Rebecca Meuninck
Blog Post List
May 8, 2012
Sometimes nothing in the world can be so refreshing as taking a long drink straight from the hose after mowing the grass or working in the garden. And who doesn’t remember splashing through the spray from the sprinkler? But those simple pleasures might not be so simple or safe, thanks to the lead and other toxic chemicals that are being used in hoses and other garden products, chemicals that can find their way into the water you drink and the soil in your garden. In a recent study by HealthyStuff.org , a project of the Ecology Center , we found high amounts of lead, phthalates and the toxic...
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March 15, 2012
Most of us Moms wear jewelry, not necessarily fancy, diamond studded jewelry, just everyday jewelry that brightens up our look a bit. We aren’t surprised when our jewelry ends up in our kids’ mouths every once in a while. Most babies think necklaces make excellent teethers! But, what happens if that impromptu teether (ie necklace) contains chemicals that can harm our kids’ health? HealthyStuff.org recently purchased inexpensive jewelry from popular retailers across the country like Target, Claire's, and Kohl's. More than half of the necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and other samples that we...
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February 20, 2012
Sometimes it’s hard to discern what that funny smell is in your car if you have kids, pets, or both. But the smell I’m most worried about when I get into a car is that “New Car Smell.” Some folks love it because it means your car is bright, shiny and new. Personally, I’m not too keen on it. HealthyStuff.org just released new data on toxic chemicals in new cars. The “new car smell” is actually the smell of toxic chemicals being released from interior auto parts such as the seating, dashboards and vehicle trim. Since 1960 the amount of plastics used in vehicles has grown 10-fold, rising from 22...
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December 22, 2011
Last week we hosted an event to test toys and holiday gifts for toxic chemicals. We do these events across Michigan and inevitably find some nasty chemical in one or more toys. At this particular event a mother of two came in carrying a large bag of her four-year-old son’s treasured items. She came to our event because her son’s blood lead levels recently came back at 10ug, a level at which most pediatricians recommend caution. She hired a lead assessor to test to lead in her home. She threw out the dishes that tested high for lead, and was even planning to remove her bathtub. Then she told...
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October 27, 2011
Halloween is full of spooky surprises and some of these surprises are more welcomed than others. Goblins, ghosts, and little ones in costumes – we’ll take them! Toxic chemicals, like cadmium and other heavy metals in Halloween makeup and accessories – that’s a creepy surprise we’d all like to avoid. We recently tested common Halloween makeup that is often used by young children, and posted the results on our website HealthyStuff.org. We found one or more toxic heavy metals in 100% of the 31 Halloween makeup products tested. The study looked for heavy metals, including cadmium, mercury, lead,...
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August 12, 2011
As parents we know how important it is to make sure our kids are securely fastened into their car seat or booster seat. Car seats saves lives, but when it comes to nasty chemicals not all car seats are alike. Last week, we released a study on toxic chemicals in children's car seats on our website HealthyStuff.org. While some of the car seats we tested were virtually free of the most dangerous chemicals, over half (60%) contained at least one chemical of concern, like bromine, chlorine, lead, and other heavy metals. Yuck. Watch this news clip from ABC to learn more More than 150 2011-model car...
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