global Problem
By The Editors When we think epidemics, we think infectious pathogens. However, there are other epidemics – one of them is the lead epidemic. Lead poisoning accounts for at least 0.6% of the global burden of disease (WHO, 2009). The Blacksmith Institute considers lead pollution one of the world’s worst pollution problems. In much of the Western world, the problem is almost contained. However, in countries with little regulation, there are devastating lead epidemics and, at times, lead outbreaks. Lead is a toxic, naturally occurring heavy metal found in small amounts in the earth’s crust. Because of its abundance, low cost, and physical properties, lead and lead compounds have been used in…
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Toxic Hot Spots: A Global Health Threat
By The Editors Toxic Hot Spots are areas where the concentration of toxic substances, which may be present in water, soil or air, is significantly higher than background levels. In these areas, the risk of adverse health effects is elevated. Toxic hot spots are often located in the vicinity of landfills, car battery recycling sites, sewage treatment plants, refineries, tanneries, mines, and numerous other operations. Living nearby these sites may cause serious adverse affects, as for example cancer and retardation in children.. We usually think of infectious diseases as the major global health problem. However, a new study by Kevin Chatham-Stephens and collaborators, published this month in Environmental Health Perspectives, shows that living near a toxic hot spot may…
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The Global Environmental Impact of Clothes Production
By The Editors Sandblasting is not all. Textile factories use dyes that have a huge environmental and human health impact. In this video, you can see a dye-blue river in China. You can also see Indian children with grey hair – one of the effects of pesticides used in cotton fields. Follow a T-shirt journey around the globe: The T-shirt may travel through three continents to go from cotton balls to wearable fashion.
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Global Shortage of Baby Formula
By The Editors Chinese families — aware of the dangers posed by baby formula contaminated with melamine and other harmful substances — prefer to buy brands produced and sold in other countries. That is, if they can afford it. Many can. The increasing demand from Chinese families has resulted in the current global shortages and subsequent imposed limits on purchases. In January, the New Zealand Food Safety Authority started to investigate the online trade in China of Kiwi-made baby formula. At about the same time, Woolworths – a chain of Australian supermarkets – limited sales of all baby formula to four tins per transaction. And, in February, the Hong Kong’s government set limits…
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The Blue Jean Distressed Look: Sandblasting Versus Eco-Aging
By The Editors Sandblasting is used to make new blue jeans look distressed. Unfortunately, sandblasting kills people. In 2011, a rigorous study published in the journal Chest showed that formerly healthy young people exposed to silica sand, used in the sandblasting of jeans, developed silicosis — a disabling and potentially fatal lung disease for which there is no cure. The young people either became disabled or died. According to the American Lung Association, “Silicosis is a lung disease caused by inhaling tiny bits of silica. Silica is a common mineral that is part of sand, rock and mineral ores like quartz. People who work in jobs where they could breathe in…
