Tag: chemicals

Healthy Living; Love Your Skin

Beauty products — everything from shampoo to makeup to cologne — can help you feel on top of your game. They can also cause irritated skin or an allergic reaction. A dermatology study published in 2010 found that more than a third of over 900 study participants had at least one allergic reaction to cosmetic ingredients. 

Problems can range from simple rashes to full-blown allergic reactions. Symptoms can start right after you use something new — or after years of using a product with no problems. But above and beyond the skin irritations, personal care products have been linked to several serious health issues like alzheimers, parkinsons, hormone imbalance and cancer.

Most ingredients in personal care products are in a category known as “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS, explains Dr. Nicole Kleinstreuer, a computational toxicologist at NIH. But certain chemicals that may cause health problems can be found in many of these products. How much you’re exposed to is often what makes a chemical harmful. The amount that’s “safe” varies for each.

“The general classes we’re concerned about include phthalates, parabens, PFAS, and metals like lead,” says White. Other problem chemicals include triclosan and triclocarban. These are included in many personal care products to prevent bacterial and fungal growth.

Many chemicals of concern, including phthalates, parabens, PFAS, and triclosan, are endocrine disruptors. These are compounds that can mimic or interfere with the body’s hormones. They’ve been linked to problems with the brain, development, and reproduction. Some have also been linked to a higher risk of certain cancer types.

Healthy Living; Balancing Hormones

Metals like aluminum, lead and mercury can also be toxic. They can cause damage to the brain. Another ingredient to look out for is formaldehyde. It is found in some hair products or created when hair products are heated. Formaldehyde exposure has been linked with cancer.

Healthy Living; Aluminum Overdose

Talc is also a common ingredient in cosmetics. “Talc is used in a lot of powders, including face powders,” Zota says. It’s generally recognized as safe by the FDA. But talc can sometimes be contaminated with asbestos, which is linked to cancer. The FDA has been testing for asbestos recently in many talc-containing products.

#330 – The Ugly Truth of Talcum Powder

It can be hard to figure out if a product contains potentially risky ingredients. You can avoid some of these chemicals by looking for them on the product label. But they can have many names and abbreviations. Sometimes the names of specific chemicals don’t appear on the label at all, but they’re still in the product.

“Fragrance is one example,” says Zota. “Something listed as ‘fragrance’ can be a mixture of thousands of chemicals.” Looking for fragrance-free products can help lower your exposure to many unknown ingredients.

If you are concerned about the skin products you use on you and your family, check out The Cosmetics Database and see how your favorite brand ranks. You may want to rethink some of them. Take for instance, Apricot Scrub by St. Ives; it ranks 9 out of 10 for containing hazardous chemicals… and it is marketed as being natural!!!

You can avoid harmful chemicals while at the store when you use this sustainable shopper’s guide from the David Suzuki Foundation, and audit your bathroom cupboard using this list of harmful ingredients:

  1. Butylated hydroxyanisole or hydroxytoluene [BHA & BHT] (carcinogen, hormone disruption, tumour promoter, mimics estrogen)
  2. Phenylenediamine [& colors listed as “CI”+ a five digit number] (damage DNA and can cause cancer)
  3. Diethanolamine [DEA] (shown to cause liver cancers and precancerous changes in skin and thyroid)
  4. Phthalates (disrupt hormones and damage the reproductive system)
  5. Formaldehyde (a known carcinogen)
  6. Parabens (disrupt hormones and damage the reproductive system)
  7. Polyethylene glycols [PEG] (a known carcinogen)
  8. Petrolatum (carcinogen)
  9. Siloxanes [D4 / D5] (endocrine disruptor, reproductive toxicant, tumours, influence neurotransmitters)
  10. Sodium laureth sulfate (a known carcinogen)
  11. Triclosan (endocrine disruption)
  12. Mercury (damages kidneys & nervous system)

Natural (Homemade) Substitutes for Conventional Beauty Products

Deodorant and Antiperspirant

There have been recent reports of links between these products and much higher rates of breast cancer, and doctors report that those who get breast cancer are most likely to get a tumor in the area closest to the armpit. Antiperspirants, by sealing in moisture, are the worst. Besides putting aluminum in your body, they prevent perspiration, which is the body’s natural way to eliminate toxins.

