Cosmetic chemicals controversial

By Debbie Gardener

PRIME Editor

SPRINGFIELD Do you really know what's in that deodorant you slapped on your armpits this morning?

How about the toothpaste you put on your child's toothbrush before you told them to "brush for two minutes"?

No, I'm not talking about the recent product scares raised by plastic and fertilizer chemicals found in some Chinese-made toothpaste products.

I'm talking about the chemicals many that are unregulated and untested that the U.S. cosmetic and personal care industries can legally add to the things we use every day.

"There are thousands and thousands of ingredients in cosmetics [and] over 15,000 cosmetics out there [in the marketplace]," Bill Ravanesi, Boston Regional Director for Health Care Without Harm told an audience of over 50 men and women who gathered for his talk on "The Ugly Truth About Cosmetics" at Reeds Landing Retirement Community in late October.

The Reeds Landing Green Sox an environmental group comprised of residents in the community sponsored two talks by Ravanesi to accommodate public interest in the topic.

Ravanesi said his goal was to make the public aware of how many of these often untested and potentially harmful chemicals are absorbed by their bodies every year, and how individuals can make choices to reduce what he called each individual's personal "body load."

"The chemicals in any one consumer product is unlikely to do harm, " he said.

However, it's the cumulative effect of the 25-or-more products most of us use before breakfast that's the cause for concern.

As an example, he said women, on average, absorb approximately three pounds of potentially cancer-causing ingredients from cosmetics and personal care products per year.

He also indicated that of the 10,500 ingredients the cosmetics industry admits to using in their products, "only 11 percent have been tested for safety . that's a pretty staggering statistic."

He said individuals can check out what's in many common cosmetic and personal care products by clicking on the link to the searchable, online "Skin Deep" report at www.safecosmetics.org

The Web site, compiled by the Environmental Working Group, classifies the overall health hazard of products on a scale of zero to 10, with zero being the least concern, and 10 being the gravest.

The ratings are also color-coded from green to red.

"If enough people start using this database and start buying safer products, this will be a very powerful message to the cosmetic companies," Ravanesi said.

Tell your legislator to cut toxins

As part of his lecture, Ravanesi also alerted the audience to a bill, S558 "An Act for a Healthy Massachusetts: Safer Alternative for Toxic Chemicals" which would require companies to replace many of the chemicals used to produce consumer goods such as plastic water bottles, vinyl children's toys and shower curtains.

He urged the audience to contact their legislators about the bill, asking them to support its passage.

"Since World War II, 85,000 synthetic chemicals have been introduced into the environment," Ravanesi said. "Ninety are linked to cancer, birth defects and other health problems."

The bill targets what Ravanesi referred to as the "toxic 10" industrial chemicals, requiring companies that do business in Massachusetts to use a safer alternative to these chemicals where possible.

The "toxic 10" list of chemicals includes: lead; formaldehyde; TCE (Trichloroethylene); Perc (Perchloroethlene); Dioxins and furans; Hexavalent Chromium; Organophosphate pesticides; 2,4-Dherbicide; PBDEs (Polybrom-inated Diphenyl Ethers) and Dehp (Diethylhexylphthalate).

"Essentially, three-quarters of the Senate co-sponsored this bill. We expect it will pass," Elizabeth Saunders, spokesperson for Clean Water Action, told Reminder Publications.

However, according to information posted on the State News Service Web site, Bill S558 came before the Massachusetts State Senate on Nov. 15, where it was tabled at the request of some business leaders.

"The bill has been tabled, but that doesn't mean it will be a long delay," Saunders said late on Nov. 15.

She said the bill could come up for reconsideration as early as Nov. 20.

"We ask people to call and write their state senators to tell them that they what this bill passed through," she said.

Saunders also said a list of senators, along with an e-mail letter to legislators and the most up-to-date information on the status of the bill, can be found on Clean Water's Web site at www.cleanwater.org To find the letter and information, click the state focus tab on the top toolbar and then the Massachusetts link.