Part of IBs - SAFE HOME 101 Series in June- Home Safety Month
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IMAGE SOURCE: Wikimedia Commons/ recycle symbol/ author: Tomia
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Before you purchase the vibrant dragonfly shower curtain that matches your beautiful new bathroom towels, you might want to shop for a PVC-free variety of shower curtain over a vinyl one.
Vinyl shower curtains may contain potentially dangerous chemicals, according to a recent study by the nonprofit environmental group, The Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ).
Researchers tested typical shower curtains purchased from five popular retailers, including Target, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and Sears, and found that all of them contained high concentrations of chemicals associated with cancer and other health problems.
CHEJ measured the amount of volatile organic chemicals that were released by the curtains, made from polyvinyl chloride (PCV) plastic, at 16 times greater than the guidelines for indoor air quality.
The study determined that 108 volatile chemicals were found in the shower curtains and some of the compounds lingered in the air for nearly a month.
The chemicals in question are linked to developmental problems that can cause kidney and liver damage, headaches, nervous system disorders, and a host of other medical problems.
The good news is you can buy PVC-free shower curtains. Retailers including Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target, Sears, and others have plans to phase out PVC curtains while increasing their line of PVC-free curtains.
Consumers should avoid purchasing PVC curtains and instead buy organic cotton shower curtains whenever possible. Avoid products that have a “3" inside the recycling symbol, or that say "vinyl," "PVC," or are unlabeled.
Wal-Mart and Target claim they are removing baby products that include BPA, a chemical used to make pacifiers and baby bottles. Some researchers believe BPA can be harmful to a child’s development.
As author and biologist, Theo Colburn, was the first to identify plastics as potential endocrine disruptors in her seminal book, Our Stolen Future, (1996). She urged then and today the “Precautionary Principle,” adopting a "guilty until proven innocent" bias toward the introduction of common contaminants into our environment that can interfere with the natural signals controlling development of the fetus.
Her most recent work records the presence of PVC flooring in homes and the emergence of allergies and eczema. #