Natural Alternatives: Baking soda by itself is actually an incredibly effective natural deodorant, though it can be messy if you are wearing a dark color. Mixing baking soda with equal part coconut oil is a cleaner option and since coconut oil is naturally antibacterial and anti fungal, it is great at preventing odor. Another natural option is castor oil and tea tree oil. Just put a quarter size drop of castor oil in your palm and then add 2 drops of tea tree oil and mix. Don’t premix this option, just mix for each use, but make sure to wash your hands afterwards. Tea tree oil hurts if you get it in your eyes.

Lotion

The skin is the biggest organ in the body, and many chemicals can be absorbed by the skin and stored in fat tissue. This is especially a concern for pregnant women, as these chemicals can be passed to a baby though the placenta.

Natural Substitutes: The best natural lotion I have found so far is just pure organic Coconut Oil. It is able to penetrate the skin and the medium chain fatty acids help with wrinkles, dry skin, and other skin problems and since it is naturally antibacterial, it won’t cause breakouts. 

Toothpaste

Almost all conventional toothpastes contain fluoride, which have been linked to thyroid disease and cancer. Most also have sugar, which seems counter-intuitive for a product designed to prevent cavities. 

Natural Alternatives: Mix baking soda and peppermint liquid castile soap to make a thick paste. Squeeze or scoop onto toothbrush and brush as normal. This has a slightly salty minty taste and also a natural whitening effect.

Natural Toothpaste Recipe

Make a natural toothpaste at home with coconut oil, baking soda, stevia powder, and essential oils.

Materials

  • ½ cup coconut oil
  • 2-3 TBSP baking soda
  • 2 small packets stevia powder
  • 15-20 drops peppermint essential oil (or cinnamon essential oil)
  • 10 drops myrrh essential oil (optional)

Instructions

  • Melt or slightly soften the coconut oil.
  • Mix in other ingredients and stir well. If you are using a semi-hard coconut oil, use a fork, if not, use a spoon. If you are using completely melted coconut oil, you will need to stir several times while the mixture cools to keep the baking soda incorporated.
  • Pour the mixture into a small glass jar (I make different ones for each family member).
  • Let cool completely.

Notes

To use: dip toothbrush in and scrape small amount onto bristles. You could also use a small spoon to put it on the toothbrush.

Facial Toner

Though toners don’t contain as high of levels as other beauty products (typically), I wanted to include this one because there is a natural option that outperforms conventional products by far and makes people look a lot younger.

Natural Substitute: Organic Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother rubbed on freshly clean face (dilute with water! A teaspoon per half cup of water is a good ratio…). The vinegar scent fades as soon as it dries, and a few drops of essential oil in a few ounces of apple cider vinegar really helps the smell. Apple cider vinegar tightens, brightens and freshens the skin and percents dry skin and breakouts. It is also great to have on hand for heartburn, yeast overgrowth and other common complaints.

Mascara Remover

Natural Alternatives: Olive oil and/or coconut oil are great at removing mascara and eye makeup, even waterproof. As an added benefit, they moisturize the eyes and help remove or prevent wrinkles.

Hair Spray

Hair sprays (especially aerosol) put chemicals into the air and consequently into your lungs and skin. Most contain substances that have been linked to cancer or disease and they can, after time, cause chemical sensitivities.

Natural Substitutes: Many people swear by juicing a lemon and mixing with a couple cups of water in a spray bottle. It works, but has to be stored in the fridge. I prefer mixing a cup of boiling water with 1-4 teaspoons of sugar (depending on the level of hold you want). Stir and let sugar dissolve completely and pour into a fine mister bottle. This will hold hair and make it shine. For difficult hair, let first application dry and apply another application.

For the natural beach waves look, make the above recipe with salt instead. This will give a flexible hold without being dull at all. Supposedly, top stylists are turning to sea salt products lately too.

