As the mother of a 4-year-old, I recently received the first of many back-to-school shopping lists. The items seemed innocuous — markers, glue sticks, a three-ring binder. Like a rite of passage, parents all over the country check these items off similar lists in the days leading up to the start of school. To make purchasing decisions we balance financial considerations with Batman or princess obsessions. Most of us don’t check to see what these items are made of, or look for a label confirming its safety. We assume that if it is marketed for children it must be safe. Read more.

The Hartford Courant

Printed 5/23/2012

Watchdog Update: Pressure grows for limits on flame retardants

At the U.S. Capitol, more than 100 nurses, mothers and cancer survivors marched for tougher federal regulation of the chemicals. And in Washington state, environmental groups are calling for a crackdown on a popular flame retardant. Read more.

Norwich Bulletin

Letter to the Editor by Susan Zimmerman

Printed 4/28/2012

Six years ago, when I was in my mid-50s and otherwise in good health, I was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. There was no family history of the disease. Twenty-five years ago, my daughter was born with developmental delays of unknown origin. Again, there is no family history of developmental problems. Because of her needs, I had to leave my job. Read more.

Blogs – Jonathon Kantrowitz

Printed 4/26/2012

Toy Industry Association leads effort to keep toxics in children’s toys

Advocates, parents, health care professionals and concerned citizens across the state are working around the clock to get word to Connecticut lawmakers that action needs to be taken to protect children from toxic chemical exposure. Armed with numerous peer-based scientific studies, they argue that a strong link has been demonstrated between exposure to toxic chemicals – such as Bisphenol-A and others – and serious health risks, particularly in children and infants whose bodies are still developing and therefore more vulnerable to the toxins. Read more.

New Haven Register

Op-ed by Dr. Mark Mitchell

Printed 4/24/2012

The General Assembly has a tremendous opportunity to continue being a national leader in protecting children against toxic chemicals, in promoting regulatory certainty for businesses and in assisting state businesses to compete in global markets that restrict toxic chemicals more than in the U.S. Read more.

The Reminder

Letter to the Editory by Susan Eastwood

Printed 4/16/2012

The CT General Assembly is considering HB 5218 An Act Concerning Toxic Flame Retardants in Children’s Products. This bill would ban chlorinated tris flame retardants, including TCPP, TCEP and TDCPP. Both TCEP and TDCPP have recently been listed by the California EPA as mutagenic and carcinogenic. TCEP is no longer produced in Europe and is under consideration to be banned in Canada. Read more.

Record Journal

Letter to the Editor

Printed on April 4, 2012

The Chlorinated Tris bill currently before the Connecticut General Assembly will protect children in Connecticut by removing toxic flame retardants from children’s products sold in this state. Flame retardants in the Tris family were removed from children’s pajamas in the 1970s, but after removal of other toxic flame retardants from use in the early 2000s, the use of Tris flame retardants surged. Read more.

Journal Inquirer

Letter to the Editor

Printed April 4, 2012

There is currently a bill before the Legislature that has received little to no media attention but, if passed, would have a significant impact on the health and well-being of Connecticut’s residents. Read more.

The CT Post

Printed April 1, 2012

Feds reject BPA ban, CT legislation still proposed

In a long-awaited decision, the federal government announced Friday that it will not ban bisphenol A, an industrial chemical believed to disrupt the reproductive and nervous systems, from food and drink packaging. The decision puts further onus on Connecticut to pioneer anti-BPA legislation, state Rep. Dick Roy said. Read more.

Similar Articles: GreenwichTime.com, StamfordAdvocate.com

TheNewsTimes

Printed April 1, 2012

The Stamford Advocate

Printed March 30, 2012

FDA rejects call to ban BPA from food packaging

The Food and Drug Administration has rejected a petition from environmentalists that would have banned the plastic-hardening chemical bisphenol-A from all food and drink packaging, including plastic bottles and canned food. Read more.

