In this module, we examine these two videos on personal care products that put into context on the realities of toxins and hazards that "every-day" Americans may face on a daily basis. The first video is a video by Sarada Tangirala and the Breast Cancer Prevention Partners and the second video is a presentation by Ken Cook and the Environmental Working Group.
In the Safe Cosmetics 101 video, Tangirala highlights the importance of being mindful when shopping for cosmetics. Tangirala's example of Triclosan in handsoap resonated with me. Tangirala discussed that "plain soap and water" is good enough and that in-fact Triclosan can create specifically-resistant bacteria. Another important message that I took away from this video was the description of "Fragrance." As I mentioned in my previous blog post, "Fragrance" was a high-hazardous material found in the Jack Black All-Over Wash for Face, Hair & Body. A surprising fact to me was that "Fragrance" can be a substitute for "dozens to even hundreds" chemicals that do not have to be disclosed. This lack of transparency was alarming to me.
In the Ken Cook presentation, a quote that surprised me was comparing evidence of health hazards in industrial chemicals to "silent pandemics." This quotation from Lancet (2008) and the visual emphasis had a profound effect on me. The comparison with "stacking pancakes" was interesting and put the environmental risks in perspective. Ken Cook's call to action to make advances in removing hazardous material off of the market was inspirational and relatable. The Kid-Safe Chemicals Act is used to highlight this call to action through safety reviews, bans, and phase-outs. I personally like that the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act presume that chemicals found in umbilical cord blood are unsafe.
Reference:
Breast Cancer Prevention Partners - BCPP. (2013, March 20). Safe Cosmetics 101 [Video File]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-Ee_alZJJw
Environmental Working Group. (2012, July 23). "10 Americans" by Environmental Working Group [Video File]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-kc3AIM_LU
This exercise helped me see that people all over the world are using products that are harming to the self or to the environment, and most of us are oblivious to it. You raise a great point about specifically-resistant bacteria. It's great to promote good hand hygiene, but if soap products have ingredients that can feed and mutate bacteria to a point where we can't fight or treat them, then this poses a major public health threat. We need to be more careful about the products we're developing and understand how they'll affect human beings and the planet.
ReplyDeleteAntonio, I found the information on the umbilical cord shocking. To think that the womb is no longer the safest place for an unborn child because transmission of hazardous chemicals are found within the child at birth and in the umbilical cord. This is such unfortunate information to digest.
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