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Safe Products in the Home: Useful Links
- HealthyStuff.org is a shopping tool unlike any other. Our database includes test results for more than 5,000 products because there’s no other way to tell what's inside. The chemicals used in these everyday products build up in our bodies and our environment.
- The Safer Products Project provides a guide to chemicals of concern found in consumer products in your home, as well as safe alternatives. Read the Safer Products Chemical House Guide here.
- The Washington Toxics Coalition has information on toxic compounds in specific consumer product groups: www.watoxics.org
- The Healthy Building Network provides information about the most important building materials to avoid in order to reduce the release of persistent bioaccumulative toxic chemicals.
- The National Environmental Trust analyzed thechemical content of common products such as personal care products, cleaners, paints, and adhesives. The results of the report can be found here.
- The Citizen’s Environmental Coalition has published a guide to safe building materials and appliances called Building Green Without Going in the Red: A Household Guide to Healthy, Affordable Building Materials. View it here.
- Greenpeace provides a database on which everyday products contain PVC plastic including building materials, clothing, and baby products.
The US EPA has a website which lists the contents of common consumer products.
The following organizations also provide extensive information on least toxic pest control options for many common pests in the home and garden:
Children’s Environmental Health Resources
- Michigan Network for Children’s Environmental Health: www.mnceh.org
- Center for Children’s Health and the Environment: www.childenvironment.org
- Children’s Environmental Health Network: www.cehn.org
- Institute for Children’s Environmental Health: www.iceh.org
- Healthy Child Healthy World: www.healthychild.org
- National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences: www.niehs.nih.gov
PBDE Resource Links
Articles and reports from the Environmental Working Group
- Toxic Fire Retardants in American Homes
- Toxic Fire Retardants (PBDEs) in Human Breast Milk
- Chemical Company Agrees to Early Phaseout of Two Toxic Fire Retardants (via AScribe Newswire)
- EPA Moves Toward Ban of Toxic Fire Retardants (via AScribe Newswire)
Report from the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan
- Body of Evidence: New Science in the Debate over Toxic Flame Retardants and Our Health
- Download full report (pdf / 1.56 mb)
Articles related to BFRs in From the Ground Up, the Ecology Center’s newsletter
- Toxic Fire Retardants Found in U.S. Women’s Breast Milk; Study Urges Chemical Ban, But Says Breastfeeding Still Best for Baby & Mom
- Cleaning Up Consumer Products … and Your Breast Milk Too!
- Cell Phones and Electronics Pose a Serious Threat
The Ecology Center recently released a report, Toxic At Any Speed, which found significantly higher levels of PBDEs in vehicle dust and windshield wipe samples than those found in homes and offices in previous studies.
Ecology Center Press Releases:
- Health Advocates Applaud New State Ban on Flame Retardants (January 4, 2005)
- High Levels of Toxic Fire Retardants Found in House Dust; Federal Phaseout Leaves Americans at Risk (May 12, 2004)
- Widely Used Flame Retardants Break Down into Banned Chemicals, Threaten Health (February 18, 2004)