The Willimantic Chronicle Letter to the Editor

Printed on March 15, 2012

Mercury is highly neurotoxic and exposure to even a small amount can cause learning disorders and developmental delays in developing children. Exposure at any age can affect the central nervous system, kidneys, and liver. Sales of mercury thermostats were banned in 2004 but most Connecticut homes still have mercury thermostats on their walls. Each contains about 4 grams of mercury; a single gram is enough to make all the fish in a 20 acre lake unsafe to eat. Read more.

TheNewsTimes

March 10, 2010

Toxic-cleanup group honors Fairfielder

A Fairfield woman who played a key roll in getting the old McKinely School demolished because of mold and air-quality problems was honored in Boston recently by a group that advocates for the cleanup of toxins. Read more.

The Day Letter to the Editor

Printed on March 6, 2012

Did you know that old mercury thermostat on your wall contains three times the amount it takes to pollute a 20-acre lake for a year? Although Connecticut was the first state to ban the sale of many mercury products, proper thermostat disposal lags way behind. Read more.

Journal Inquirer Letter to the Editor

Printed on February 28, 2012

While I applaud recent EPA rulings further restricting mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants and PVC emissions from chemical plants as huge steps in improving air quality, health and justice in our country, I am frustrated by further delays in rulings on other vital issues. Read more.

Hartford Courant Letter to the Editor

Printed on February 12, 2012

I was pleased to see the People’s Pharmacy column [Feb. 5] on exposure to BPA from canned soups. BPA is used to make polycarbonate plastics, epoxy resin linings of food and beverage containers and as a component of thermal receipt paper. BPA is also a synthetic estrogen! Read more.

Should I worry about health effects from BPA?

Hartford Courant, January 25, 2012

Q. Is the concern about the chemical BPA just another health scare, or is BPA really something we should be worried about?

A. BPA, which stands for bisphenol A, is estrogenic. That means that in some respects it behaves like the hormone estrogen. Although BPA was first developed as a synthetic estrogen, it was never used as a pharmaceutical because diethylstilbestrol (DES), another synthetic estrogen, was more potent. DES was pulled from the market in the 1970s after it was discovered that the daughters of the women who took it (extra estrogen was thought to reduce the risk of miscarriages and premature births) were more likely to have a rare type of vaginal cancer, and later studies found they also had a variety of fertility and other health problems. Read more here.

Study: harmful chemicals found in nurseries

News 8 wtnh.com, January 20, 2012

Some experts say certain products that are in a nursery could be flammable or harmful to a child’s health.

Expectant parents spend a lot of time and a lot of energy trying to make their baby’s nursery perfect. They assume everything that’s found in there is safe, but a state representative says there are harmful chemicals found in some things in a nursery and she wants those chemicals banned in the state of Connecticut. Read full story here.

Lawmakers concerned about flame retardants

News 8 wtnh.com, January 19, 2012

Two Connecticut legislative leaders are raising concerns about baby products that contain toxic flame retardants and are considering legislation, including a possible state ban.

State Rep. Diana Urban of North Stonington and Sen. Terry Gerratana of New Britain on Thursday cited a new report from the Seattle-based Washington Toxics Coalition. The group found toxic flame retardants in 17 of 20 new baby and children’s products it tested. Read full story here.

Lawmakes Propose Bill to Ban Another Chemical in Baby Products

CT News Junkie, January 19, 2012, By Joseph Adinolfi

Sen.Terry Gerratana and Rep. Diana Urban – co-chairs of the Select Committee on Children – announced Thursday they will propose a bill to ban baby products that contain Chlorinated Tris from being sold in Connecticut. Chlorinated Tris, an umbrella term used to describe a growing family of synthetic chemicals that includes TDCPP and TCPP, is a flame retardant used to treat Polyurethane foam. The foam is used in a range of baby products from bassinet pads to car seats. Read full story here.

CNB with the Chairs of the Select Committee on Children on Toxic Flame Retardant Legislative Proposal.