Sea Salt Spray For Hair

This sea salt spray uses all natural ingredients for that beachy waves look. Yield: 10 ounces Author: Katie Wells

Equipment

  • Glass spray bottle

Materials

  • 1 cup water filtered or distilled
  • 2 TBSP Epsom salts
  • ½ tsp Himalayan salt or sea salt
  • 1 tsp aloe vera gel
  • ½ tsp natural conditioner
  • 5-10 drops essential oils
  • 1 tsp lemon juice optional to lighten hair
  • 1 tsp alcohol optional to extend shelf life

Instructions

  • Add all of the ingredients to a spray bottle.
  • Put the cap on the bottle and shake for several minutes, until Epsom salt and sea salt are dissolved.
  • Shake well before each use.

Notes

Shelf life and storage: Store your sea salt spray in the fridge. If using lemon juice or tea as a base then use within 1-2 weeks. If you just use the distilled water and don’t add the tea or lemon, then use it within one month. 

Teeth Whiteners

Most teeth whiteners contain high levels of peroxide and other chemicals. While these aren’t a necessary beauty product, white teeth make you look younger and healthier. The best treatment is a healthy diet, but some natural options can help speed up the teeth whitening process.

Natural Substitutions: Use pure baking soda on a toothbrush. Brush lightly in small circles for five minutes before regular brushing once to twice a week. Alternatively, rub fresh strawberries on the gums or mix mashed strawberries and baking soda and wear in mouth tray for 30 minutes once a week. I was shocked to find that both of these actually work and make your teeth feel great (no chemical aftertaste or lingering sensitivity).

Shampoo

Store-bought shampoos are full of unhealthy preservatives, synthetic chemicals, and artificial fragrances. But most shampoo recipies out there don’t have the suds that we are all acustomed too. If you missed the foaming aspect of shampoo (I know… the “foam” in regular shampoo is made from synthetic chemicals and detergents…), try this homemade coconut shampoo.

Natural Homemade Cocunut Shampoo

This homemade natural shampoo smells great, works well, and lathers! Yield: 4 ounces Author: Katie Wells

Equipment

  • Silicone squeeze bottle (or reused shampoo bottle)

Materials

  • ¼ cup coconut milk
  • ¼ cup castile soap
  • 20 drops essential oils (such as peppermint, lavender, rosemary, or orange)
  • ½ tsp almond or olive oil (for dry hair, optional)

Instructions

  • Combine all the ingredients in a bottle or jar. Pump soap dispensers and even foaming dispensers work well for this. If you use a foaming dispenser you may need to add ¼ cup of distilled water.
  • Shake well to mix.
  • Shake before each use and massage through the scalp.
  • Store your shampoo in the fridge after each use.

Notes

  • If you use a foaming dispenser, it also makes a great shaving cream.
  • The shelf life of this shampoo is about one week when stored in the fridge.

Conditioner

Now that you have a natural shampoo, what about conditioner? Since the coconut oil (and optional carrier oil) are already moisturizing you may not need to use any conditioner. Here are a few different options if you want to try them though!

  • A chamomile tea rinse at the end of each shower (leave in hair!) will produce smooth, silky hair and naturally lighter hair over time.
  • Some people find a 50:50 mixture of apple cider vinegar and water used as a rinse helps get hair cleaner and increases shine. You could also put it in a spray bottle for easier application.
  • This homemade conditioner recipe features hair-nourishing oils, glycerin, and essential oils.

But… Don’t Wash Your Hair Every Day!

I can’t leave out one of my biggest healthy hair discoveries. Hair is happiest when you don’t wash it every day! Read this post from Wellness Mama to find out why the experts say how you wash your hair matters just as much as what you wash it with!

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Becoming Barbie and Ken

No, I’m not talking about perfectionism, I’m referring to their genetic makeup, their DNA so to speak. Ken and Barbie are made primarily of plastic and it is becoming clear that we are also being riddled with this same foreign substance.

Becoming Barbie and Ken – Healthy Living Podcast

What are microplastics?

Microplastics refer to plastic debris that is less than five millimeters, or about the size of a sesame seed. Most microplastics are sorted into two categories based on how they form: primary microplastics and secondary microplastics.

Primary microplastics are made for commercial use such as “microbeads” in cosmetics, lotions and toothpaste, or microfibers in textiles or netting. Although the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 prohibits manufacturing microbeads in cosmetic products in America, primary microplastics are still accumulating in the environment.

