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Kids and Chemicals Background Information for H.B. 848, the Toxic Free Kids Act
For more information contact: Fawn Pattison, Toxic Free NC [email protected] Toxic Free NC is a non-‐profit organization dedicated to protecting children’s health, a clean environment, and a vibrant economy. www.ToxicFreeNC.org
What’s the Problem? Harmful chemicals continue to be found in children’s products, even though safer alternatives are available. Toxic chemicals known to be used in the products that children use every day include: • BPA food packaging such as baby food jar lids and can linings. • Phthalates in toys, scented lotions, shampoos and other personal care products. • Flame retardants in nursery furniture, nursing pillows and carseats. There is no comprehensive system in place to assure that highly hazardous chemicals are not being used in children’s products. That means many toxic chemicals are ending up in a place they shouldn’t: our children’s bodies. The Toxic Free Kids Act [H.B. 848] will use market-‐driven solutions to put an end to the toxic treadmill in the products that children use every day.
Children are not little adults. Their bodies are developing at an amazing rate. Pound for pound, they drink more water, breathe more air, and ingest more food than adults do. That means they’re also exposed to much higher concentrations of the chemical pollution all around us.1 Cancer is on a slow and steady increase in American children, rising 22% between 1975 and 2004.2 Autism now affects 1 in 88 American children, and 1 in 54 boys.3 Exposure to toxic chemicals is an important factor in these devastating diseases.
Citations for this fact sheet available upon request.
Priority Chemicals
Phthalates are used as softeners in PVC plastic, and as fragrance-‐binders in cosmetics like baby shampoo. Exposure is linked to:7 Reproductive Health Problems Respiratory problems Cancer
TRIS flame retardants are used in textiles such as nursery
furniture, and foam products like nursing pillows and the padding in carseats.
Exposure to TRIS flame retardants has been linked to: Cancer 5
Harm to the Developing Brain 6
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a hormone-‐disrupting chemical found in polycarbonate plastic. BPA is widely used in food packaging, including baby food and formula. Exposure to BPA is associated with increased risk for many health problems,4 including: Infertility Heart disease Obesity Cancer