CTN, January 19, 2012. Watch the video of the press conference here.

Report Finds Toxins in Popular Baby Products

January12, 2012, Courant.com

According to the report titled Hidden Hazards In The Nursery, these toxins, found on car seats, bassinet pads and nursing pillows, have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption and other health problems. Read story here.

Hidden Hazards in the Nursery

Jan. 11, 2012, Working Mother, blog by Michelle Noehren

What would you say if I told you that a high number of baby products contain toxic chemicals? What if I told you those toxic chemicals were in the form of flame retardants that are used in things like nursing pillows, car seats, changing pads and bassinet pads? And what if I said there is currently nothing in the law protecting us from these harmful toxins? Read full blog here.

Report Finds Toxins in Popular Baby Products

Jan. 12. 2012, Sarah Cody, FOX CT

The Washington Toxics Coalition, a nonprofit organization that aims to protect the environment and public health, recently released a study that shows toxic flame retardants were present in 85% of products tested.According to the report titled Hidden Hazards In The Nursery, these toxins, found on car seats, bassinet pads and nursing pillows, have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption and other health problems. In fact, the most prevalent flame retardant found (TDCPP) was actually banned from use in children’s pajamas in the 1970′s. Read full story here.

2011

Robert Miller:

Dec. 23, 2011, Danbury News Times

In Danbury, people have been living with mercury pollution for decades. The hatting industry dumped enough mercury into the Still River that its sediments are still laden with it. When the river floods and those sediments get roiled, extra mercury finds its way downstream into Long Island Sound. But across the country, there’s mercury in the air and in the water. The state Department of Public Healthannually issues a warning about mercury and fish consumption. Read full story here.

Carcinogens, Endocine Disruptors & Teratogens, Oh My!

Dec. 6, 2011, Working Mother, blog by Michelle Noehren

A few years ago I started to learn about the utter lack of regulation by the FDA of many of the products used by women and children. Did you know that most of the ingredients in your body lotion, shampoo, baby shampoo, deodorant, shaving cream, perfume, tooth paste and other similar items are unregulated? In short, that means that every day most of us slather ourselves (and our kids) with chemicals that are known carcinogens (substances capable of causing cancer), endocrine disruptors (substances that affect hormones) or even teratogens (substances that can cause birth defects, among other things). Read full blog here.

FORUM: Cancer rates in state exceed norm; let’s phase out toxic chemicals

New Haven Register, November 28, 2011, Op ed by State Representative Lonnie Reed

TROUBLING new statistics indicate that breast cancer rates in Connecticut exceed the national average.

The findings, just released by the Susan G. Komen Foundation, are based on 2008 data, the latest available, from sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The good news is that Connecticut’s breast cancer mortalities are fewer than most other states, so our cure rates are encouraging. Read full op ed here.

PIRG releases report on dangerous toys

November 22, 2011, New Haven Register (AP)

HARTFORD — A new report from a Connecticut public interest advocacy group says there are still dangerous or toxic toys available for sale this holiday season. Read full story here.

Some canned goods used in Thanksgiving food contain deadly chemicals

Nov. 21, 2011, Amanda Cuda, CT Post

Every year at this time, dutiful Americans prepping their Thanksgiving feasts hear plenty of advice about the safest way to cook the meal. They hear about the best way to thaw a turkey, the best way to cook a turkey and the importance of dressing your turkey and chopping your veggies on different cutting boards.But there’s one thing they’ll likely hear little about: a potentially dangerous chemical lurking in some of the canned goods you’ll use in your holiday dinner. Read full story here.

Report finds toxic chemical in Thanksgiving canned food

Nov.15, 2011, WFSB Hartford

A report by the Breast Cancer Fund found the toxic chemical bisphenol A, known as BPA in several canned foods used to prepare a typical Thanksgiving dinner.

