The Weekly Toxic Times
From the Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health
News highlights for the week of Friday, November 23, 2007 (delayed due to Thanksgiving holiday)
plus news for November 24-26, 2007
A recap of the top stories on toxins in Michigan, National, and International news.
Michigan News
New flame retardants show up in wildlife
Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s The Environment Report, Monday, Nov., 19, 2007
Discusses and provides a link to a recent study on the levels of chemicals used as flame retardants, including PBDEs, in the eggs of gulls.
http://www.environmentreport.org/story.php3?story_id=3740
Study: low lead levels still dangerous
Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s The Environment Report, Monday, Nov., 26, 2007
Discusses and provides a link to a recent study indicating that low lead levels affect brain functioning.
http://www.environmentreport.org/story.php3?story_id=3752
U.S.’s top toxic site here?
Saginaw News, Friday, Nov. 23, 2007
A top government scientist says a toxic ''hot spot'' found in the Saginaw River near Wickes Park in Saginaw could represent the highest level of dioxin contamination ever recorded in the nation's river and lake systems…”
http://www.mlive.com/news/saginawnews/index.ssf?/base/
news-24/1195831284140010.xml&coll=9
Troublesome toys: Recalls and lead alarm consumers
Lansing State Journal, Monday, Nov. 26, 2007
Article discusses Delhi Township meeting sponsored by Representative Barb Byrum, recent actions by the federal government, and recent toy recalls.
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071126/NEWS01/711260337
Scary recalls, lack of federal inspections make it a difficult time to buy toys
Bay City Times, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2007
Article focuses on lack of action by Consumer Product Safety Commission and includes comments of Representative Dale Kildee that government needs to take more steps to ensure our toys are safe.
http://www.mlive.com/news/bctimes/index.ssf?/base/
news-10/1195989359142570.xml&coll=4
Consumers look to homefront to get safer toys
Muskegon Chronicle, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2007
Article discusses how few American-made toys exist and highlights a local Michigan company, Carrom Company.
http://www.mlive.com/news/chronicle/index.ssf?/base/
news-13/119538450689770.xml&coll=8
Mom sees red over recall
Saginaw News, Monday, Nov. 26, 2007
Article discusses website created by a Michigan resident that lists American- and European-made toys.
http://www.mlive.com/news/saginawnews/index.ssf?/base/
news-24/119609042535870.xml&coll=9
National News
Articles that mention upcoming HealthyToys.org website release:
The Season to be Wary
Newsweek, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2007
Article discusses what parents should do to avoid toys that may potentially harm children and refers readers to December 5 release of healthy toys website.
http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/tipsheet/archive/2007/11/24/techbiz_2F00_projectgreen.aspx
Safety dance: Why, and how, to avoid lead-tainted products for kids
Metroactive, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2007
Article discusses the dangers of lead in toys and how to avoid toys with lead. Article refers readers to upcoming release of healthy toys website (indicates release will be on December 4).
http://www.metroactive.com/metro-santa-cruz/11.21.07/cover-0747.html
Essential holiday shopping guide for finding safe toys
Associated Content, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2007
Article provides a list of places to locate safe toys and refers readers to December 5 release of healthy toys website.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/452018/essential_holiday_shopping_guide_for.html?page=2
Toys ranked by hazardous chemicals: A must see before holiday shopping
Blog: Holler for Your Health!, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2007
Entry refers to toy testing by the Ecology Center in conjunction with other environmental groups.
http://holler4health.wordpress.com/category/parenting/
Additional articles:
CU study: Lead levels even well below U.S. standard may affect brain function in children
Cornell University Chronicle Online, Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2007
“Even very small amounts of lead in children's blood – amounts well below the current federal standard – are associated with reduced IQ scores, finds a new, six-year Cornell study…”
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Nov07/lead.brain.damage.sl.html
Lead in toys sparks lawsuit
LA Times, Monday, Nov. 19, 2007
“The California attorney general and Los Angeles city attorney filed a lawsuit today against Mattel Inc., Toys R Us Inc. and 18 other companies, accusing them of making or selling products that contain "unlawful quantities of lead…”
California sues 20 companies for toys with unlawful amounts of lead
San Francisco Chronicle, Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2007
“California Attorney General Jerry Brown has sued 20 companies, including Mattel Inc. and Toys R Us, accusing them of selling toys that contain unlawful amounts of lead and failing to warn the public of the health dangers. Brown's lawsuit, filed Monday in Alameda County Superior Court, alleges that the companies violated the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, a voter-approved law passed as Proposition 65, because they didn't notify customers of toys in the marketplace that contained high concentrations of lead…”
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/11/20/MNRITFISE.DTL
Danger in the dust: Toxic flame retardants lurking in every home?
Fox News, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2007
“Cat food, house dust, human breast milk, televisions, and sperm whales all have one thing in common: They are laced with a group of flame retardants known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers or PBDEs…”
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,312641,00.html
New data on widely used flame retardant
American Chemical Society’s Environmental Science and Technology, Wednesday, Nov, 21, 2007
“Two new research papers published in ES&T document that the commonly used flame retardant Dechlorane Plus (DP) is found (DOI: 10.1021/es072039a) in the atmosphere of Europe and Asia, as well as North America, and present the first evidence (DOI: 10.1021/es0710104, to be published next week) that it is breaking down in the environment…”
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/nov/science/kb_treebark.html
Groups expose hidden toy hazards
Washington Post, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2007
Discusses recent toy testing by the Center for Environmental Health and the US Public Interest Research Group.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/20/AR2007112000605.html
Are your products safe? You can’t tell
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2007
“Take a look at your shoes, your shampoo, your carpet. Your baby's bottles, even the dental sealants in your mouth. These products contain chemicals that disrupt the natural way hormones work inside of you…”
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=689731
Safe toy shopping tips
San Francisco Chronicle, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2007
Article lists web links and recent articles published by the Chronicle on toxins in kids products. Article also provides a guides for parents for avoiding toxins in toys and lists information about three toxins – phthalates, lead, and bisphenol A.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/21/
BAleadtests21.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea
CPSC delivers the ABCs of toy safety
Consumer Product Safety Commission News Release, Tuesday, Nov., 20, 2007
The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s 2007 toy-buying guide – mentioned in many of the above articles. The guide does not offer tips regarding chemicals.
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08086.html
Kmart items marked safe had lead
New York Times, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2007
“Kmart said yesterday that it would remove all jewelry advertised as “lead free” from its shelves after workers at lead monitoring programs who tested the pieces found that some actually contained high concentrations of the metal…”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/17/business/17lead.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Toxins found in body prompt changes in lifestyle
KTVZ, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2007
Article discusses changes Oregonians have made to their diets and habits after receiving information on the levels of chemicals in their body from the Pollution in People study.
http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=7398300
International News
Call for ban on chemical in baby bottles
The Star (Ontario, Canada), Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2007
“The provincial government is establishing a panel of experts to examine what to do about a potentially carcinogenic chemical found in plastic baby bottles, children's drinking cups, soft plastic toys, reusable water bottles and even the lining of some food cans…”
http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/278398
Study to track pollutants in pregnant women
Globe (Canada), Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2007
“In the largest survey of its kind undertaken in Canada, researchers plan to track chemical pollutants in about 2,000 pregnant women and their babies over the next five years to see what kind of industrial contaminants are in their bodies…”
Unsubscribe to Toxic Times: email melissa@ecocenter.org with UNSUBSCRIBE TOXIC TIMES in the subject line.
About MNCEH • Join • Campaigns • Take Action • Resources • Calendar • Links • Contact • • Back to home