Secondary microplastics are particles that are broken down from larger plastic products like containers and water bottles, usually through environmental means like erosion. Most secondary microplastics will not decompose completely.

The prevalence of microplastics in the environment is well documented, along with their negative impacts on marine life. However, only a handful of studies have examined their potential health impacts on mammals.

According to studies, microplastics have turned up in Antarctic sea ice, in snowfall in the Arctic and in human stool samples collected across the globe.

We found that a lot of micro- and nanoparticles were released from plastic food containers. We also found the potential toxicity of these released plastic particles on human kidney cells.

Microwaving released the highest amount of both micro- and nanoplastics into food than the other use conditions, with some containers releasing as many as 4.22 million microplastic and 2.11 billion nanoplastic particles from just one square centimetre of plastic area within three minutes of microwave heating.

So how about hot drinks, would they effect the release of plastics and chemicals?

Watch this video, she makes some valid points.

Microplastics accumulate in the brain and cause behavioral changes associated with dementia

A recent study found that microplastics can latch on to the outer membranes of red blood cells and may limit their ability to transport oxygen. The particles have also been found in the placentas of pregnant women, and in pregnant rats they pass rapidly through the lungs into the hearts, brains and other organs of the fetuses.

This inspired Jaime Ross, a professor from the University of Rhode Island (URI), to conduct a study on the effects of microplastic exposure.

For the study, the researchers exposed young and old mice to different levels of microplastics via their drinking water for three weeks. The results showed that microplastic exposure induces behavioral changes and alterations in immune markers in liver and brain tissues.

After being exposed to microplastics, the research team noticed that the mice began to move and behave peculiarly, exhibiting behaviors similar to those caused by dementia in humans. The results were more profound among older mice.

Microplastics alter the shape of human lung cells, warn scientists

FSU researchers analyzed the health risks of inhaling and ingesting microplastics. They conducted experiments on human lung cells in a Petri dish that were subjected to environmental concentrations of polystyrene particles. Within several days, the scientists observed some unusual changes. The tiny plastic particles caused the cells’ metabolism to slow down and hampered their proliferation and growth.

Microplastics accumulate in all organs

Researchers in Ross’ study found that microplastic particles had started to bioaccumulate in every organ, including the brain, and even in bodily waste. Because the microplastics got inside the animals’ bodies through their drinking water, Ross and her colleagues expected to find microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract as well as in the liver and kidneys.

Ross noted that the presence of microplastics in the heart and lungs indicates that they spread beyond the digestive system and potentially undergo systemic circulation. This is dangerous because the blood-brain barrier is supposed to be “difficult to permeate.”

Microplastics found in human blood for first time

Microplastic pollution has been detected in human blood for the first time, with scientists finding the tiny particles in almost 80% of the people tested.

The discovery shows the particles can travel around the body and may lodge in organs. The full impact on health is as yet unknown. But researchers are concerned as microplastics cause damage to human cells in the laboratory and air pollution particles are already known to enter the body and cause millions of early deaths a year.

The scientists analysed blood samples from 22 anonymous donors, all healthy adults and found plastic particles in 17. Half the samples contained PET plastic, which is commonly used in drinks bottles, while a third contained polystyrene, used for packaging food and other products. A quarter of the blood samples contained polyethylene, from which plastic carrier bags are made.

Tips to reduce exposure to microplastics

  • Do not purchase ready-to-heat products such as boil-in-the-bag rice.
  • Don’t buy fruit sealed in plastic.
  • Avoid heating anything in plastic.
  • Avoid consuming food or beverages that have come into contact with plastic.
  • Avoid food-grade nylon used for food packaging and as liners in slow cookers.
  • If possible, drink filtered tap water over bottled water.
  • When buying clothes or furnishings, choose more natural fabrics.
  • If you’re buying carpet, look for something made of wool, not polyester. While natural fibers are usually more expensive, you can save some money with second-hand carpets.

Here are some of the most common culprits in the American kitchen today.

Salt – best to use is from Utah, the ancient seabed is isolated from the ocean, so it’s less likely to have microplastics and the unrefined version is not bleaches and has all the minerals we need.