According to the report, “BPA in Thanksgiving Canned Food,” four
cans each of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup; Campbell’s Turkey Gravy;
Carnation Evaporated Milk (by Nestle); Del Monte Fresh Cut Sweet Corn, Cream
Style; Green Giant Cut Green Beans (by General Mills); Libby’s Pumpkin (by
Nestle); and Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce were tested. Read full story here.

State Ban on Chemical In Children’s Products Starts Saturday

September 30, 2011 by Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant

Environmental advocates are celebrating a new law that takes effect Saturday that bans a toxic chemical from use in certain children’s products. The new law – the first in the nation – bans products containing bisphenol A, or BPA, which is used to harden plastic. As such, the chemical can no longer be used in reusable food and beverage containers, including containers of infant formula and baby food, reusable spill-proof cups, plastic sports bottles and Thermoses. The sports bottles sometimes carry the names of popular sports teams. Read full story here.

New laws hitting the books include photo ids, missing persons

Sep 30, 2011, Greg Smith, Norwich Bulletin

A host of new laws are set to take effect today in Connecticut. Here’s a brief look at some of them: Public Act No. 09-103: Bans plastics chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) in children’s products and food containers. The American Medical Association recognizes BPA as a hormone-disrupting agent. Read full story here.

Stroller Brigades: Families March for Chemicals Law Reform

August 12, 2011, Cheryl Hogue, Chemical and Engineering News

Debate over the federal law that governs chemical manufacturing now connects Washington, D.C., power circles with the playground set. Last week, parents and children took to the streets in cities in 17 states, including in New York City (pictured), urging Congress to modernize a federal chemical control law. Read full story here

Letter to the Editor

August 12, 2011, Susan Eastwood, Willimantic Chronicle

Over the last thirty years, the rising incidence of many diseases is startling and includes the following:

Leukemia, brain cancer and other childhood cancers have increased by more than 20% since 1975
Breast cancer rates increased by 40% between 1973 and 1998
Asthma rates doubled between 1980 and 1995
Certain male birth defects have increased by 200% between 1970 and 1993
Autism-spectrum disorder has seen a ten-fold increase in the last 15 years. Read full letter here

2011 State Victories for Environmental Health

Posted by SAFER States on Aug 4, 2011

So far in 2011, nine new toxic chemical policies have been passed in seven states, adding to a total of over 80 chemical safety laws passed in the last nine years by an overwhelming margin with broad bipartisan support.

Some firsts:

Connecticut became the first state in the nation to ban bisphenol-A(BPA) from thermal receipt paper.
Washingtonbecame the first state to require manufacturers of children’s products to report what toxic chemicals are present in their products.
New York was the first state in the nation to ban products for children containing the toxic tris flame retardant linked to cancer.Read full blog here

Our Heroes: Fathers, Grandfathers, Legislators

Representative Richard Roy, Connecticut

Posted by Safer States on Jul 7, 2011

“I don’t want anything happening to my granddaughters.” On June 9 of this year, Connecticut became the first state in the nation to ban the harmful chemical BPA from register receipts. This bill was passed largely due to the efforts of Representative Roy, who co-chairs the Energy & Environment Committee. Read full blog here

Conn. moves to ban toxic chemical from cash register receipts

June 09, 2011, Register staff, New Haven Register

HARTFORD – Connecticut Wednesday essentially banned BPA from thermal register receipts, often used by retailers, gas stations and banks. “We’ve discovered that 60 percent of our thermal receipts contain BPA. Since the chemical is unbound, it rubs off on our hands and enters our systems,” said Rep. Lonnie Reed, D-Branford, who led the discussion in the state House, where it was debated for four hours.Read full story here

Last-day talker: House approves bill banning BPA in receipts

June 8, 2011, By Daniela Altimari, Capitol Watch

After a lengthy 11th-hour debate, the state House of Representatives approved a bill banning bisphenol A in store receipts. Bisphenol A, commonly known as BPA, is a chemical found in a wide variety of everyday products, including thermal paper that many businesses use in their receipts. Studies have found a possible link between BPA exposure and a host of health hazards, including cancer, reproductive disorders and learning disabilities in children. Read full blog here

