Columnists

Are there harmful substances hiding in your home? Here’s my room-by-room view of 101 bad, nasty and even downright toxic chemicals that may be too close for comfort. Click on the links to see more of what experts have to say about each substance.

Kitchen

1. Antibacterial soap. Health Canada says, “Avoid the use of antibacterial soap and “bacteria-fighting” cleaning products. These products kill ‘good’ bacteria which fight bad germs. Cleaning with soap and water, or disinfecting surfaces with a solution of water and vinegar or household bleach is adequate.”
2. Drain opener containing sodium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite. It irritates our eyes, nose, throat and skin. For some alternative drain opening ideas, click here.
3. Oven cleaner containing lye is corrosive.
4. Bisphenol A (BPA) in can linings. University of Guelph researchers recently found that BPA can inhibit growth of new synapses, impairing brain function. It’s also a known estrogen mimic.
5. Lead from your pipes. If your home was built before the mid 1950s, it may have some lead pipes. Even if your home itself contains no lead, the water service from the city’s main lines may have some lead. Get your water tested to be sure.
6. Mercury in some canned and frozen fish, particularly tuna
7. Produce, particularly thin-skinned fruit, containing harmful pesticides such as Chlorpyrifos.
8. Ammonia is a common ingredient in cleaning products, but it’s quite corrosive and dangerous if mixed with bleach.
9. Food dyes used to in a wide variety of food products and some personal care products: Blue 1 has allergenic effects, may cause nerve cell impact in vitro.
10. Blue 2 seems to cause brain tumours in rats.
11. Yellow 5 food dye may cause children to become hyperactive.
12. Yellow 6 food dye was found to cause adrenal tumors in animals.
13. Green 3 dye caused tumors of the bladder and testes in male rats.
14. Red 3 dye is a thyroid carcinogen in animals.
15. Red 40 food colouring, a widely used dye, causes hypersensitivity in some people and may cause hyperactivity in children. For a terrific report on food dyes, click here.
16. Non-stick coatings on cookware, made with perfluorooctanoic acid and its salts (PFOA) on pans, is likely carcinogenic.
17. Aluminum cookware may release small amounts of aluminum into food, particularly acid foods such as tomatoes and leafy greens. Aluminum may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease development.
18. E. coli contamination on food product. Often originating from minute amounts of cow feces and causing painful gastrointestinal issues, E Coli is not your friend.
19. Salmonella from animal food products, such as undercooked infected meats, causes severe diarrhea, headache, fever and vomiting.
20. Botulism is a neurotoxin that may develop in low-acid canned goods, such as corn or green beans.
21. Listeria is a bacteria found in soil that can tag along on uncooked vegetables and animal products.
22. Campylobacter bacteria may be present in unpasturized milk. It can cause uncomfortable diarrhea, fever, nausea, cramps and other issues.
23. DHEA (di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate), a plasticizer, is found in PVC-based plastic wraps and some types of plastic packaging. It can leach into food. DHEA can cause birth defects and other reproductive effects.Bathroom and medicine chest
24. Conventional toilet bowl cleaner containing sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate is harmful if inhaled.
25. Tricolsan in toothpaste. This antibacterial chemical isn’t recommended, according to Health Canada.
26. Sodium fluoride, found in some mouthwashes, is a known human neurotoxin.
27. Boric acid in eye drops. It has been restricted for use in cosmetics in Canada.
28. Camphor, sometimes found in vapor rubs, can cause brain and nervous system effects at low doses.
29. Phthalates in your shower curtain. Vinyl shower curtains need phthalates to make them supple, but these additives are known hormone disruptors.
30. Expired medications. I know it’s not convenient, but protect our water sources by taking expired medications back to the pharmacy, rather than throwing them in the garbage or flushing them down the toilet.Personal care products
31. Formaldehyde in nail polish.
32. Toluene in nail polish, a drying agent that may cause birth defects if considerable amounts are inhaled.
33. Dibutyl phthalate in nail polish, which can cause birth defects.
34. Coal tar, a known human carcinogen, is sometimes found in some scalp treatment shampoos.
35. Fragrance, or “parfum.” What’s in it? Well, you don’t get to find out. It’s a label loophole.
36. Aluminum powder may be among your lip gloss ingredients. It’s a concern because of cancer links, reproductive effects, neurotoxicity… basically it’s to be avoided.
37. Methylparaben and any other paraben.
38. Sodium lauryl sufate (SLS), and sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) are proven skin irritants.
39. PPD (p-paraphenylenediamine), shown as a toxin here and an allergen here.
40. Parfum / Fragrance. Some things had this in the list, then offered an explation as to what was in it. But at Deacon points out in her book, using Fragrance in an ingredients list offers manufacturers a hiding spot; anything could be hidden under that name.
41. DEA, also listed as MEA or TEA (diethanolamine, triethanolamine, monoethanolamine).
42. Oxybenzone, often found in sunscreens, is restricted in some countries and likely causes contact sensitivity.
43. Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) a waxy preservative found in some lipsticks, is a suspected carcinogen.
44. Hair removal products containing mineral oil can have immune system effects.
45. Aerosol deodorant may contain silica and / or talc, which may cause lung cancer with prolonged exposure.
46. Aerosol hairspray may contain dimethyl ether, which can cause dermatitis with repeat exposure. I find it interesting that this chemical is also used in spray foam products for home renovation, popcorn ceiling products and others.
47. Hydroquinone, found in skin-lightening creams, may make skin more susceptible to UVA and UVB radiation, according to Gillian Deacon’s book, There’s Lead in Your Lipstick. (See earlier post about the book here.)
48. Steareth-21 is a suspected environmental toxin. It’s in some concealer products.
49. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a common ingredient in personal care products. It helps other ingredients penetrate the skin, and is listed as an irritant itself, and possibly linked to organ toxicity.
50. Siloxanes are used as softening and smoothing agents in deoderants, hair care products and more. Unfortunately they can effect reproductive health and harm the nervous system.
    
