I learned a devastating fact this month: rates of thyroid cancer have tripled in the last 30 years and researchers have linked the increase to high levels of toxic flame retardants in house dust. Continue reading
They are chemicals that are hard to avoid – found in everything from TVs to toys to food, and contaminate homes, offices, and dorm rooms. Scientists keep uncovering new evidence that toxic flame retardants aren’t good for our health, even as companies continue to use them. Cats, thyroid cancer, dorm rooms, and toys are just the latest examples that these chemicals threaten our health and shouldn’t be allowed in products in our homes.
Are there toxic chemicals in children’s products? The simple answer is “YES.” But the truth is that for most products and chemicals, it’s impossible to know because companies can keep the ingredients a secret. Continue reading
Does anyone out there watch Modern Family? There’s an episode when the characters Cam & Mitch go to Costco. Cam is all about Costco, while Mitch thinks it’s a ridiculous proposition – who could possibly need or use all that stuff? By the end, Mitch wants to buy a shed (sold at Costco) to hold the boxes and boxes of diapers and other stuff they absolutely must have. Watch the clip.
That episode pretty much sums up how I went from Costco disdainer to Costco lover. Continue reading
Scientists unveiled some exciting news at the 2016 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference in Vancouver, BC. Several species of wildlife in Puget Sound – harbor seals, Pacific herring, and English sole – show decreasing levels of toxic flame retardant PBDEs in their bodies. Continue reading
Seattle, WA – Today Governor Inslee will sign the Toxic-Free Kids and Families Act (ESHB 2545). The new law bans five toxic chemicals in home furniture and kids’ products, including the first-ever ban on TBBPA, a chemical found in kids’ car seats. It also establishes a state process for addressing six additional toxic flame retardants in the future. The bill signing is scheduled for 2:45PM in the Governor’s Conference Room in Olympia, WA. Continue reading
Editor’s Note: The following is a post by Laurie Valeriano, Executive Director, Washington Toxics Coalition.
I have great news!
The bill to ban toxic flame retardants in kids’ products and home furniture is on its way to the Governor’s desk! WE DID IT!! Continue reading
Over the last year, as more and more shoppers demand products without toxic flame retardants, several furniture manufacturers and retailers have announced they are no longer using toxic flame retardants in their products. While this is a good thing, we wanted to find out how the rest of the market was doing. We dispatched our secret shoppers to neighborhood retailers to investigate. Continue reading
Good news! More kids in Washington will be tested for lead exposure thanks to a lawsuit filed last year. Parents went to court to force Washington state’s Medicaid program to pay for lead testing for lower-income kids. And they won!
But the fact that we have to test kids for lead at all is a reminder of how broken our chemical laws really are. Continue reading
Any parent knows that when you have a new baby, you can accumulate a lot of baby gear—car seat, bassinet, changing pad, swing, and more. But new gear isn’t the only thing accumulating in the house. Researchers have found that the baby gets not just comfort from all that gear, but also cancer-causing flame retardants that escape from the foam and wind up in their bodies. Continue reading