Lead Is Back!

Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus) fan’s are in for a little bit of disappointment. Ok let me rephrase that, the younger fans are in for a little disappointment and a reason for worry to the elder fans. Why? Hannah Montana themed products like backpacks, vinyl purses, wallets, lunch boxes etc are found to contain high levels of lead according to the Centre for Environmental Health.

CEH is recommending that parents avoid vinyl products for children and teens. Vinyl is a “poison plastic” that is often made with lead, a neurotoxin that can cause learning disorders, brain and nerve damage, hearing problems, stunted growth, and digestive problems. Scientists are increasingly concerned that even small exposures to lead (ingestion or inhaling lead dust) can cause problems in children, pre-teens, teenagers and even adults.

For the detailed report released by CEH click here.

Of Laptops & Cosmetics

No theres no connection between the two. Atleast I assume there arent any. I just wanna show some of the impacts these have on us.Years back we were made aware of Sodium Laureth Sulphate through articles, chain letters etc. Since then I’ve been religiously reading labels of products I use and avoiding anything that has Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate or anything that sounds like it. Sodium Laureth sulphate is a very cheap foaming agent hence used in a variety of soaps, toothpastes, shampoos, shaving creams etc but at the same time its said to be carcinogenic too.

Now I’m introduced to a new term (my ignorance perhaps) – Parabens. Parabens are chemical compounds that help prevent bacteria from growing and running rampant; therefore, they are used in many products like facial cleansers, sunscreen, shampoo, etc. Well isn’t that just what we want? No! There’s a problem.

Parabens have been shown to be endocrine disruptors, mimicking estrogen. Estrogen has been noted as a key player in the growth of breast tumors; and sure enough, parabens have been found in the tumors of women with breast cancer. Though it isn’t proven that parabens are carcinogenic, it looks obvious and is better to avoid items containing them.

So as I sit typing out this post on my laptop (which is forcefully pushed inches away from me) I recall another health concern that I read somewhere. And women may not wanna miss out on this piece of info. Thought laptops could make only men infertile? Wrong! Laptops could make women infertile too.

Laptops and other electrical appliances emit electromagnetic fields (EMFs) over a distance; as the distance increases, the amount of radiation decreases. EMF and the added heat has been shown to kill sperm and leave men infertile. Women should watch out, too; while the science isn’t crystal clear yet, EMF radiation has been linked to cancer (in particular leukemia), birth defects, damage to reproductive organs, tumors, stress, miscarriages, and heart problems.

So what’s the solution? Keep the lappy away from you (like a desk or something), or use something that could absorb the radiations, like a laptop shield. They resemble the lappy bags and absorbs around 90% of the radiations and also help to work from your lap without the fear of going infertile.

As someone has rightly said, Prevention is better than cure.