Invisible Danger? Parents Look Inside the Lunchbox
Photo by Kevin P. Casey/The New York Times
From The New York Times:
“More parents are changing their buying habits to try to protect children from toxins and chemicals.”
Expert opinions vary widely, and the gray area is vast. Dr. Charles M. Yarborough, a member of the Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee of the E.P.A., said there were almost no easy answers for parents. “It’s hard to say something is dangerous or not dangerous,” he said. “There are questions of exposure levels, the age of the child, the toxicity of the chemical and other factors.” He added, “After all, water is toxic if you drink too much too fast.”
Dr. Trasande says children are especially vulnerable to toxins because their body systems are developing. “Once they go off track, you can’t hit the rewind button,” he said. Because of their lower body weight and proximity to the ground, where residue may linger, children feel the effects of household chemicals more than adults, he said.
My opinion? Even if there’s only a small chance of risk, why deal with any risk at all when you have the option not to?
And for the naysayers who don’t believe we have the power, as consumers, to move for change in the industry:
Parents’ buying patterns can lead to industry changes. While phthalates can be used in some children’s toys in the United States, parental pressure led the Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1998 to ask manufacturers to take them out of teething rings and pacifiers, according to Dr. Welshons. “The science was there for some time before, but until parents exerted pressure, such as by not buying the toys, they didn’t change the formulation,” he said.
(Emphasis is mine.)
Further resources:
1. Lead in Children’s Lunchboxes, Center for Environmental Health
2. EPA Children’s Health Protection
3. Naturally Clean: The Seventh Generation Guide by Jeffrey Hollender et. al.
4. The Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Siegel-Maier
5. Better Basics for the Home: Simple Solutions for Less Toxic Living by Annie Berthold-Bond
The Worsted Witch » The School-Lunch Test said,
August 21, 2006 at 11:49 am
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The Worsted Witch » Plastica Melamine Bento Box said,
September 28, 2006 at 3:27 pm
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