Public health experts have been warning consumers for the last few years about the possible risk of BPA exposure from the epoxy lining in food and beverage cans. Now a November 2011 study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health shows the concern to be well-founded. The Harvard study found highly elevated levels [...]
To Raise Healthy Children, Reduce Exposure to Toxins
by Sheryl on 14. Dec, 2010 in chemicals, drinking water, green living, health, organic, plastic
Nowadays, raising healthy children requires more than keeping them safe from germs. It also requires protecting them from toxic chemicals pervading their everyday environment, from phthalates, BPA, organophosphates and PBDE flame retardants to lead and mercury. For tips on how to reduce your children’s risk, read, print and share my latest This Green Life column [...]
BPA-free Receipts
by Sheryl on 10. Nov, 2010 in chemicals, health
Starting next month, you will be able to tell whether the receipt you’ve been handed is BPA-free by checking for red marks on the back. Red marks = BPA-free. This move is courtesy of Appleton, the largest thermal paper maker and only manufacturer of BPA-free receipts in the U.S. It is beginning to add red [...]
What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You
by Sheryl on 09. Nov, 2010 in chemicals, green living, health
The invisible chemicals present in everyday products include toxins that pose serious long-term health risks. That’s why I pulled together a new page for you on Staying Healthy. Take the time to learn about these hidden dangers and how to avoid them. Your health is worth it. Really.
BPA Linked to Heart Disease, Study Confirms
by Sheryl on 13. Feb, 2010 in chemicals, food, health
Heer’s another reason to steer clear of food and drink packaging containing BPA — it’s been linked to higher rates of heart disease. In a sampling of U.S. adults, those with the highest levels of BPA in their urine were almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary heart disease than those with the lowest [...]
Are Brita and Pur Water Pitchers BPA-free?
by Sheryl on 31. Oct, 2009 in chemicals, drinking water, health, plastic, shopping
My family has used a Brita pitcher for years to filter our water and make it safer to drink and I have always insisted our kids use it, rather than drink directly from the tap. Recently, though, I began to wonder if the pitcher itself might contain a dangerous chemical — bisphenol A (BPA) — [...]
BPA-free Water Bottles
by Sheryl on 20. Feb, 2009 in chemicals, drinking water, health, shopping
Are the new breed of clear, hard “BPA-free” water bottles made with Tritan – from Nalgene, Kor, Camelbak, Thermos and others — safer than the polycarbonate bottles they replaced? Not necessarily. To assess their safety, we would need to know what chemicals are in the bottles, not just that BPA is not. After all, other [...]
Which Plastics are Microwavable?
by Sheryl on 18. Feb, 2009 in chemicals, food, health, plastic
The question of which plastics are microwavable can be answered different ways, depending on what you mean by “microwavable.” If you just want to know whether a plastic container will withstand microwaving without becoming damaged or exposing you to on-the-spot injury (such as a burn), the answer is, follow the instructions on the container. However, [...]
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This Green Blog is the companion blog to NRDC's This Green Life, a green living column written by Sheryl Eisenberg for the Natural Resources Defense Council. (Subscribe to get it for FREE each month.) Sheryl has also written Greentips for the Union of Concerned Scientists and designs websites for environmental groups and others with her firm, Mixit Productions.
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