Portland nonprofit warns of dangers of common household chemicals
Courtesy / Environmental Health Strategy Center
According to a national report from the Portland-based Environmental Health Strategy Center, these are some of the common sources of phthalates in homes.
An effort by Maine activists has led to a new national report and requirement by manufacturers of paints and cleaning products across the United States to disclose their use of chemical ingredients called phthalates, which disrupt hormones in the body.
A national report from the Portland-based Environmental Health Strategy Center called “What Stinks? Toxic Phthalates in Your House,” released Thursday found that phthalates (pronounced (THAL-ates), are present in more household products than previously thought.
Manufacturers including 3M, Hallmark Cards, Gap, Sherwin-Williams and True Value are now revealing that phthalates are an ingredient in the fragrances they use in their products, according to a statement by the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine.
Health concerns
Phthalates have been linked to reproductive harm, learning disabilities, asthma and allergies, even at low levels of exposures. Several phthalates are prohibited in children’s products in the United States.
“The data provides new examples of products that are letting these hormone-assaulting chemicals infiltrate our bathrooms, kitchens, schools, and ultimately, our bodies,” Mike Belliveau, executive director of the Maine-based Environmental Health Strategy Center, said in a statement. “To protect public health, manufacturers and retailers should move quickly to replace phthalates with safer substitutes.”
Maine, California, Vermont, Oregon and Washington are among the states that have passed laws authorizing mandatory disclosure of chemicals in products that could harm babies and children. However, the reporting requirements still exempt many common household products.
Among the priority chemicals Maine requires for disclosure are four types of phthalates.
Manufacturers also are reporting the use of phthalates in vinyl plastic in clothing and shoes as well as fragrances and personal care products. Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to soften and increase the flexibility of plastic and vinyl.
Citizens causing change
The data in the report came from a 2014 citizen-led petition in Maine in which parents, physicians, salon workers and business owners collected 2,071 signatures. That led to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection naming the four priority phthalates.
Early in 2014, 25 Mainers had their bodies tested for the presence of seven different phthalates, according to the alliance, and the results prompted the petition.
The report recommended that state policymakers expand disclosure requirements to include chemicals of high concern in all consumer products. It also said the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission should adopt pending rules to expand the ban on phthalates in toys and childcare items.Businesses should phase out all phthalates, the report said. And consumers should speak up and demand that product manufacturers and retailers sell only phthalate-free products.
The full report is available online.
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