We’ve learned about why it’s important to protect your growing children from endocrine-disrupting chemicals.  Now let’s discuss how to get the job done.  It may seem overwhelming, but you can do it with a little practice – and the benefits are worth the effort!

Decreasing BPA Exposure is Paramount

• The following types of plastic are typically made without BPA: PET or PETE (#1), HDPE (#2), LDPE (#4) and PP (#5). Plastics from recycling category #1 should not be reused even though they’re BPA-free, because they can leach other chemicals (like antimony) when exposed to heat and detergents
• BPA has been discovered in some color-tinted PP (#5) plastic food containers and teethers, so be sure these products are either labeled as BPA-free or have been confirm with the manufacturer to be BPA-free
• Avoid aluminum bottles, canned foods and pre-made baby formula; they require a protective liner that is typically uses a BPA-based epoxy. Use stainless steel bottles, fresh or frozen foods and powdered baby formula instead. Eden Foods cans are one of the only BPA-free options in canned food (except for their tomato-based products)
• Avoid polycarbonate baby bottles and containers (#7 or PC recycling codes). Also be aware that not all #7 plastics contain BPA; many newer plastics like PES and Tritan copolyester are thrown in to the #7 Other category, but are BPA-free
• Keep in mind that manufacturers are not required to label their products with materials used or recycling codes. If you find an unmarked product, be sure to contact the manufacturer to confirm. There are several trusted companies and blogs who have done the work for you, so checking with them first will save you some time and frustration (SafeMama, ZRecs and The Soft Landing)
• Choosing food containers made from glass, silicone, stainless steel and wood ensures you won’t have to be concerned about BPA at all
• Before you buy, check our Safer Food Storage Guide for and extensive list of safe alternatives

Avoid Phthalates, Especially in Pregnant Mothers and Children

• Avoid PVC plastics that use phthalates as a plasticizer (softener): vinyl bibs, teethers and toys, nap mats and shower curtains. They may be labeled with the #3 recycling code.
• If you have vinyl flooring in your home, damp mopping it on a regular basis removes phthalates accumulated in the dust on the floor. Direct sunlight, moisture and heat on vinyl tiles can cause it to release phthalates more quickly. And of course, choose non-vinyl options when replacing flooring.
• Toys with the worst phthalates should already be off the shelves, but check to see if toys you already own were made with the chemical before the ban took effect.
• Choose personal care products that are specifically labeled as phthalate-free. Keep in mind that many harmful chemicals are often hidden under a general “fragrance” label. Seek out upstanding cosmetics companies who have pledged not to use phthalates.
• Pollution in People provides an excellent breakdown on which phthalates are where and how to avoid them.

Be Pro-active By Avoiding PVC Now

• Watch for “vinyl” in product descriptions, as it is commonly used as a nickname for PVC. But keep in mind that the term “vinyl” may also be used to describe ethylene vinyl Acetate (EVA) and polyethylene Vinyl Acetate (PEVA). Both of these plastics are considered to be safer alternative to PVC and are acceptable choices
• Avoid products marked with PVC, V or the #3 recycling code on the product or its packaging.
• Manufacturers are not required to label their products with materials used, so you may need to confirm with each manufacturer.
• Be aware that many companies are proud to offer you phthalate-free PVC, and while this is a step in the right direction, we need to avoid PVC completely. Encourage the makers of your favorite companies to use PVC alternatives if possible
• Check the Center for Health Environment and Justice (CHEJ) for an extensive list of companies who do not use PVC in their products
• On a side note: food containers are not typically made with PVC (and thus no phthalates), so don’t focus your effort in this area

PVC is everywhere.  It’s commonly used in bath toys, teethers, baby bibs, inflatable pool toys, children’s playground ball pits, dog toys, shower curtains, mattress covers, cling wrap and in most non-slip bath mats.  And that’s just for starters!  There is a growing awareness of polyvinyl chloride’s toxic nature, but the quest to avoid it is rather daunting because there isn’t as much demand for PVC-free products.

I often hear the question, “But what if I find a toy made from phthalate-free PVC?  Isn’t it safer?”  No. And here’s why – PVC requires the addition of chlorine.  Chlorine is one major health concern associated with PVC, but it isn’t the only problem.  Earth911 discusses the full effects PVC, and the facts are stunning:

• Due to its chlorinated makeup, the entire life cycle of vinyl is responsible for the formation of more dioxin than any other single product. Dioxin is a well-known carcinogen and can affect the reproductive, immune, endocrine and neurological systems.
• Chlorine production for PVC results in the release of over 200,000 pounds of mercury to air, water and land each year.
• To make vinyl products flexible, phthalates are used as plasticiers, accounting for nearly 90 percent of total phthalate consumption. This translates into more than five million tons used for vinyl every year.
• Lead is often added to vinyl construction products as a stabilizer to extend its life. It is estimated that 45,000 tons of lead each year are released into the environment during its disposal by incineration.

