Lmst

#News: Synthetic #chemicals in #food like #pesticides #PFAS #phthalates cause $2.2tn annual health burden, threaten 200-700m future births. Urgent organic food reform needed now! 🧐🤮 #health #Deforestation @palmoildetect.bsky.social
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/10/synthetic-chemicals-food-system-health-burden-report?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

"Synthetic chemicals in food system creating health burden of $2.2tn a year, report finds

Scientists issue urgent warning about chemicals, found to cause cancer and infertility as well as harming environment"

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/10/synthetic-chemicals-food-system-health-burden-report

#ecology #phthalates #bisphenols #pesticides #Pfas

10 Natural And Non-Toxic #FabricSofteners For #HealthyLaundry

July 10, 2024

"One of the often-overlooked avenues of exposure is our laundry process, where conventional fabric softeners can introduce an array of #SyntheticChemicals to our clothes—chemicals that come in direct contact with our skin.

Whether you’re looking to prioritize your health, protect the environment, or both, transitioning to natural and non-toxic fabric softeners is an excellent step forward. Here’s our list of 10 remarkable alternatives to soften your fabrics, leaving them comfortable and fragrant without compromising on your well-being or the planet’s health.

The Problem With Conventional Fabric Softeners

Conventional fabric softeners, whether they are liquid softeners or #DryerSheets, are formulated to deliver multiple effects, such as making clothes feel softer, reducing static cling, and imparting a pleasant fragrance. To achieve these outcomes, they contain a mixture of chemicals, many of which can potentially be harmful. Here’s how conventional softeners can contain allergens and preservatives:

Fragrance: One of the most notable features of fabric softeners is the scent they leave on clothes. The term “fragrance” on an ingredient label can be a composite of numerous chemicals, many of which are undisclosed due to trade secrets. Some of these chemicals, like #phthalates (used to prolong the life of the scent) or synthetic musks, can be allergenic or even toxic. For example, some individuals can develop allergic reactions to specific fragrance components like Limonene, Linalool, and more.

#Quats (Quaternary ammonium compounds): These are used in fabric softeners for their softening properties. They can coat the fabric to make it feel softer. However, some quats are known to be potential allergens and can be harmful to the respiratory and reproductive systems.

#Preservatives: To extend the shelf life of fabric softeners and prevent the growth of bacteria or mold, preservatives are added. Some common preservatives in fabric softeners include #isothiazolinones, which are known to be potent #SkinAllergens. These compounds can cause skin reactions in some people, especially with prolonged exposure.

Colors or Dyes: To make the product visually appealing, some fabric softeners might contain artificial colors. Some of these dyes can be allergenic to certain individuals and might contain impurities linked to health concerns.

Other ingredients: Depending on the brand and formulation, fabric softeners may contain other chemicals or ingredients that can cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.

Problematic Preservatives

#Isothiazolinones are known allergens found in many consumer products, including conventional liquid detergents. Notable isothiazolinones to avoid include:

benzisothiazolinone
méthylisothiazolinone
méthylchloroisothiazolinone
octylisothiazolinone

How Can You Make Your Clothes Soft Without Risk?

#WoolDryerBalls: They are cost-effective, reusable, and help soften clothes by lightly agitating them in the dryer. They can also smooth out clumps in pillow fillings.

Water Softening Systems: Installing one can alleviate the hardness of the water, which can make clothes feel softer after washing.

Use Natural & Non-Toxic Fabric Softeners

Learn more:
https://theconsciousinsider.com/natural-non-toxic-fabric-softeners/

#SolarPunkSunday #Laundry #SaferProducts #AnimalProducts #Wool #HouseholdProducts

Phthalates in Plastics Pose Growing Risk to Unborn Babies, Health Experts Warn

Scientists and healthcare professionals are increasingly concerned about the harmful effects of phthalates, a group of chemicals commonly found in plastics, on pregnant women and their unborn children. Phthalates, which make plastics stronger and more flexible, have been linked to a variety of healt... [More info]

A summary of phthalate effects on fetuses, including premature birth, ADHD, birth defects, breast cancer, and other effects:

https://futurism.com/neoscope/plastic-chemical-wreaking-havoc-unborn-babies

Links in the text provide additional details.

#Health #Pregnancy #Phthalates #Pollution

Hair and skin care products expose kids to hormone disrupting chemicals, study finds A new study links recent use of personal care products like lotions, ointments & hair conditioners to higher levels of endocrine-disrupting chemicals called #phthalates in young children. www.npr.org/sections/sho...

Hair and skin care products ex...

Chemical exposure from ultra-#ProcessedFoods may contribute to health issues

Shannon Kelleher, May 16, 2025

"Toxic synthetic chemicals that migrate into ultra-processed foods from packaging, processing equipment and other sources may explain why these foods are so bad for our health, according to a new review article.

"In addition to the foods’ poor nutritional value, these chemicals represent an 'underappreciated and understudied' explanation for the link between ultra-processed foods and health problems such as obesity and other chronic diseases, the authors conclude in the article, published Friday in the journal Nature Medicine.

" 'The more (ultra-)processed a foodstuff, the greater its burden of synthetic chemicals generally is,; the authors wrote.

"Ultra-processed foods such as #candies, #HotDogs and #PackagedSoups are industrially made and contain many added ingredients not found in home kitchens, such as #stabilizers and added colors and flavors.

"Thousands of harmful substances including #bisphenols (such as #BPA), #phthalates, #microplastics (tiny plastic particles) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (#PFAS) can leach into industrially produced foods during production, as well as from containers in which the foods are stored and while heating them up before they are eaten, according to the article. Emerging research suggests that even the 'normal and intended use' of plastic materials that come into contact with foods along their journey to our plates can contaminate these products, the authors wrote.

