M2.4: EWG Personal Care Products

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After watching Ken Cook speak about the findings in the 10 Americans, I found it rather surprising to know that on average 287 chemicals out of 413 chemicals were detected in the blood samples. The fact that 212 industrial chemicals and pesticides that were banned more than 30 years ago were present in the blood samples indicate how the chemicals impact our bodies in the short- and long-term. 

The Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) of 1976 hadn't been updated for 30 years - presuming that 62,000 chemicals were safe. This law did not require health or safety studies before a new chemical was allowed on the market. After some research, it appears the Kids-Safe Chemicals Act of 2008 was never passed. In 2016, the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (similar to this chemical act) was passed by the Senate and signed by President Barack Obama, which revised the TSCA to give the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authority  to regulate chemicals used commercially in the US. As of August 2018 under the revised TSCA, 36 new chemical reviews have been completed and 1575 new chemical reviews have been completed. It doesn't seem nearly enough, and appears rather worrisome because of the current administration cutting the EPA's budget. In light of all this information, it appears to be rather difficult yet not impossible to limit our exposure given that there are databases doing research about the personal care products we use. As we continue to use products, we can be more conscious of our decisions. I consider this information valuable and recognize that there are changes I can make to reduce my exposure to these chemicals, and intend to do so.

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 5, 2018 at 8:16 PM

    Hi Daisy,
    The long term and short term effects of these chemicals are scary and the fact that we could be exposing vulnerable fetuses to these chemicals is extremely disheartening. Thank you for bringing to light the Toxic Substance Control Act of 1976. Under the current administration, I feel very discouraged about the future state of the revised TSCA and the Kids-Safe Chemicals Act of 2008. There seems to be no push for safer products and review of chemicals that we are being exposed to on a daily basis-sometimes multiple times a day. Tougher regulations need to be made on these companies and the federal government needs to take action against them.
    Thank you for your post!
    Kera

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousSeptember 6, 2018 at 2:09 PM

    Hi Daisy,

    I also found Ken's presentation very alarming. It's frightening to think that policy makers neglected to update the TSCA for over 30 years! I'm glad that new laws, such as the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act are bringing environmental health hazards to light. Due to budget constraints and lack of research, the government administration and EPA have been allowing companies to get away with using harmful ingredients in their products. I strongly think that we need to devote our efforts as future public health leaders to educate and promote environmentally-friendly products. Thanks for sharing!

    Carmen

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownSeptember 11, 2018 at 2:02 PM

    Hi Daisy,

    Thank you for sharing a great summary and details regarding Ken Cook’s discussion and findings. I agree that the Toxic Substance Control Act is long overdue for an update and I am sure that new chemicals have been introduced to our environment. I appreciate your additional research and I am glad that a bill was passed by the senate and signed by President Obama. Though, I do also agree that this is not enough and that we need to find a way to speed up the process of reviewing more chemicals. And yes, I agree this information is very valuable and that it is important for us to be more conscious of our decisions and make changes to reduce our exposure to chemicals.

    ReplyDelete

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