Health and Toxics

by Dave Stevens and Delores Broten

There is good reason to doubt that anyone in Canada  has a solid handle on how much air pollution Canadians are exposed to.

Pollution data comes mainly from two sources, self-reports by the polluters, published in the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) and ambient (outdoor) measurements taken by firms and governments.

Ambient air pollution monitors  are located where the pollution they assess  is, to some degree, representative of what people will breathe. In Smithers BC, where I live, the particulate matter (PM) monitors are co-located with St. Joseph's School in the middle of town. This is a common situation in BC.

After years of foot dragging, and led by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Canadian government finally admitted in 2002 that yes, there was, maybe, a problem with Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) treated wood. The problem, admitted the government, was especially important for applications where children are exposed to the run off or even surface deposits, such as playgrounds, decks and picnic tables. In the US, the manufacturers had agreed to label the CCA treated wood, and take the product off the consumer market, after remaining stocks were sold in 2003.

by Susan MacVittie

In August, 2009 the Government of British Columbia committed to consult British Columbians on "new statutory protections to further safeguard the environment from cosmetic chemical pesticides." Their intention is to seek input and then determine if, and how, legislation could be amended to address concerns about the cosmetic use of pesticides in British Columbia. A consultation paper discussing the issues is available for review and comments on the Ministry of Environment website (see below). Comments are due by Feb 15, 2010.

by Philip Dickey

Adapted from the WS May/July 2005 issue

Turn on the TV or read any home-oriented magazine and you'll see them. Ads for all kinds of household products containing germ-killing ingredients are everywhere. Hand soap, dishwashing liquid, underwear, kitchen sponges, toothbrushes, toothpaste, mattresses, cutting boards, window cleaner, socks, cycling shorts, chop sticks, and facial tissues are all being marketed for their ability to kill germs.

It's been estimated that more than 700 antimicrobial-infused products are now available, including 76% of all liquid soaps. Consumers, driven by frightening stories of E. coli outbreaks, bizarre viruses, and drug-resistant germs are buying this stuff in the hopes that it will keep them safe (or their gym clothes from smelling).

Disinfectants, Antiseptics, and Antimicrobials

If you are confused by all the names and labels, you're not alone.

Antimicrobial is the general term for any product or ingredient that kills or inhibits bacteria, viruses, or moulds.

Antibacterials, on the other hand, are only effective against bacteria. Until recently, the main kinds of home antimicrobial products were disinfectants and antiseptics.

Disinfectants are products that kill micro-organisms (usually both bacteria and viruses) on surfaces like countertops or toilet seats.

by Susan MacVittie

Sunscreen has been touted over the past several decades as an essential protector from the sun's burning rays and the advent of skin cancer, but some Canadian dermatologists say that the incidence rates have more than doubled in the last 20 years for all types of skin cancer. Not applying enough, not reapplying frequently and not purchasing the proper kind of sunscreen are a few of the mistakes that people make.

Introduction by Delores Broten

If you use the internet, a WiFi connection seems like the greatest thing since cell phones. Increasingly, however, questions are being asked about the health impact of these handy devices and their signal towers. Each expansion of the technology spreads more invisible rays through our schools, our cities, and our bodies.

Digging into the information on electromagnetic fields (EMF) is a minefield, occasionally entertain­ing, frequently fascinating, definitely complicated, certainly a great way to spend a lot of time to win few an­swers.

Information compiled by Leslie Gillett

Canada is set to raise its limits on pesticide residues on fruit and veg­etables for hundreds of products.

The move is part of an effort to harmonize Canadian pesticide rules with those of the United States, which allows higher residue levels for 40 per cent of the pesticides it regulates. Differences in residue limits, which apply both to domestic and imported food, pose a potential "trade irritant," said Richard Aucoin, chief registrar of the Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), which sets Canada's pesticide rules.

However, Canada will only raise its limits "where this poses no risks," he stressed.

Since the 1980s the global consumption of cotton has risen dramatically; almost doubling in the last 30 years. With demand now in excess of 25 million tonnes annually, the world's consumers buy more cotton today than ever before, and that cotton is routinely dosed with hazardous chemicals. The authors of a new report advise consumers to "Pick Your Cotton Carefully" and choose organic, fairly traded cotton.

by Anne Sherrod

Four New Zealand groups - the Safe Food Campaign, Pesticide Action Network, Soil & Health, and the Breast Cancer Network - have put the pesticide Endosulfan at the top of their list of hazardous substances that ought to be banned. This organochlorine is sprayed on vegetables and fruits, leaving residues in soil, water, air, and food. It has been linked to breast cancer, hormonal disruption, and fetal, genetic, neurological, behavioural, and immune system damage at very low doses.

by Susan MacVittie

Melamine

The nitrogen-rich industrial chemical was added to watered-down milk to mask the resulting protein deficiency and fool quality tests.

Offshore outsourcing has been a boon to the modern globalized economy, but regulating what happens in a factory half way across the world is difficult and - as in the recent case of the melamine scandal in China – can be deadly business.
Since September, well-known brands such as Cadbury and Nestle have been pulling stock from shelves in Asia. Melamine-laced baby formula and other dairy products in China are blamed for sickening nearly 54,000 children and leading to four infant deaths. The nitrogen-rich industrial chemical was added to watered-down milk to mask the resulting protein deficiency and fool quality tests.