Here’s the bad news: Almost every day there are new studies linking exposure to toxic substances to health risks–from autism to asthma to infertility to cancer (You can keep up-to-date with the latest science by subscribing to Environmental Health News). The continual onslaught is especially depressing when coupled with the results of biomonitoring studies (like [...]
Founded in 1981, Beyond Pesticides is a non-profit organization devoted to assessing and publicizing the risks of conventional pest management practices and identifying and promoting healthy and environmentally-friendly non-chemical alternatives. Beyond Pesticides provides a wealth of information about pesticides including the Pesticide Gateway, a database of 80+ pesticides, and fact sheets on non-chemical treatments for a range of pests, from ants to rodents to wasps.
Perkins + Will, a commercial planning and design firm in Boston, has recently released a great new green resource for design/build professionals and the public alike. The Perkin + Will Precautionary List is an online directory of chemicals used in building products that are listed by government agencies as harmful to human health. You can search the directory by chemical, material use, and health impact.
Founded in 1981 by Lois Gibbs, CHEJ exists to help families and communities protect themselves from exposure to enviromental toxins. Gibbs was spurred to action by her own community’s environmental health nightmare: She and her neighbors had been poisoned by toxic chemicals buried beneath their homes by Hooker Chemical Corporation. Since then, CHEJ has help communities organize to stop pollution and hold polluters accountable. CHEJ works on a variety of campaigns, including one to phase out the use of Poly Vinyl Chloride (dubbed “The Poison Plastic”) and another to help schools engage in environmental advocacy. They also publish a variety of fact sheets and reports on environmental health issues for the general public.
What is Bisphenol-A and why is exposure bad for you health? What about phthalates and perchloroethylene? Where in your everyday life might you encounter toxic chemicals and what can you do to protect yourself? If you have questions about chemicals and health, there is no better resource than Tox Town. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine, Tox Town provides easy to understand descriptions of toxic chemicals, information about exposure and links for those interested in learning more.