Toxic substances in your everyday products

According to the David Suzuki Foundation, there’s a good chance your shampoo, toothpaste, soap and deodorant contain toxic materials! A recent probe found four out of five regular household products contain at least one chemical belonging to what the environmental group calls the “dirty dozen”.
“That’s a lot,” said Lisa Gue, environmental health policy analyst with the David Suzuki Foundation and author of the study.“We knew these chemicals were widespread, but we didn’t know just how widespread they are.”

Those chemicals include things like bisphenol-A, recently added to the federal government’s official list of toxic substances and known to cause cancer and harm wildlife.

More than 6,200 Canadians participated in the investigation by checking the ingredient lists on their household products and filling out an online survey. Overall, the report examines 12,500 products.

As well, 8% of all products and 28% of oral care products had no list of ingredients at all — something the report says should not be allowed.

The results highlight the need for stricter regulations, said Gue.

The first thing the report calls for is companies to replace these toxins with less dangerous alternatives.

But the onus can’t just be on the private sector, Gue warned. The report calls for more vigorous labelling regulations that would require a hazard warning on products containing toxic substances. Or better yet, the

government should just ban them altogether.

“Some of these chemicals are used simply because they’re cheap,” said Gue.

She said if Health Canada leads the way with stricter regulations, companies will have to fall in line.

When Canada declared bisphenol-A a toxic substance, “almost overnight, we saw the market respond,” she said.

Personal care products should be treated like drugs when it comes to labelling, the report argues. And products shouldn’t be allowed to hide harmful ingredients under blanket terms like “parfum” — which was listed in over half the products investigated.

“That shows a loophole in our labelling practices,” said Gue.

Furthermore, companies shouldn’t be able to mislead consumers by calling products with synthetic ingredients “natural” or “organic,” or dubbing products with masking agents “fragrance-free.”

Gue said Europe is way ahead of Canada when it comes to these regulations. For example, in Europe, fragrances must be listed, allergens must be accompanied by warnings and at least two of the “dirty dozen” chemicals — dibutyl phthalate and petrolatum — are banned.

David Thomas, a spokesperson for Health Canada says they are “currently reviewing the report” and that “all cosmetics are required to have ingredient labelling.”

“Health Canada will continue to monitor the scientific literature on ingredients of concern. If any are found to pose an undue risk, their use in cosmetics would quickly be prohibited or restricted,” he said.

He also noted that Health Canada is looking at Europe’s approach to labelling requirements, but said it is only a consideration at this point.

The ‘dirty dozen’

1.Bisphenol-A: Also called BPA, this substance is often used in moisturizers and makeup as antioxidants and preservatives. It’s associated with tumour growth and hormone disfunction. It also harms wildlife when it finds its way into the environment.

2.Coal Tar Dyes: Appearing on bottles as “p-phenylenediamine” or colours listed as “CI” followed by five digits, this chemical is common in hair dyes and is linked to cancer. It also contains low levels of heavy metals.

3.DEA: Diethanolamine makes products soapy or sudsy, but also irritates skin and may be toxic to the immune and nervous systems.

4.Dibutyl phthalate: Mostly found in nail polish, it enhances the capacity of other chemicals to cause genetic mutations.

5.Formaldehyde-releasing agents: These irritate skin and eyes and harm marine life when flushed into water systems. Examples are DMDM hydantoin, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, methenamine, quarternium-15, and sodium hydroxymethylglycinate.

6.Parfum: Fragrances are considered “trade secrets” and could contain any number of chemicals.

7.Parabens: Used as a preservative in makeup, they are linked to breast cancer and hormone problems.

8.PEG compounds: Polyethylene glyco compounds open skin’s pores, allowing other harmful chemicals to penetrate more deeply. This chemical is often found in creams, and is linked to cancer.

9.Petrolatum: Also called mineral oil jelly, this chemical carcinogen is common in moisturizers.

10.Siloxanes: used in cosmetics to soften, smooth, and moisten, these compounds can irritate the skin, eyes and lungs.

11.Sodium laureth sulfate: Used to create foam, this chemical may be contaminated with ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane, both of which cause cancer.

12. Triclosan: Found in antiperspirants, deodorants, cleansers, and hand sanitizers as a preservative and anti-bacterial agent. It interferes with hormone function.

Source: Sheena Goodyear | torontosun.com