Eco-Mamas

Chemically Scented Candles--Does your Nose Know?

EARTH TALK
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: I just read an article that said air fresheners contain chemicals that can cause health problems when inhaled. Are scented candles any better?

        -- Leanne Chacksfield, Cincinnati, OH

Like most air fresheners, many scented candles contain and release phthalates, potentially harmful chemicals that have been linked to the disruption of hormonal systems and other health problems in people exposed to them. Burning candles can also emit small amounts of acetaldehyde, formaldehyde and naphthalene, organic chemicals that are also potentially harmful and that can leave nasty black soot deposits on floors and other surfaces.

According to Pamela Lundquist of the nonprofit Children’s Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC), this black soot deposit “is primarily made up of elemental carbon, but may also contain phthalates and volatile organic compounds like benzene and toluene, which can cause cancer and neurological damage.”

Children can easily ingest these chemicals if their hands have been wandering and end up in their mouths. The chemicals can lodge deep in the lungs, disrupting the lower respiratory tract, exacerbating existing problems like asthma, and potentially causing other longer term breathing problems.

Electric Cars? Cooler than You Think!

Imagine turning the key in the ignition and not hearing a sound? Or zipping around town on errands and not emitting ANY carbon! That's what it's like when driving an electric vehicle (EV). GEM (Global Electric Motorcars) are available for sale here in Connecticut for around $8,000 and they plug right into an outlet. If you're signed up for Clean and Renewable Energy Options at home, you'll feel great about using this to run around doing errands.

The feel of the interior is similar to a VW beetle, with large windows, a sun roof and lots of light. The gas and break pedals are the same as any other car, but the noise--or lack of--is what I found most amazing.

The GEM I drove tops out at 25 mph, but is a perfect alternative to my other cars when doing errands or traveling short distances. They also come in a four seater model, which was spacious enough for me to put groceries and other goodies in the back.

The one I drove was owned by EV proponent, John Papa. "It's great as a second vehicle to use instead of a SUV. Why not have different cars for different functions? The guys at the gas station love it when I drive by," Papa says.

Let's hope the guys who own the automobile industry feel the same way and it doesn't turn into another Who Killed the Electric Car!

Clean Green for Kids's Sake!

Greening our cleaning routines is one of the least expensive and effective ways to improve our indoor air quality and protect our children's sensitive skin from harsh chemicals that often leave residues behind.

Check out this video featuring Chef and organic food advocate, Michel Nischan.

Love that New Car Smell?

Most of us mothers are aware of the pollutants that spew from our exhaust pipes, but what about the adhesives, plastics, rubbers, and other materials that make up our vehicle interior and off-gass into the air we breathe? And if you're like me and hit the recycle button on the highway to avoid diesel fumes--eek!

Off-gassing is the release of volatile or hazardous chemicals from a material or product into the air. The process can take place over months or even years, and given that the interior of a car is a small and enclosed, toxic interiors are of particular concern. Some of the chemicals that are present in our cars are lead, bromine, and PVC and Phthalates, which are endocrine inhibitors. These same materials are used for infant, toddler and booster seats.

The Ecology Center of Ann Arbor, MI has a useful website, www.healthycar.org, that rates most recent models of cars and car seats according to their level of toxicity.

Don't Forget There's Someone in There

I don't know about you, but when I was pregnant, I considered everything that my body (and therefore my baby) was exposed to. I walked a mile-long circle every day around my neighborhood, timing it just right to miss the fleet of school buses that barreled by, spewing black smoke that stung my lungs. On the days that I had to, I'd grin and bear it--holding my breath until they passed--waving to the driver and thinking, "My child will never ride on a diesel bus if I can help it!"

Come to find out, the exposure of pregnant women to air pollution can increase their risk of having low-birth-weight infants, according to recent a Yale study.

Researchers at the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (F&ES) and School of Medicine found that the higher the level of exposure to nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), the greater the risk of having lower-weight infants.

The researchers investigated the exposure of pregnant women for 358,504 births from 1999 to 2002 in 15 Connecticut and Massachusetts counties.

Read on if you like, but before you get too depressed...do OneThing and feel good about taking a step toward a solution.