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Autism: Thinking the Unthinkable
To cling to a purely genetic explanation of autism is a desperate attempt to maintain the illusion that one lives in a comfortable and rational world where new chemicals and technologies always mean progress, experts are always objective and thorough, corporations are honest, and authorities can be trusted. That human actions rather than genetics, might be responsible for compromising the health of a significant proportion of a whole generation is so painful as to be, for many, unthinkable.
Martha Herbert, MD PhD
Harvard School of Medicine
Did you know...........
Within
26 seconds after exposure to chemicals, they can be found in
every organ in the body.
The
Clean Water Fund estimates that the average American uses 40
lbs of unsafe household cleaners each year (multiply that by
245 million Americans)
Children
are more susceptible to toxins than adults. Kids receive
proportionately larger doses of environmental toxins than
adults
Check
out your household cleaner's ingredients and safety ratings on
the link below
Copy & Paste:
http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/list?tbl=TblBrands&alpha=A
BRAIN FOOD
The Chemical Registry System (CRS), which is the US EPA's central system for tracking regulated chemicals, lists over 71,000 chemicals. Most of those have not been properly tested for human and environmental effects.
Sources of Indoor Air
Pollution - Organic Gases (Volatile Organic Compounds - VOCs)
EPA's Total Exposure Assessment Methodology (TEAM)
studies found levels of about a dozen common organic
pollutants to be 2 to 5 times higher inside homes than outside.
......while people are using products containing organic
chemicals, they can expose themselves and others to very high
pollutant levels, and elevated concentrations can persist in the
air long after the activity is completed.
Organic chemicals are widely used as ingredients in household
products.
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Copy & Paste:
www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html
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Get back to basics
-
Reduce Allergies -Create a Healthier Environment -
Reduce residues &
toxins from your home
Nearly 5 million
children have asthma (6.9% of children under 18)
What
Makes Asthma Worse?
Allergens,
Warm-blooded
pets (including dogs, cats, birds, and small rodents), House
dust mites, Pollens
from grass and trees, Molds
(indoors and outdoors).
Irritants, Cigarette
smoke and wood smoke. Scented
products such as hair spray, cosmetics, and cleaning
products. Strong
odors from fresh paint or cooking. Automobile
fumes and air pollution. Chemicals
such as pesticides and lawn treatments
"It's not how much we do...
but how much love we put into doing it!"
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Even if you store chemical
cleaners in secure cupboards, above the reach of children, simply
using them may do harm. Many of them release toxic or irritating volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. "My
eight-month-old baby’s eyes tear up every time I clean my house; I
have to do it when she’s not there," says Maritza Rios of New
York City. While adults may not react to cleaning products, their
fumes may affect infants and children because they haven’t fully
developed the ability to remove toxins from their bodies.
Other common cleaners can be more harmful. Corrosive or caustic
cleaners, such as lye and acids – found in drain cleaners, oven
cleaners and acid-based toilet bowl cleaners – are the most
dangerous cleaning products because they burn skin, eyes and
internal tissue easily, according to Phillip Dickey, director of
Washington
Toxics Coalition (WTC).
http://www.thegreenguide.com/issue.mhtml
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What Causes Asthma?
Asthma is a complex disease with multiple causes. Asthma attacks are triggered by a series of factors, typically acting in concert with one another. Asthma has been called "a classic example of a disease caused by gene-environment
interaction".
Certain insecticides that are widely used in U.S. homes may be triggers for asthma. Studies indicate that exposure to organophosphate pesticides disrupts the part of the nervous system that regulates the motor functioning of the lungs. This has lead researchers to hypothesize that pesticides are among the preventable causes of asthma in
children.7
http://www.childenvironment.org/factsheets/asthma.htm
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PERC—A STAIN ON THE DRY CLEANING INDUSTRY
New Types of Dry Cleaning That Are Better for the Environment and Safer for You
There are over 30,000 dry cleaning facilities for you to choose from in the United States,
but 95 percent of them use the toxic chemical perchloroethylene (perc) as the primary cleaning solvent. Exposure to perc is a significant risk to the workers who dry clean the clothes, and it's also a health risk to you and the loved ones who share your home. Once you get the dry-cleaned clothes home, they continue to off-gas perc into the air in your abode.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences states that: "Short-term exposure to PERC can cause adverse health effects on the nervous system that include dizziness, fatigue, headaches, sweating,
incoordination, and unconsciousness. Long-term exposure can cause liver and kidney damage." The International Association for Research on Cancer classifies perc as a probable carcinogen.
Fortunately, there are healthier (and greener) dry-cleaning alternatives. Here they are:
* Wet Cleaning — This is a system that uses biodegradable soap and water. Computer-controlled dryers and stretching machines ensure that the fabric retains its natural size and shape. Wet cleaning can purportedly clean 99.9% of "dry clean only" garments safely, including leather; suede; most tailored woolens, silks and
rayons. (Neckties seem to be the one exception.)
Your home can
truly become your sanctuary - with so many outside variables in
our work and outside environment, steam vapor cleaners can make
a difference for you and your family.
Look at what Dry
steam can do for you
Microbiological Laboratory Test Results
using Dry Steam Vapor Desiderio / VS 3000
Unit Tested at 72.5 PSI Gres
Type
Of Material:
Teflon |
Colonies
Per Square Centimeter |
Colonies
Per Square Centimeter |
| Surface Contamination Type |
Before Treatment |
After Treatment |
| Saccharomyses Cerevisiae |
129 |
0 |
| Pseudomonas Aeruginosa |
125 |
0 |
| E. Coli |
103 |
0 |
| Bacillus Cereus |
112 |
2 |
| Staphylococcus Aureus |
100 |
0 |
| Streptococcus Faecalis |
125 |
0 |
| Type
Of Material: Stainless Steel |
Colonies
Per Square Centimeter |
Colonies
Per Square Centimeter |
| Surface Contamination Type |
Before Treatment |
After Treatment |
| Saccharomyses Cerevisiae |
92 |
0 |
| Pseudomonas Aeruginosa |
105 |
0 |
| E. Coli |
138 |
0 |
| Bacillus Cereus |
95 |
0 |
| Staphylococcus Aureus |
100 |
0 |
| Streptococcus Faecalis |
97 |
0 |
Type
Of Material:
Porcelain |
Colonies
Per Square Centimeter |
Colonies
Per Square Centimeter |
| Saccharomyses Cerevisiae |
98 |
0 |
| Pseudomonas Aeruginosa |
112 |
2 |
| E. Coli |
115 |
0 |
| Bacillus Cereus |
70 |
1 |
| Staphylococcus Aureus |
88 |
0 |
| Streptococcus Faecalis |
77 |
0 |
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