Kids  and  Chemicals  Background  Information  for  H.B.  848,  the  Toxic  Free  Kids  Act  

 

For  more  information  contact:  Fawn  Pattison,  Toxic  Free  NC      fawn@toxicfreenc.org    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