House Spends Much of Last Day on BPA Ban

June 8, 2011, Hugh McQuaid , Ct News Junkie

With the clock ticking on the last day of the legislative session, the House unexpectedly spent close to four hours debating a bill that would ban the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) from use in paper receipts. Read full story here

Chemicals at the Checkout Counter

June 1. 2011, Shruti Korada, New Haven Advocate

Connecticut remains at the forefront in legislation targeting Bisphenol A, the toxic substance found in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins used to make baby and water bottles, household electronics and the color developer commonly used in printing sales receipts. A proposed bill, SB 210, calls for removal of BPA from the developer of thermal paper widely used in receipts received at the checkout counter. Read full story here

Letter to the Editor

May 30, 2011, Noele Kidney, Journal-Inquirer

Currently before the Connecticut Legislature, Senate Bill 210, which would ban the use of Bisphenol A or BPA in thermal register receipt paper, awaits action. Read full letter here

Support SB210 An Act Prohibiting the Use of Bisphenol-A In Thermal Receipt Papers

May 24, 2011, CT News Blog by Jonathan Kantrowitz

This CT Senate bill is in response to recent studies which found high levels of BPA in many cash receipts and also on the dollar bills tested. BPA is a hormone disrupting chemical linked to serious health problems such as cancer, infertility, and early puberty. Read full blog here

US Must Strengthen Efforts to Restrict Chemicals the Threaten Health

May 6, 2011, CT News Blog by Jonathan Kantrowitz

With growing evidence of the link between exposure to toxic chemicals and chronic diseases, especially in children, the United States needs to step up its efforts to protect the public from hazardous chemicals, say researchers writing in the May issue of Health Affairs. Read full blog here

Estimated Costs of Environmental Disease in Children at $76.6 Billion Per Year

May 6, 2011, Ct News Blog by Jonathan Kantrowitz

In three new studies published in the May issue of the journal Health Affairs, Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers reveal the staggering economic impact of toxic chemicals and air pollutants in the environment, and propose new legislation to mandate testing of new chemicals and also those already on the market. Read full blog here

Panel close to banning toxic register receipts

April 20, 2011, Middletown Press

A Connecticut legislative panel has voted to advance a bill that would ban thermal receipt or cash register receipt paper that contains a chemical some scientists consider to be dangerous. Read full story here

Letter to the Editor

April 2011, Joe Wasserman, Hartford News

Bisphenol A or BPA is found on about half of the cash receipts we handle every day, in the form of a powdery substance that rubs off on our hands, and can be absorbed through the skin. Exposure to BPA, is linked with cancers, early puberty, altered brain development…Read full story here

Brazilian Blowout blow-up: U.S. OSHA issues warning about formaldehyde in hair-smoothing treatment

April 14, 2011, Alene Dawson, LA Times

The ongoingcontroversyover the celebrity-endorsed Brazilian Blowout and similar keratin hair smoothing treatments that are used to tame frizzy hair intensified this week, when U.S. health officials issued a hazard alert warning about dangerous formaldehyde levels found in some of the products.

Read full story here

Wal-Mart bypasses federal regulators to ban controversial flame retardant

February 26, 2011, Lyndsey Layton, Washington Post

Wal-Mart is banning a controversial flame retardant found in hundreds of consumer goods, from couches to cameras to child car seats, telling its suppliers to come up with safer alternatives.Read full story here

Connecticut Lawmakers Consider a Ban of BPA in Paper Products

March 3, 2011 Bob Paquette, WFCR

Connecticut lawmakers are considering banning the use of a chemical in thermal paper, the kind of paper often used for cash register and ATM receipts. WFCR’s Bob Paquette reports. Hear full story here