Water – Stop using single-use bottled water, not just because you don’t know how it was filtered, but also you don’t know what temperature flux each bottle has gone through. Extreme heat can cause plastic to leak chemicals and extreem cold can leak microplastics. Drink filtered tap water in refillable bottle (that are NOT plastic).

Tea – Most tea bags are now made of plastic mesh. Opt for paper tea bags or better yet, buy loose leaf and use an infuser.

Cutting boards – don’t use plastic cutting boards. Just cutting your food on them ADDs more microplastic to your meal. Instead, opt for a bamboo, wooden or glass cutting board.

Non-stick cookware – We all know the coating on non-stick cookware gets gross after continued use, but it is also a big culprit in adding plastic to your diet. Instead, cast iron and stainless steel are your best options.

Microwave safe containers – This is a misnomer when it comes to plastic exposure. When reheating your food in the microwave, use glass containers. Better yet, avoid the microwave and use the stove or oven.

Plastic utensils – Even on low heat, that plastic spoon you use to stir your soup is melting or discarding microplastic into your meal. Use stainless steel, bamboo or wooden spoons instead.

Single-use plastics – Instead of using the single-use plastics like plastic wrap, baggies and plastic plates and silverware, opt for reusble beeswax wrap, reuseable containers and paper goods.

Even though Ken and Barbie are cute and popular, I really don’t want to turn into them. I know that I can’t eliminate all plastic from my life, but I can make choices every day to help reduce it a little bit more. By the way, recycling is a red herring! Only about 9% of all the plastic thrown away is actually recycled, so don’t let that deter you.

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The Ugly Truth; Chemical Controversy

By Brian Hale

We have all come across, on a daily basis, certain chemicals that could be considered dangerous, whether we know it or not.

For those of us who grew up in the 70s or earlier, I am sure that you remember one particular substance that was used widely. It was later banned in 1972 because it was determined in 1962 to be one of the most dangerous applications ever approved and distributed by the U.S. Government.

Do you remember what it was called?

So what is DDT and where does it come from?

Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound, an organochloride. Originally developed as an insecticide, it became infamous for its environmental impacts. DDT was first synthesized in 1874 by the Austrian chemist Othmar Zeidler.

What is it used for?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) was developed as the first of the modern synthetic insecticides in the 1940s. It was initially used with great effect to combat malaria, typhus, and the other insect-borne human diseases among both military and civilian populations. It also was effective for insect control in crop and livestock production, institutions, homes, and gardens. DDT’s quick success as a pesticide and broad use in the United States and other countries led to the development of resistance by many insect pest species. 

Is it deadly dangerous?

DDT is deadly dangerous to insects, yes.

However, when used according to the manufacturer’s specifications, the organochlorine compounds were considered to be relatively safe, but the objection to their use stemmed from the fact that they are not degraded by natural biological processes and become a permanent part of the environment.

What about humans and other animals?

Since absorption from the gut is poor, the major portion of ingested DDT is excreted unchanged in the feces, with the remaining DDT excreted in the bile or stored in adipose tissue from which it is removed and gradually eliminated in the urine. DDT is metabolized by the liver, is fat soluble and therefore, its absorption through the skin is enhanced when present in an oil base solution or emulsion form. Absorption by the lung is rapid when DDT is present as an aerosol.

The Book That Started It All

In order to completely understand the issues associated with DDT, one must know how the chemical operates once applied to an organism. In short, DDT attacks the nervous system via the obstruction of natural nerve impulses, which can cause symptoms such as loss of coordination, convulsions, and vomiting in both animals and humans.6 However, before scientific research was released during the 1960s and the publication of Silent Spring, no one could have understood the full extent to which DDT affected the entire natural environment, including human life. This ignorance persisted until Rachel Carson helped bring these issues into the public

On the first page of the book widely credited with launching the environmental movement as well as bringing about the ban on DDT, Rachel Carson wrote: “Dedicated to Dr. Albert Schweitzer, who said ‘Man has lost the capacity to foresee and forestall. He will end by destroying the earth’.” She surely knew that he was
referring to atomic warfare, but she implied that he meant there were deadly hazards from chemicals such as DDT. Because I had already found a great many untruths in her book, I obtained a copy of Dr. Schweitzer’s autobiography, to see whether he even mentioned DDT. He wrote: “How much labor and waste of time these wicked insects do cause, but a ray of hope, in the use of DDT, is now held out to us.

