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Wed, 24 May 2006

Pthalates in Cosmetics and Avian Flu

From Earth Talk, 5.21.06, E-Magazine

This week's issue of Earth Talk answers questions about pthalates in cosmetics, and the avian bird flu potential pandemic.

The info on pthalates in cosmetics comes from the Environmental Working Group report on their Not Too Pretty campain, launched in 2002. Pthalates are industrial chemicals, used as solvents in cosmetics such as hair sprays, deodorants, nail polishes and perfumes, and as plastic softeners in consumer products such as children's toys and medical devices. The industry backed Phthalate Information Center states that pthalates haven't been shown to cause health problems, while the EWG cites studies which indicate that pthalates may damage the liver, kidneys, lungs and reproductive systems. If you decide that you don't want to be experimented on, EWG's Skin Deep database lists lotions, creams and polishes containing pthalates.

Avian Flu information comes from the Wildlife Trust and from the Health Canada Avian Flu (Bird Flu) Website I think most of us know this already: "Bird flu is a viral infection naturally carried by wild birds, notably ducks that can infect other birds but not get sick themselves. Domestic poultry, however, are very susceptible to the disease and usually get sick and die once infected. Humans, in turn, can catch the disease through close contact with infected birds." We've heard the 'We're all gonna die' scenarios. What's interesting is that "Some researchers see habitat loss as a key factor in the unusual spread of the disease between wild and domestic birds." and suggest habitat restoration as the best way to prevent a bird flu pandemic.

Read all about it at Earth Talk