Chemicals Exposed

When production is sent to China and other developing nations, there often is a lack of environmental, health and safety and worker standards. Often workers are forced to work in sweatshop conditions for pennies a day. This allows for cheaper production that beefs up corporate profits, but at what cost to workers, consumers and our environment?

Located below are "Chemicals Exposed" in our communities as a result of toxic trade. These investigations reveal how common products are being contaminated with deadly chemicals that hurt our pets, our children and our environment.

Fewer Phthalates Found in Perfume, Similar Products

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics Press Release [USA Today] 12/09/08

A new report finds fewer controversial chemicals in personal care products, such as perfume and hair spray.

Some manufacturers are removing or reducing their use of hormone-like ingredients called phthalates, commonly found in fragrances, according to a study released today by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of environmental groups.

Trouble In Toyland: The 23rd Annual Survey of Toy Safety

Executive Summary [From Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group] 11/22/08

The recall of 45 million toys and other children’s products in 2007 and continued recalls in 2008 reminded Americans that no government agency tests toys before they are put on the shelves. Specifically, the wave of recalls focused attention on the fact that the agency charged with protecting Americans from unsafe products—the Consumer Product Safety Commission—is a little agency with a very big job to do. Congress responded by passing the first major overhaul of the CPSC since it was established during the Nixon administration, when it passed the landmark Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) in August 2008. In addition to expanding the agency’s budget, Congress gave the CPSC more tools to hold corporate wrongdoers accountable and speed recalls, moved toward banning toxic lead and phthalates except in trace amounts and greatly improved import surveillance.

The 2008 "Trouble in Toyland" report is the 23rd annual Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) survey of toy safety. This report provides safety guidelines for parents when purchasing toys for small children and provides examples of toys currently on store shelves that may pose potential safety hazards. We visited numerous toy stores and other retailers to find potentially dangerous toys and identify trends in toy safety. This year, we focused specifically on toys that contain lead and phthalates in our research.

MPIRG Speaks

The University Register/September 26, 2008

The Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG) has been working on the Detox Minnesota! Campaign, which is the major campaign of the current Environment Five-Year Plan. The focus of Detox Minnesota! is to increase awareness of and lobby for legislation prohibiting the use of noxious chemicals in consumer products.

In April of this year, the National Toxicity Program (NTP) released a study which indicated “some concern for effects on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures to bisphenol-A.” In September, Iain Lang and colleagues published a study specifically on the effects of bisphenol-A on humans in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Lang’s study showed that high bisphenol-A levels were “significantly associated” with heart disease, diabetes, and abnormally high liver enzyme levels.

Heart Disease, Diabetes Linked to Chemical in Plastics

US News and World Report/September 16, 2008

Research on bisphenol A fuels calls for a ban on the chemical's use in hard plastics and metal cans.

A landmark study of more than 1,400 people ages 18 to 74, published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that those with the largest amount of BPA in their urine had nearly three times the risk of heart disease and more than twice the risk of diabetes as those who had the lowest levels.

Read the study by JAMA here.

"The Toxic Truth: Unfair Trade Kills"

The United Steelworkers/July 9, 2008

Over the past few years, Toxic Trade has attacked everything from pet food to toys to tires to medicine.

• In February of 2006, four-year-old Jarnell Brown died of lead poisoning
after swallowing a bracelet, produced in China, which was 99% lead.
• In 2007 as many as 1,950 cats and 2,200 dogs died when 60 million cans
of Melamine laced pet food made it into the country from China.
• In the second half of 2007 over 25 million imported toys were recalled
because they were deemed unsafe for children.
• At least 81 people have died from contaminated doses of the blood thinner
heparin. Authorities believe that the contamination made it into the
supply chain in China.

Read the Groundbreaking White Paper: "The Toxic Truth: Unfair Trade Kills" from the United Steelworkers and review the Summary here.

Deaths Linked to Heparin Use Rise to 149

Bloomberg News / June 17, 2008

NEW YORK - The blood thinner heparin has been linked to 149 US deaths in people who had allergic reactions after taking it, US regulators said.

Baxter International Inc. recalled its version of heparin in January after reports of harmful side effects. Baxter has said it believes the blood thinner was intentionally contaminated during the manufacturing process in China......

Toy Contaminated with 'Date Rape' Drug Pulled

CNN / November 8, 2007

NEW YORK (CNN) -- U.S. safety officials have recalled about 4.2 million Chinese-made Aqua Dots bead toys that contain a chemical that has caused some children to vomit and become comatose after swallowing them.

Scientists have found the popular toy's coating contains a chemical that, once metabolized, converts into the toxic "date rape" drug GHB, or gamma-hydroxy butyrate, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesman Scott Wolfson told CNN........

Kids at Risk: Toys, Cribs, Car Seat, Lead

Chicago Tribune/2007

The Chicago Tribune's year-long series on hazardous children's products pushed Congress to pass the broadest reform of consumer-product safety laws in a generation and prompted massive recalls. Read the series that won the Pulitzer Prize in Investigative Reporting here.

CHEMICAL FALLOUT:
A JOURNAL SENTINEL WATCHDOG REPORT

JSOnline News / 2007

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's "Chemical Fallout" series examined dangerous chemicals found in the packaging, surfaces or contents of many products.

Warning: Chemicals in the packaging, surfaces or contents of many products may cause long-term health effects, including cancers of the breast, brain and testicles; lowered sperm counts, early puberty and other reproductive system defects; diabetes; attention deficit disorder, asthma and autism. A decade ago, the government promised to test these chemicals. It still hasn't.

Part 1: Are your products safe? You can't tell.

Part 2: Bisphenol A is in you