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Tip of the Week

By Solvie Karlstrom | All Posts

Reduce the Risk of Birth Defects

4:42 pm - September 12, 2006

According to a recent news report in the The Independent, of every 150-200 boys born in the UK, one will have hypospadias, a birth abnormality of the penis. Doctors believe the number of cases have doubled during the past 25 years and researchers consider a possible culprit could be a group of chemicals - phthalates - found in many everyday products including plastics, carpets, fabric, make-up , toys, food packaging, perfume, cosmetics, milk, vegetables, pesticides and sun cream. Known as endocrine disrupters, phthalates have been linked in animal studies to male and female reproductive abnormalities.

Phthalates are in so many everyday products, it may be hard to imagine that there are practical ways to reduce yours and your family's exposure to them, but here are three that you should find easy to implement:

1. Avoid #3 PVC plastics to store food, especially hot, fatty foods, as PVC can leach chemicals such as phthalates.

2. Minimize the use of beauty products, especially those using synthetic fragrances and nail polish, which contain phthalates.

3. Choose toys that are PVC-free, such as those made by Lego, Little Tykes or Early Start.

For other products that are phthalate-free, see The Green Guide's Product Report on Toys and "Drop Dead Gorgeous?" an article on phthalates in cosmetics from GG #92.

© The Green Guide, 2008

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