"Research increasingly shows that some of the same synthetic chemicals found in ultra-processed foods, as well as drinking water and other sources, are prevalent in our bodies. About 98% of the US population has PFAS in their blood, while microplastics and even smaller plastic particles (nanoplastics) accumulate in 'just about every portion of your body…no organ is spared, really,' Dr. Sanjay Rajagopalan, director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute at Case Western Reserve University, said during a May 15 webinar hosted by the group Beyond Plastics. Plastic particles have been found in everything from the placenta to the brain, lungs and heart, he said.

"In a 2024 study, Rajagopalan and colleagues found a link between microplastics in the arteries and risks for heart attacks and strokes.

" 'The particles looked quite nasty,' he said. 'They were jagged particles with sharp edges, very similar to cholesterol.' "

#ProcessedFood #PlasticFoodContainers #PlasticWrap #Preservatives #FoodSafety #ToxicChemicals #FoodIsLife #FoodDeserts #GrowYourOwn #CommunityGardens #EatFresh #DowChemical

"Synthetic chemicals called #phthalates, found in consumer products such as food storage containers, shampoo, makeup, perfume and children’s toys, may have contributed to more than 10% of all global mortality from heart disease in 2018 among men and women ages 55 through 64, a new study found. (1/3)

New research linked #phthalates, commonly found in #plastics, to 350,000 deaths globally.

Experts weigh in on how the study was conducted, as well as its limitations in establishing causation versus correlation between the chemicals and deaths.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/29/well/phthalates-heart-disease.html

Common household #plastics linked to thousands of global deaths from #heartdisease, #researchstudy finds | CNN
CNN
—
Synthetic chemicals called #phthalates, found in consumer products such as food storage containers, shampoo, makeup, perfume and children’s toys, may have contributed to more than 10% of all global mortality from heart disease in 2018 among men and women ages 55 through 64, a new study found.

“Phthalates contribute to inflammation and systemic #inflammation in the coronary arteries, which can accelerate existing disease and lead to acute events including mortality,” said senior author Dr. Leonardo Trasande, a professor of pediatrics and population health at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine. He also is director of NYU Langone’s Division of Environmental Pediatrics and Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards.
#plastics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/29/health/phthalates-heart-disease-wellness/index.html

The #research #article about the #phthalates #study is in the #journal eBioMedicine: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(25)00174-4/fulltext (2/2)

#Synthetic #chemicals called #phthalates, found in consumer products such as #food #storage #containers, #shampoo, #makeup, #perfume, & children’s #toys, may have contributed to more than 10% of all global mortality from heart disease in 2018 in people btwn age 55 & 64. https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/29/health/phthalates-heart-disease-wellness/index.html (1/2)

Phthalates & cardiovascular disease: Attributable mortality
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-heart-disease-deaths-worldwide-linked.html
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(25)00174-4/fulltext
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43831142

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/chemicals-product-safety/phthalates.html

* widely used in plastics
* di-2-ethylhexylphthalate
#DEHP #phthalates #EnvironmentalHealth #plastics

@breadandcircuses

According to a study, which was published in Journal of the National Cancer Institute, childhood phthalate exposure is linked to a 20% higher rate of childhood cancer. This association is not reflected for gestational phthalate exposure.

The data also shows a nearly three-fold higher rate of osteosarcoma (a bone cancer) and a two-fold higher rate of lymphoma (a blood cancer).

#phthalates
#children
#cancer

A set of #chemicals found in food #packaging, #plastics, & #lotions & #shampoos has been linked to hundreds of thousands of deaths from #HeartDisease, acc/to a study published Tues.
These chemicals, known as #phthalates, were responsible for >350k deaths worldwide in 2018. ~75% of the deaths were in #Asia, the #MiddleEast & the #Pacific — reflecting growing concern about the amount of #plastic in developing countries.

#PublicHealth #health #science #medicine #environment
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(25)00174-4/fulltext

Expecting mothers, beware: Everyday products may harbor hidden risks. New research links prenatal phthalate exposure to newborn brain development issues. #PregnancyHealth #ChemicalExposure #Phthalates

https://geekoo.news/prenatal-exposure-to-phthalates-unveiling-risks-to-newborn-brain-development/

Multiple studies have proven the impact of #endocrine #disruptors, e.g. #phthalates and #parabens, on #thyroid #homeostasis. It was unknown, however, that these effects depend on whether or not the included persons are fasting.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39826653/

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2025.120880

Associations between urinary chemicals and thyroid hormones, GD, or GT: results from single-exposure models. Group 1 (n = 340; n = 339 for TSH) indicates the non-fasting group, Group 2 (n = 254; n = 252 for TSH) indicates the fasting group, and Total indicates the total population, including both Group 1 and Group 2 (n = 594; n = 591 for TSH). Age, BMI, urinary creatinine, and education level were adjusted, and the group by fasting status was further adjusted in the total population. *p < 0.05; #p < 0.1.

Phthalate metabolites measured in both groups included mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl)phthalate (MEOHP), mono(5-carboxy-2-ethylpentyl) phthalate (MECPP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP), and MBzP. For parabens, methylparaben (MeP), EtP, and propylparaben (PrP) were measured.

#Perfumes and scented products might be silently impacting your #health and your children's. Studies highlight the dangers of #phthalates, #chemicals linked to #insulin resistance, #cardiovascular disease, and developmental issues in kids. The concern? Long-term, multi-generational effects on our bodies. #HealthAwareness #phthalatefree