    Clothing
51. Percholorethylene or Perc, a dry cleaning chemical, may linger on your “clean” clothing.
52. Microban on fitness clothing and other antibacterial products is another form of Triclosan. Read about effects of one documented exposure here.
    
    Living Room
53. Flame retardants such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, in your sofa cushions.
54. VOCs such as formaldehyde from particleboard furniture, such as bookcases or TV stands.
55. Paint can off-gas after the smell of the paint has dissipated, and solvents such as acetone, volatile methyl siloxanes, PCBTF and methyl acetate can make you feel noxious and give you a headache. According to this article,  just because your paint is VOC-free doesn’t mean it’s non-toxic. But I think we all know not to breathe in paint fumes, no matter how “green” it is.
56. Lead from chipping paint (if you home is pre 1970).
57. Cigarettes. Yes, we know they cause cancer. But did you know that there are 69 cancer-causing compounds in a cigarette? Click here to read more.
58. Battery acids, particularly sulfuric acid, can leak and cause damage to skin. Storing battery-powered electronics, tools and other items? Take the batteries out before you put them away.
59. Furniture polish containing naptha, a form of coal tar. Read more about coal tar in Personal Care Products, above.
60. Mercury vapour in compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs). Try LED lights instead – they are far less fragile, contain no mercury and can be recycled with your other electronics.
    
    Closets
61. Moth balls often contain naphthalene (also found in creosote, roofing tar and elsewhere), which can cause liver damage.
62. Air fresheners containing para-Dichlorobenzene, a known carcinogen.
63. Lamp oil, or light parrafin. Burning this, which is what it’s for,  may release oxides of carbon and other nasty vapours!
    
    Den or Home Office
64. Oil paints may contain cadmium, a known carcinogen, but the risk comes from inhaling dried paint dust, nor normal use.
65. For film hobbyists, darkroom chemicals have inhalation, skin contact and other nasty hazards.
66. Polybrominated flame retardants in the circuit boards of electronics, which can have nervous system impacts.
67. Hexavalentchromium, used in making metal casings for electronics, is a likely human carcinogen. It is most likely to affect the workers making the electronics.
68. Propanol is a common ingredient in markers. It may cause fatigue and throat irritation.
69. Printer toner may contain xylene, iron oxides and styrene. Toner dust is an eye irritant and can cause lung damage with prolonged exposure.
70. Still have whiteout kicking around? Methyl cyclohexane is one ingredient that makes whiteout potentially fatal if swallowed.
    
    Garage
71. Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol, which can cause nose and throat irritation, dizziness, drowsiness and other effects depending on exposure.
72. Windshield-washer fluid may contain methanol, which can cause vision issues if inhaled in sufficient amounts. The effects of drinking it are far more severe, but who would do that?
73. Paint thinner often contains benzene, a known carcinogen.
74. Brake fluid contains glycol ether borate esters, certainly something you wouldn’t want to pour down the sewer.
75. Transmission fluid’s petroleum distillates can cause skin cancer with prolonged contact.
76. Vehicle bug and tar remover contains 2-Butoxyethanol is a narcotic. It can irritate skin, eyes, nose and throat, and may cause kidney damage if used long-term.
77. Power steering fluid can also cause skin disorders and is dangerous if inhaled as a mist.
78. PCBs in old window caulking  is nasty stuff. To see why, click here.
79. Automotive paint primer may contain xylene, which is a respiratory irritant and a narcotic.
80. That auto paint primer may also contain ethylbenzene, which, in addition to being an irritatant, may cause birth defects.
81. Plant fertilizer contains nitrogen, which can be dangerous if stored near gasoline.
82. Sawdust, when inhaled, is a known carcinogen, so make sure you clean up sawdust when woodworking.
83. Wood glues may contain ingrdedients that will irritate asthma and are very harmful if swallowed, such as MDI (polymeric).
    