Letter to Editor

Published March 8, 2011, Susan Eastwood, Willimantic Chronicle

Mercury is a highly toxic and persistent element and exposure at even a low level causes damage to the nervous system both in utero and in growing children. A single gram is enough to contaminate a large lake and cause serious health and ecological problems. Although Connecticut banned the sale of mercury thermostats beginning in 2004, end-of-use mercury thermostats are still a major source of pollution. Read full letter here

Kids’ Jewelry May Pose Cadmium Poison Risk

How to Protect Your Kids from Toxic Jewelry

March 4, 2011, Courtney Hutchinson, ABC News Medical Unit

Amid growing worry over the presence of toxic cadmium in kids’ jewelry, a new study further supports the fear that kids can be exposed to more than 100 times the recommended limit of this noxious metal when they mouth or accidentally swallow common, inexpensive jewelry items. Read full story here

Turn Up the Heat on Mercury Thermostat Recycling!

Letter to Editor

Published March 3, 2011, The Reminder

We all know that mercury is a highly toxic and persistent element that has been banned from manufactured goods in many states. But have you ever wondered what happens to all the mercury in thermostats that were already in use before the ban? Read full letter here

Are Receipts Bad for Your Health?

Proposal would ban receipts containing BPA

March 1, 2011, William Weir, The Hartford Courant

The potenial risks of bisphenol-A (BPA) in plastic containers have long been a concern among health officials. Now state lawmakers are considering whether to ban paper receipts that contain the chemical. Sen. Edward Meyer, D-Branford, said he introduced the bill after members of the Coalition for a Safe & Healthy Connecticut approached him about their concerns of BPA in thermal receipt paper. “If you handle these cash receipts, you absorb bisphenol-A in your skin,” said Meyer, chairman of the General Assembly’s environment committee. Read full story here

Harmful Chemicals Institute Slow to Find Funding

Feb 24, 2011, Hugh McQuaid, CT News Junkie

During a public hearing regarding a bill that would ban the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) from use in paper receipts Wednesday the Environment Committee found itself considering the role of the Chemical Innovations Institute, a quasi-public agency created last year by the legislature. Read full story here

Conn. considering ban on chemical in receipts

February 22, 2011, Middletown Press

HARTFORD (AP) — Connecticut lawmakers are being asked to ban a chemical that some scientists consider to be dangerous, from being used in paper cash register and ATM receipts.The Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut is pushing to ban the chemical from the receipts, often thermal paper. Advocates say they worry about the chemical rubbing off and somehow being ingested or being absorbed through the skin. Read full story here

The snow will melt away but all the toxic chemicals don’t – Guest Column

February 17, 2011, Joyce Acebo – Raguskus, Meridan-Orange Bulletin

Like snow toxic chemicals has a blanket and mask and can come in the shape of fun. Toxic toys, (mercury, lead, cadmium), makeup for our faces, and shampoos to keep us looking shiny, food containers/cans are sprayed with the toxin (bisphenol A, an endocrine disruptor, is also discovered on most store/grocery receipts and then transferred on our dollar bills, like germs, (use plastic gloves if you are a cashier, and wash hands so as not to further transfer bisphenol- A, BPA). Read full story here

Lawmakers and Health Advocates Propose Ban on Chemical in Paper Receipts

January 23, 2011, Hugh McQuaid, CT News Junkie

A law banning the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) from infant formula and baby food containers will go into effect later this year, but some lawmakers and advocates are not resting on their laurels. This legislative session Sen. Edward Meyer, D-Guilford, has proposed another bill to keep the substance out of cash register and ATM receipts.
Read full story here

Should Cash Register Receipts Really Require Gloves?

