30Jan 2019 by Angela Cummings

Reference: Toluene (chemical)

Reference Document (study or article)
Source name: Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR) Reference type:  Toxic Substances Portal Date of study or article: Accessed January 28, 2019. Last updated March 3, 2011. Summary: Toluene affects the immune and nervous system – two of the body’s organ systems. It is a chemical in the volatile organic chemical (VOC) family of chemicals. It’s a clear, colorless liquid that occurs naturally in crude oil and the tolu tree. Further, it is produced during the process of making gasoline and other products from crude oil and coal. It can be found in paints, paint thinners, fingernail polish, lacquers, adhesives, rubber, and in printing, and leather tanning processes. Notable quotes: Link to reference material: ATSDR Toxic Substances Portal - Toluene
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01Nov 2018 by Angela Cummings

What are Phthalates?

Reference Document (study or article)
Phthalates are used to make plastics more flexible and resilient. They’re often called “plasticizers.” Phthalates are also found in vinyl. These chemicals are released from products easily. How can they get into our bodies? Eating: Leaching into food and beverages from plastic packaging or storage containers. Chewing on soft plastic (toys for children, etc) Breathing: Dust particles Vapors Skin: touching products made with phthalates using products made with phthalates (e.g. cosmetics, etc) How might they contribute to health conditions? Phthalates are found in nearly every U.S. person that has been tested. In addition, they’ve been found in breast milk, umbilical cord blood and amniotic fluid. Phthalates pass through the body quickly through urine vs. being stored in fat cells. However, that doesn’t mean they’re “safe.” Their chemical structure is similar…
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01Nov 2018 by Angela Cummings

Reference: Mount Sinai Researchers Identify Respiratory Support as Source of Exposure to Phthalates in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

Reference Document (study or article)
Source name: Mount Sinai Reference type: Press Release Date of study or article: September 26, 2018 Summary: Medical equipment such as nasal prongs that deliver oxygen and air pressure to children in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are a significant source of phthalate exposure in the NICU. In the U.S. 300,000 children are admitted to the NICU – some for weeks or months. Of those, an estimated 200,000 use such medical equipment. The heat and humidity in NICU increases the amount of phthalates released. Notable quotes:  “Our study suggests exposure to common and clinically impactful phthalates still exists, despite efforts by hospital NICUs and medical equipment manufacturers to limit exposure by changing the materials used in feeding supplies. The big takeaway is that there is still more that can be…
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30Oct 2018 by Angela Cummings

Reference: Prenatal exposure to phthalates linked to language delays in children, study says

Reference Document (study or article)
Source name: CNN Reference type: Article Date of reference: October 29, 2018 Summary: Phthalates may cause language development delays in children. That means these chemicals may be affecting children’s brain. See where phthalates can be found, and what they’re used for. The studies looked at phthalate levels in pregnant women via urine samples. Children’s age was 30 month old (Sweden measure) to 2 years old (US measure). The study was published in JAMA Pediatrics. Research was conducted in U.S. and Sweden and included 963 children and mothers from Sweden and 370 mothers and children from the U.S. Notable Quotes: “The study adds to a "body of literature suggesting that there's some impact of prenatal phthalate exposure on children's brain development," according to Braun.” Link to Reference Material: https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/29/health/phthalate-prenatal-language-development-study/index.html
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