    Basement
84. Stachybotrys chartarum and Aspergillus niger are toxic black molds. For help identifying them, click here.
85. Mouse / rat poison often contains brodifacoum, which can cause internal bleeding in humans if ingested. No doubt it’s bad for pets too!
86. Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) in mouse droppings, if you’ve had a mouse infestation.
87. Radon, which occurs naturally and can seep up from the ground through dirt-floor basements and foundation cracks, is known to cause lung cancer.
88. Asbestos. If you have an old house, you may have some asbestos, such as asbestos tile on the floors. Asbestos is known to cause lung cancer.
89. Caulking products may contain mineral spirits, which can cause developmental delays in children.
90. Peelable caulking may contain vinyl acetate, a possible carcinogen.
91. Natural gas, piped into your home. Of course it’s fine as long as it’s contained, but highly flammable if ignited, so take any whiff of a leak seriously.
92. Spray paint containing n-Butyl Alcohol can cause headache with prolonged exposure.
93. Carbon monoxide from an ill-maintained furnace or other appliances can cause death. Make sure your carbon monoxide detectors are working, and install one in each bedroom.
94. Laundry detergents’ surfactants such as sodium alkylbenzene sulfonate may affect immune system antibody development.
95. Bleach, containing sodium and sodium, can severely irritate lungs, nose and throat if inhaled.Backyard
96. Carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gasses are, of course, the drivers of climate change and the largest challenge and threat humans have ever seen.
97. Garden pesticides and herbicides. You don’t have any of these anymore, right? Good thing, since many can poison more than weeds and bugs.
98. Lead in your garden hoses. I know I mentioned lead already, but I was surprised to learn from this blogger.
99. Propane for your barbecue is relatively safe, as long as you handle it properly.
100. Lighter fluid for your barbecue is, of course, volatile, and commonly contains benzene, a known carcinogen.
101. Vehicle emission pollutants, particularly ozone and nitrogen dioxide can, aside from causing acid rain, climate change and other issues, increase the release of lead from paint in older homes.

Do you think that we are living with too many chemicals? Is there anything you would add to this list?

Depending on what’s recyclable in your municipality, choosing better packaging can mean less in the landfill. Here are 10 switches you can make:

1. Choose juice boxes over juice pouches. When shopping for back-to-school lunch items, go for juice boxes. Tetra paks are recyclable in many areas, while pouches are not.

2. Select loose tea or tea in paper tea bags over pyramid bags. Loose tea and conventional tea bags can be composted or added to your green bin, whereas pyramid bags, often made with nylon, have to go in the garbage. See my earlier post on this here.

3. Try milk cartons over milk bags. I wasn’t sure about this one, since it no doubt takes more energy to produce a carton than a bag. But, at least where I live, cartons can be recycled while bags cannot.

4. Choose popcorn over chips. OK, this might be harder if you really love chips, but chip bags and tubes aren’t recyclable, whereas microwave popcorn bags can actually be composted, and air-popped popcorn has no waste at all (especially if you buy the popcorn in bulk using a reuseable bag, such as this type. Besides, popcorn is a healthy whole grain, so as long as you take it easy on the butter, your waistline will thank you for making the switch!

5. Go for cookies loose in a bag, or make your own. Plastic cookie trays (and cracker trays) are not recyclable.

6. Buy loose fruit and vegetables. Plastic clamshell packaging isn’t always recyclable, and when loose produce is available you can pick and choose each piece and reduce your plastic consumption. Skip the thin plastic bags at the store and put your produce in one of these reusable options.

7. Buy meat from the butcher counter. Skip the foam trays and plastic wrap and get your (locally raised) meats wrapped in butcher paper. While some places can recycle the foam trays, the little absorbent pad that goes under the meat is simply garbage.

8. Select eggs in paper cartons. Again, many municipalities can’t recycle plastic egg cartons, and foam cartons may be recyclable but are made from petroleum. Paper egg cartons are often made from recycled paper! Alternatively, you can use paper egg cartons for seed starting.