Now we know why we should avoid BPA, PVC and phthalates, but how in the world do we do it?  I’ll be sharing simple tips on avoiding each chemical in the final piece of this series.

Phthalates are yet another set of hormone-mimicking chemicals that are used in many household products including: shampoo, makeup, perfumes, air fresheners, bibs, teethers, inflatable toys, vinyl flooring, IV tubing, insect repellant and much more.  We recently learned that even medication capsules are encased in a phthalate-based polymer and can deliver high doses of phthalates as well.

Phthalates are shockingly pervasive.  According to USA Today phthalates were found in of all 163 babies tested in a 2008 study.  Most babies tested positive for exposure to seven different types of phthalates!  Babies are at high risk because they develop so quickly.  They eat, breath and metabolize more than adults, so even minute exposures can have an extreme effect.

Phthalates have been implicated in decreased mental development in girls.  Simple Steps (a resource of NRDC) reviewed a study by researchers at Mount Sinai Children’s Medical Health Center.  They found that newborn girls whose mothers have high levels of phthalates contained in plastics show markedly lower levels of attention and alertness than newborn boys of similar mothers.

They have also been linked to the softening of bones in developing young bodies.  Environmental Health News (EHN) explains that a study published in the Journal of Cellular Biochemistry in which phthalates were found to provoke DNA damage that can lead to bone cell death in mouse cells.

“This study shows how a low-dose exposure to two types of commonly found phthalates has a profound effect on bone cells. Based on the results, long-term exposure to phthalates could have devastating effects on developing bones in young bodies and accelerate deterioration in aging bones.  Estrogen deficiency is responsible for a number of bone diseases such as osteoporosis.  For this reason, many are concerned about the effects of phthalate exposure on bone health.”

While the law recently passed by Congress bans phthalates in children’s products, it doesn’t prohibit their use in IV tubing, vinyl flooring and many other household products.  Avoiding phthalates in pregnant mothers and babies is most important and we’ll talk about how to do that in an upcoming post.

Many Americans have come to agree that bisphenol-a (BPA) is probably worrisome enough to avoid.  The move to a BPA-free lifestyle no longer requires a leap of faith when current research continually points to new evidence of harm to the health of our children.  Recent studies have linked BPA to effects such as increased aggression in toddler girls, heart disease, obesity, early puberty and infertility.

Avoiding BPA is simple enough, right?  We used to think that bypassing polycarbonate bottles (which uses BPA to harden the plastic) would get the job done.  But now we’re learning that BPA is lurking in the most unexpected places: canned foods and aluminum bottles, some color-tinted polypropylene dishes and teethers, pizza boxes made of recycled cardboard and carbonless credit card receipts.

So now we have to step back and ask ourselves whether we’ve gone over the edge in worrying this much about BPA?  When a single chemical is produced in such massive quantities as 6 billion pounds per year, we are remiss if we don’t worry about widespread human exposure.  We’re talking about chronic exposure to an endocrine-disrupting chemical on a large scale from multiple sources:  air, food, household dust, physical contact and water.

While it’s true that we shouldn’t live in fear, we must be willing to educate ourselves and make changes when possible.  BPA is a chemical we can absolutely live without, and many responsive manufacturers have already proven it can be easily substituted in most cases.  The time for change is now, and the government is finally responding to consumer demand for more research on the effects of BPA.  Stick around this week for a series on exactly how to avoid BPA, as well as a couple of other harmful chemicals hiding in the products we use every day.

My name is Alicia Voorhies and I’m a RN who left the work force to spend some time recharging.  I enjoyed working as Director of Nursing for a non-profit organization to care for people with developmental disabilities in a home-based setting.  But I began to suffer from that old familiar burn out, so I decided to take a nice long sabbatical – and ended up never going back.  So how do you take a break from nursing and then somehow end up starting a hybrid information/product-based business anyway?  Fast forward to December 2006, when I was first introduced to Bisphenol-a (BPA) . . .

It all started when my sister moved with her family from our Midwest town to the East Coast.  She called me one morning after taking her son to their new doctor, where she was promptly told to immediately throw out the clear, hard plastic baby bottle she was using in his office.  She was seriously concerned that she was dealing with a doctor who was off his rocker, so she turned to me, the medical research geek for help.  I set out that day to prove him wrong.  Instead, hundreds of medical studies would only prove him right.  The more research I poured over, the more I began to see a pattern of chemicals leaching from plastic to disrupt the delicate endocrine system – especially in children.   I knew we needed safer options right away and began searching for a non-polycarbonate baby bottle.  I quickly realized how limited the information was and how few options were available.  At that time, there were only two brands being marketed as BPA-free.  Beyond that, I was left swimming in an endless sea of unlabeled plastic!  My mission became clear and we opened the doors to The Soft Landing in April of 2007.  Now I work with my team (my three sisters and our Mom) to educate parents about the most prevalent environmental toxins harming our children today.