Letter to Editor

Nory Oakes, Voluntown
January 9, 2011, Norwich Bulletin

Next time you’re at the grocery checkout you might want to don a pair of protective gloves. And that’s no joke! The chemical bisphenol-A (BPA), which has been linked to many serious health problems, has been found in alarming amounts on thermal cash receipts and dollar bills!
Read full letter here

Letter to Editor

January 7, 2011, Willimantic Chronicle

The chemical bisphenol-A (BPA), a known hormone disruptor, has been found in alarming amounts on – of all things – our money and cash receipts! Tests of thermal paper cash receipts found that half the receipts contained large quantities of BPA, in a powdery coating which easily rubs off on our hands, our money, and presumably, anything else it touches.
Read full letter here

2010

Letter to Editor

Kathleen A. Maher, Colchester
December 31, 2010, New London Day

As a 45-year-old cancer survivor, I am increasingly concerned about our daily exposure to toxic chemicals such as bisphenol-A. A recent report, “On the Money: BPA on Dollar Bills and Receipts,” showed alarming evidence that this endocrine disruptor is found on thermal receipt paper used in ATM and cash receipts. Read full letter here

Letter to Editor

Susan Eastwood, Ashford,
December 10, 2010, Journal-Inquirer

If safer alternatives are available, why not use them? The Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut will be advocating this coming year for a ban on BPA in cash register paper. Let’s all be a little safer in the New Year! Read full letter here

Dirty money: BPA on dollar bills

December 8, 2010, Eryn Brown, CTnow.com FOX CT

Scientists have recently shown that bisphenol A, a chemical widely used in plastic bottles and in the linings of food cans that has been linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and sexual dysfunction in people and cancer in mice, is detectable in food and on some cash register receipts. Read full story here

High exposure to BPA linked to low sperm count

October 28, 2010, Lindsay Tanner, AP Medical Writer, Hartford Courant

Chinese factory workers exposed to high levels of the plastics chemical BPA had low sperm counts, according to the first human study to tie it to poor semen quality. The study is the latest to raise health questions about bisphenol-A and comes two weeks after Canada published a final order adding the chemical to its list of toxic substances. Read full story here

Receipts putting your health at risk?

July 27, 2010, Staff writer, CTnow.com FOX CT

A warning before you take your receipt at the grocery store, fast food restaurants or pharmacy.
A new study by the Environmental Working Group found they could put your health at risk.
Researchers say their findings show, BPA was found on 40 percent of receipts. The chemical levels were higher than those in canned foods, baby bottles and infant formula. Read full story here

Canned Foods Risky During Pregnancy

A report found that 92 percent of food from metal cans is contaminated with BPA, which could negatively affect children, before and after birth.

June 10, 2010, Liz Szabo, McClatchy Tribune

Pregnant women should limit their intake of canned foods and drinks, according to a report that finds 92 percent of food from metal cans is contaminated with an estrogen-like chemical called BPA, or bisphenol A.

The chemical is used in countless products, from plastic bottles and paper receipts to the linings of metal cans. The National Toxicology Program has said it has “some concern” that BPA alters development of the brain, behavior and the prostate gland in children, before and after birth. Read full story here

With McDonald’s recall, state cadmium ban looking timely

June 4, 2010, Ted Mann, The New London Day

Been trying to get around for weeks to writing more about the recently passed legislative ban on the sale of children’s jewelry containing cadmium, a heavy metal linked to negative health effects in children. Read full story here

Environmental cancer risks more dangerous

Household and workplace chemicals might contribute to a larger percentage of cancer deaths than previously thought, according to a presidential panel.

May 24, 2010, Jill U Adams, Special to the Los Angeles Times, Reprinted in Hartford Courant

Pollutants and other chemicals in your environment — your home, your frontyard, your workplace — may be more toxic to your health than you know, according to a report released earlier this month. The President’s Cancer Panel, an advisory group charged with monitoring the war on cancer, proposed in its May 5 report that environmental chemicals might contribute to a larger share of deaths from cancer than the 1% to 5% figure cited by the National Cancer Institute.
Read full story here

Seeking to Rid Food of BPA

May 21, 2011, Jeff Kurz, Record-Journal

Participating in a study earlier this year, Anne Hulick sent two cans of vegetable broth to a laboratory for analysis. One was from her kitchen pantry. The other, the same product, came from the local grocery. When results showed both cans contained levels of bisphenol A, she wasn’t surprised.