9. Paper trumps plastic for bread. Not only are plastic bread bags not recyclable, nor are those little clips that hold the bag shut.

Do you have any tips on shopping a little greener?

Since I work in the media here at Homemakers magazine, I get a lot of stuff in the mail. After over 10 years in the business, I’ve received hundreds of packages, so by now I think I’m an expert in reducing waste in shipping.

The worst thing I ever received was a bunch of rotting vegetables and some rotting fish in a plastic basket, inside cellophane, inside a big box. I don’t even remember why it was sent to me – something about dog food ingredients, maybe – but I do remember the smell. And all the plastic packaging.

Here are a couple of photos showing the non-recyclable or just plain excessive stuff I get:

Mailed plastic in its many forms

I receive a lot of envelopes with built-in bubble wrap, CDs, plastic document covers and other plastic stuff just about every day. I’ve finally found a place that recycles CDs; my colleagues and I fill up boxes of them in no time.

This big box was used to ship one very small item! At least they used paper instead of bubble wrap.

Five things to avoid when sending a package:
- Plastic bubble wrap envelopes. Some courier companies put everything in them! Ask for a cardboard envelope instead.
- Using too much tape. It makes it hard for the recipient to remove the tape so that the box or envelope can be recycled. Try using staples to seal a large envelope instead of tape.
- CDs. Just email your files. If they’re too large, upload them to your FTP server or via link on your a web site, or use a large file sending service.
- Sending perishable things or really fragile things. (See note about smelly package above! I’ve also received plants in the mail; the soil had been tossed out of the pots by the time they arrived.)
- Foam shipping peanuts. Yes, they even make these with soy foam that’s apparently recyclable or biodegradable, but the recipient still has to deal with them. Why not used crumpled used paper instead?

Here is one of the best packages I ever recieved. It was used to send a hair product that was almost as big as the box, and the product was protected with the edges of printer paper someone had collected.

The best package is entirely reuseable and recyclable. And, just as important, it contains something the recipient actually wants and needs!

Have you received anything really wasteful in the mail? How have you cut down on waste when you need to ship something?

Today is a big day in the area where I grew up, the Frontenac Arch Biosphere (FAB) Reserve, a UNESCO-recognized area. In a ceremony today in Gananoque, Ont., National Geographic is signing FAB to its Geotourism Charter. FAB is only the ninth in the world to be signed to this charter, and it’s the first biosphere. I was so excited that this nod to my home region’s beauty and sustainability was coming up, I wrote a song for the event. Talented local photographers and multimedia artists put it all together in a presentation.

The Geotourism Charter recognizes the sustainability of the Frontenac Arch region, and I hope this presentation and all of the other great events going on in the region spur more visits here – because I do think it’s a beautiful place to visit, and it’s great to have options in discovering new places without making a big impact on the environment.

For a nice little video tour of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve, along with a little song sung by me, have a look at this video.

If you have any trouble with the video above, here’s the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbcA_7ZzijI

I’ve long been a fan of Bodum’s double-walled glassware. Foregoing ceramic mugs, my partner and I have a cupboard crammed with elegant double-walled glasses in a few shapes and sizes. Why? They keep things hot, they keep things cold, they don’t require coasters as there’s no condensation. And they look nice. I would also say that glass is an environmentally friendly material, being recyclable and free of hazardous chemicals.

Recently a friend sent me a fab gift: this double-walled glass bottle made by Anchor. It’s just what I’ve been looking for, like my Bodum glasses, but for on the go! Large enough for a big latté and versatile enough to carry any kind of hot or cold beverage, the lid has a silicone closure. I’m not sure what kind of plastic the rest of the top is made with, but it feels like (BPA-free) polypropylene. I’ll write to Anchor and see if I can find out for sure. The website says that most of their products are still made in the US, in Columbus, Ohio.

I’ve noticed that many coffee shops have in-store ads suggesting that their patrons bring their own drinkware. Even Starbucks, maker of the iconic white cup, has posters in their stores, though they report that only 1.3 per cent of their customers bring their own mugs. So that’s the trick. We have some great options for coffee on the go, we just have to remember to bring our mugs, jugs, bottles and cups. You know, in our reuseable bags!

I had a chance to watch the documentary Addicted to Plastic over the weekend. Although I had heard about the areas of the ocean that tend to accumulate plastic, it was fascinating (and scary) to see just how much plastic was in the area of the Pacific shown in the film (especially compared to the relatively insignificant amount of plankton in the same area). It was scary to see just how much plastics have infiltrated our food chain — the film shows a dissections of dead gulls from a beach in Holland; their stomachs are loaded with bits of plastics, and shows how toxins from plastics make their way into the fish we eat.

