Ants in your pants? An Earth Day Message

Ants?

Well, no, but this stuff is not very Earth and People friendly!

In honor of Earth Day, however, I do want to talk about your pants.
And shirts, skirts, underwear, and socks.

63% of all Americans have this stuff in their pants!

• Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer
• Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant
• A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage
• Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA's Hazardous Waste list
• Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders
• Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic
• Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders
• Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled

and…
Whatever else was made in the process of their general use…

How did they get there?
Through dryer sheets and other typical fabric softeners!

I taught chemistry in the 90’s and used dryer sheets as a great example of what not to do with volatile organic chemicals (VOC’s)…stick ‘em in the dryer with heat and agitation. It’s a bad idea since that’s how chemists make new chemicals. We start with various starter chemicals - burn ‘em and churn ‘em- usually for more then 50-60 minutes- and see if we get something new.

Your dryer does about the same thing. And, even if not much new stuff is made, the VOC’s are leaching into your air at a great rate. That’s why a lot of people get a headache, or the sniffles, or sneeze when they pass a laundry mat. Personally, I hold my breath…

I really want to spread the word about household toxins. Too many women, children, and people in the cleaning service industry are unnecessarily exposed to all sort of toxins in their everyday cleaners. 150 Chemicals found in the home are associated with allergies,birth defect, cancer, and psychological disorders.

The EPA has, rightly, turned its eye strongly upon household chemical usage and has just issued a call to action to those industries involved in developing household laundry products. http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/laundry/brochure/
They’re looking for companies to join with them to develop less toxic laundry products for household use.

Now, you can wait until they’re through, but
BFLI has already found easy, realistic non-toxic, ECONOMICAL solutions to reduce environmental pollution in your homes. If you know anyone who is concerned about household toxins, or you want to find out more yourself, call or e-mail for more information. bfli@buta.org, 617-504-4971 and ask for Susan. Or, you can click here and go to our product website to get started now.

Meanwhile: Are you concerned about indoor air pollution? What topics are you thinking about lately?

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