BE AWARE OF THE

CHEMICALS WE USE

from Jodi Brunner

You may be one of the Environmentally Ill even if you are not clinically diagnosed as such.

If you can identify with the following list of symptoms, environmental illness could very well be an issue of concern:

• Frequent headaches;

• Frequent flu-like cold symptoms;

• Vision problems;

• Problems with breathing;

• Blurred or heavy eyelids;

• Feeling bloated;

• Pressure behind eyes;

• Retaining body fluids;

• Often feeling under stress;

• Forgetfulness;

• Frequent irritability/anxiety;

• Weakness and pain in legs/soreness in hips, legs, knees, back, feet, joints;

• Tingling or numbness in arms or legs;

• Sleeping problems/waking in morning and feeling tired;

• Persistent coughing and tightness in the chest;

• Allergies and rheumatoid arthritis or other auto immune system disorders;

• Frequent visits to homeopathic medical practitioners/clinics and getting endless tests with negative or inconclusive results or receiving numerous treatments that seem to work for a while but are not effective over the long term;

• Reaching a stage where you have tried everything and not making progress;

• Upon thinking back you notice that the problems seemed to have started when you received a large dose of a toxin such as a herbicide or pesticide, or moved into a different house or started a new job.

These are symptoms of a new age industrial society bordering on the brink of toxic overload.

Most of the symptoms above occur from pollutants in our own homes and places of work.

The following is a list of chemicals and pollutants that should be avoided and are definitely not recommended building materials for use in the home or workplace whenever possible:

1. FLOORING AND INSULATION made from granite, slate, pumice. perlite, vermiculite, calcium silicate may produce dust which can cause silicosis and suspected lung cancer or release radio active radiation;

2. REINFORCED CONCRETE problems include dust from cement which may cause dermatitis and pollution of the environment; aggregate may be radio active; chemical additive for fast curing, etc. may be toxic; reinforcing may cause electromagnetic field distortion and is heavy on the environment;

3. WALLS AND CEILINGS  made from plaster board may contain phosphor gypsum and may be radio active which can cause leukaemia and lung cancer;

4. INSULATION, ROOFING, GUTTERING, CLADDING, REINFORCING, FILLING, TEXTURED CEILINGS, etc. made from asbestos may emit loose fibres or dust which can create asbestosis, fibrosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer. Asbestos is widely banned in the world but is still present everywhere;

5. INSULATION from glass fibre and rock fibre may contain micro fibres which can cause eye and skin irritations (i.e. when fibres are less that 3.5 microns diameter and thinner than 1.5 microns).

   Both fibres are listed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) under its 2b classification as “possibly carcinogenic”.

   They may also contain synthetic resin, formaldehyde with toxic outgassing (emission of odours) and other chemicals (see fungicides, pesticides and insecticides).

   Mercerated paper may contain boric acid and ammonia with possible toxic outgassing.

   Aluminium foil does not breathe and may distort natural electromagnetic fields and is heavy on the environment.

   Polystyrene with vinyl or benzene can act as a mutagen.

   Polyester with styrene or benzene can cause skin and eye irritation, nausea and leukemia;

6. HOT WATER CYLINDER, PIPES, FLASHING AND GALVANISING include copper, lead and zinc which can poison when ingested;

7. GUTTER, WATER PIPE, SEWER, FITTINGS, CLADDING AND FOAM made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) can encourage fungi and bacteria growth and may become mutagenic, when dioxin producing as dust or gas. These products made from polythene (ethylene) can act as a narcotic;

8. SYNTHETIC FLOOR, WALL AND CEILING SURFACES, PLASTICS AND CLEAR SHEETS made from vinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride can as a narcotic; made from acrylic, polyacrylics, as monomers, can be neuro toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic;

9. PAINTS may contain lead which can cause poisoning by skin contact, ingestion or inhalation.

   If made with manganese, antimony and titanium can cause poisoning; from chromium and mercury can cause dermatitis ulcer and cancer as dust and ingested.

   Acrylic and polyurethane paints can act as neuro toxics, mutagens or carcinogens; tributyltin oxide as fungicide can be mutagenic.

   Pentachlorphenol as a preservative can be skin corrosive and toxic.

   Polychlorinated biphenyls as insecticide can be toxic and are banned since 1977 but not environmentally persistent; phenol resins, toluene, epoxy, xylene and oxide pigments are all potentially toxic;

10. PAINT STRIPPER, SOLVENTS made from acetone can irritate the mucous membrane; from benzene can irritate the respiratory system, cause anaemia, cancer and damage of the central nervous system (banned in UK).

    If made from xylene can damage heart, liver and kidney, depress central nervous system and can act as an embryo toxic and teratogen.

    From methylen chloride and methyl chloride can damage brain and act as a carcinogenic and mutagenic; from mineral turpentine and hydrocarbon can irritate the respiratory system and can cause nausea;

11. SEALANT made from tar, pitch, bitumen or oil may cause skin cancer when skin is in contact; acrylic polymer coating may be neurotoxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic;

12. ADHESIVES may contain epoxies with polyamine hardeners and unreacted resin which can cause dermatitis, asthma, eye and respiratory irritation.

    Adhesives with polyurethane as fumes, offgassing and toxic smoke when on fire can irritate skin and respiratory tract and can cause asthma.

    Phenol’s with formaldehyde gas can sensitise or irritate eyes, nose and throat and can cause dermatitis, headache and fatigue.

    Polyvinyl acetate (PVA), methyl ethyl, toluene and hexane are all potentially toxic;

13. BINDERS in wood products such are particle board, ply wood, hard board, etc. may contain urea formaldehyde, being a suspected asthma trigger and carcinogen (banned in areas of the USA);

14. TIMBER TREATMENT may contain phenol’s and chlorine and can cause eczema, paralysis, etc.; zinc chlorides can cause liver and kidney troubles; hydrocarbon and fluorides can cause anaemia and metabolic disturbances.

Chlorinated phenol’s and arsenic salts can cause paralysis and oedema; copper-zinc naphtenate and copper-chrome-arsenic tenalith can cause poisoning by skin contact, inhaling arsenic trioxide and arsenic toxic ash;

15. PRESERVATIVES as creosote with polycyclic aromatic can be carcinogenic;

16. FUNGICIDES as pentachlorphenols with dioxin inhaled can be toxic and skin corrosive;

17. INSECTICIDES in wall paper and timer as permethin, lindane, dieldrin, benzene hexachloride, are all suspected carcinogenic (these are banned in NZ but may be imported to NZ or Australia).

Borer protection may contain chlordane which is highly persistent and toxic; pest strips can contain dichlorvos which is suspected carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, fetotoxic and neurotoxic;

18. FIRE RETARDANT may contain polychlorinated and polybromo biphenyls (PCB) which are highly toxic;

19. COMBUSTION creating toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitro dioxide and sulphur dioxide can create breathing difficulties, headaches, damage to the respiratory system and central nervous system.

 

If this list is of some concern to you, maybe you should take another look at the chemicals used in your house or building to determine their detrimental effects.