I appreciated that the film doesn’t lay blame on society for becoming reliant on plastics, showing that we just got caught up in its convenience without seeing the looming issues down the road. It seems that if we can contain plastics, largely by avoiding convenience plastics and reusing as much of the material as we can for new things, we’ll really reduce the severity of the plastics pollution problem. Beyond that, Addicted to Plastic shows many case studies of people who are doing a terrific job of recycling plastic into new goods (such as Interface carpets), or creating plastics from plant material such as corn.

My bet: We’ll be mining old landfills for plastics, metals and other valuable materials within 15 years.

Do you think you could live without plastic?

When I lived in Guelph, Ont. a few years ago, I enjoyed using a garbage system that seemed rather enlightened. They’ve since shut the system down due to the cost of operating it, I believe, but here’s how it worked. You bought two types of bags: big blue bags for “dry” garbage and small green bags for “wet” garbage. Dry was recyclables and wet was compostables. There were no black bags. The city would not take them. But they would take your wet bags and dry bags, and they provided a lot of employment for the people who, along with a bunch of machinery, would sift through the dry things, sorting recyclables and setting aside items for donation. I know that, at the end of the assembly line, there was still garbage. But it seemed like a thorough approach to waste diversion, and it was pretty easy on the citizen side of things.

Every city, town and hamlet has its own way of handling recyclables, and the rules about what can be recycled seem to change a lot. In the city of Toronto, where I live, I had the idea that we could recycle most everything. But I’m realizing that “everything” has a big asterisk next to it. The Toronto Star’s Trash Talk column sorts out recycling issues; writer Ellen Moorehouse recently reported that recyclers have trouble with containers that have a lid attached that’s made from a different material, so now I’m unscrewing metal lids from glass jars, plastic lids from juice cartons.

A few other surprises regarding what doesn’t belong in Toronto recycling bins:
- Paper bags with linings intended to keep food fresh, such as cookie bags
- Plastic plant pots. Some garden centres will take these back; according to this Star article, Loblaw even offers some financial incentives: If you bring in 25 plastic containers, you get a $5 coupon you can use toward the purchase of $50 or more in garden products.
- Plastic shopping bags can go in, as long as they don’t have drawstrings or metal handles (although you can cut these off). But milk bags, sandwich bags, bread bags, produce bags and dry cleaning bags don’t belong in your blue bin.
- Clear clamshell containers used to hold fruits and veggies. This one really surprised me because these have a recycling number on the bottom. I know some farmers will take these to put their fresh produce in, and my organic food delivery service will take these back.
- Paper coffee cups. Think of how many of these are purchased each day! I assume they can’t be recycled because of the wax lining on the inside.

Does your municipality recycle any of these items? Have you had any surprises about what you can’t recycle?

Too much packaging?

I was more than a bit surprised today to hear that WalMart Canada is inviting Canadians to submit reports of excess or inappropriate packaging. What would one of the world’s most powerful retail chains want with this information? They plan to turn it over to the manufacturers as part of their efforts to reduce waste. What kind of effect could this have? I don’t know, but one thing I do know is if WalMart demands change from manufacturers, they’ll probably get what they want. So if WalMart wants less packaging, if they want it to be more recyclable, considering the volume of stuff they sell in their 312 stores, that’s going to have a pretty big impact on the waste stream in Canada, not to mention the greenhouse gas output.

In a release, WalMart Canada stated, “It is estimated that just 8 per cent of the environmental impact of Walmart’s business is directly tied to its business operations, and that the remaining 92 per cent relates to products, including packaging. To support its waste reduction goals, Walmart Canada is introducing a packaging scorecard to assess suppliers based on their packaging, including the quantity and qualities of materials used. Scorecard results will play a role in the company’s decision to stock products going forward.“

Any maybe, if Canadians tell manufacturers that they can buy their software or their potato chips or their action figures without the box and the foam and the plastic, manufacturers just might see the opportunity to save a lot of money (not just on the packaging materials, but on the shipping as well) and give light packaging a try. 

What kinds of packaging could you live without?

Doggy Bag package

How to use the Doggy Bag

I’m the lucky recipient of these reuseable takeout food boxes! A friend is home from Japan for a few weeks, and she brought me this neat set of fold-up meal boxes. I love the pictograms advising me of how to use them! (Assembling a box was more difficult, but I’m sure practice makes perfect.) I can’t wait to try these out. They’re plastic, but look like they’ll hold up to a lot of handwashings. This should help me with my takeout food conundrum.

This was a great gift! Have you received or given anything that you think reduces waste in some way?