“You can’t shop your way out of this problem,” said Hulick, a Southington resident who is environmental health coordinator for the Connecticut Nurses’ Association. Read full story here.

Parents Seek Safer Cleaning Supplies

Nontoxic ingredients safer, health advocates say

April 1, 2010, Ruth Fuller Special To The Tribune, Reprinted in Hartford Courant

After realizing that some of the chemicals in her cleaning supplies could be harming her sons, Becky Picchietti of Lake Villa, Illinois, decided about two years ago to switch to nontoxic cleaning supplies. Read full story here

Letter to Editor in Response to “Household Chemicals Linked to Reduced Fertility”

February 4, 2010, Willimantic Chronicle

Thank you for your article “Household Products can Affect Fertility”, Chronicle January 27, 2010. It’s important to understand that PBDE exposure reaches right into our homes and daily lives. PBDEs are neurotoxins and have also been linked to learning and developmental disabilities. Children’s exposure levels are 300 times greater than adults’… Read full letter here

Pregnant women and families with young children warned about Bisphenol A (BPA)

January 29, 2010, Department of Public Health, StamfordPlus.com

The Connecticut Departments of Public Health (DPH) and Consumer Protection (DCP) are advising pregnant women and families with young children to be aware of dietary sources of bisphenol A (BPA) and…
Read full story here

Household chemicals linked to reduced fertility

January 27, 2010, Shari Roan, LA Times, Reprinted in Willimantic Chronicle

A new study finds that a decreased likelihood of pregnancy is linked to flame-retardant chemicals found in foam furniture, electronics, fabrics, carpets and plastics.
Read full story here

Conn. lawmakers, activists look to limit toxins

January 17, 2010, Hartford Courant AP story A coalition of activists and state legislators in Connecticut is launching a new legislative campaign to reduce toxins. The move comes after Connecticut last year became the first state to ban the chemical Bisphenol-A, BPA, from infant formula, baby food containers and a range of reusable food and drink containers…

Read full story here

Health workers tested for chemicals

October 8, 2009, Ed Stannard, New Haven Register

A Yale University doctor and a nurse from MidState Medical Center are among 20 health professionals in 10 states who were found to have a variety of potentially dangerous chemicals in their bodies, according to a study released Thursday…
Read full story here

Study Finds Toxic Chemicals in Health Care Workers

October 8, 2009, Jeff Kurz, Record-Journal

A Study Released Thursday shows that, of 20 doctors and nurses tested across the nation, all of them have toxic chemicals in their bodies…
Read full story here

Blood Tests Show High Toxin Levels

October 8, 2009
Read the full article here.

Bills call for ban on plastic additive

March 2, 2009, Mary E. O’Leary, New haven Register

A number of legislators and environmentalists are pushing bills in the General Assembly that would ban a plastic substance found in many baby bottles, food containers and metal can liners. Read full story here

Hartford Courant Op-Ed on the Need to Ban Bisphenol-A

Friday Feb. 27th, 2009 Hartford Courant

In today’s Hartford Courant Yale pediatrician and medical toxicologist Dr. Carl R. Baum outlined the reasons for CT legislators to pass legislation to phase out BPA. “I find even the possibility of risk to children from BPA exposure too great to ignore…” Read the full op-ed here.

Message in a BPA Free Bottle

January 27, 2009, Christine Stuart, CT News Junkie

The Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut was encouraging legislators Tuesday to support a bill, which would phase out the use of Bisphenol A in baby bottles and other children’s products. Read more

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Bipartisan Senate bill would give #EPA power to ban toxic chemicals, now nearly impossible ow.ly/lmlJm #toxics #safechemicalsact 1 day ago
Congratulations California - for passing strong new regulations to keep a ton of mercury out of your landfills every year!!!... 1 day ago
RT @ppvotesct: Rep. Diana Urban supporting @safehealthyct - joining efforts to protect children from #toxins #reprojustice http://t.co/BvDF… 2 days ago

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