DDT was no stranger to propaganda; for every one man killed in battle, malaria would kill eight, which gave the United States a stepping-stone from which to push its DDT agenda during the war. DDT was used largely due to its reasonable cost, demonstrated effectiveness, and persistence in killing insects.8 DDT was also used on the commercial and residential levels, by farmers on their crops, and in office buildings to control insect populations. The insecticide also proved to be relatively inexpensive to manufacture and stayed in the environment for a long time, effectively killing any insects that came within a certain range.

Were there official studies?

Between 1946 and 1950, cases of malaria fell from approximately 400,000 to practically none because of the use of DDT. DDT is still used today in parts of South America, Asia, and Africa with the aim of controlling malaria in places that may not be able to afford more expensive and potentially safer alternatives.9 As one can see, the early stages of DDT’s development showed much promise and cost-effectiveness when dealing with global diseases. Because of the ban on DDT in the United States in 1972, restrictions have been applied to its use; DDT can legally be produced in the United States but may only be sold to or used by foreign countries. Two of the major reasons behind the ban of DDT were the scientific evidence that exhibited buildup in the fatty tissues of wildlife while persisting in the natural environment and proved the existence of an evolutionary resistance that insects began to develop towards the chemical.

A Case Study in Scientific Fraud by Dr. Gordon Gregory supported our belief that the government has been using science to commit fraud on multiple fronts.

The chemical compound that has saved more human lives than any other in history, DDT, was banned by order of one man, the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Public pressure was generated by one popular book and sustained by faulty or fraudulent research. Widely believed claims of carcinogenicity, toxicity to birds, anti-androgenic properties, and prolonged environmental persistence are false or grossly
exaggerated. The worldwide effect of the U.S. ban has been millions of preventable deaths.

On May 15, 1975, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a report claiming that people in the United States were ingesting 15 milligrams of DDT every day. In response to a letter stating that this was obviously untrue, an EPA official responded: “You are correct in stating that EPA’s DDT report erred on human dietary uptake. The correct figure should have been 15 per day, instead of 15 per day” (Laurence O’Neall, personal communication, Sept. 11, 1975). He stated that “We will make every effort to rectify the erroneous
figures with the news media.”

Indeed, the EPA did issue a correction stating that the actual number was a thousand times less than that given in their report. Human volunteers in Georgia ingested up to 35 milligrams daily, for nearly two years, and did not experience any difficulties then or later. Workers in the Montrose Chemical Company had 1,300 man-years of exposure, and there was never any case of cancer during 19 years of continuous exposure to about 17 mg/man/day. Concerns were sometimes raised about possible carcinogenic effects of DDT, but instead its metabolites were often found to be -carcinogenic, significantly reducing tumors in rats. DDT ingestion induces hepatic microsomal enzymes, which destroy carcinogenic aflatoxins and thereby inhibit tumors.

After an 80-day hearing in 1972 on the potential for carcinogenicity, the EPAconcluded that “DDTis not a carcinogenic hazard for man.” Nevertheless, EPA Administrator William Ruckelshaus banned DDT two months later, stating that “DDT poses a carcinogenic risk” to humans. The primary evidence used
to support his assertion was two animal studies. The first was challenged because it was not replicated by other workers using similar dosages and because the findings might have resulted from food contaminated with aflatoxin. The second study, which used a nearly lethal dose, reported hepatomas in 32 percent of the
experimental group compared to 4 percent of the control group.

However, the tumors were not shown to be malignant, and the litters were not distributed randomly.
Many anti-DDT activists alleged that DDT was killing birds or causing them to produce thin-shelled eggs. Some extremists even wrote that because of DDT “birds dropped from the sky, dead.”

Others said that “birds were falling out of trees by the thousands.” No such tragedies actually occurred, not even to a few birds. It was easy to test such claims of toxicity by simply feeding known quantities of DDT to caged birds. Even extreme amounts of DDT in the food did not seriously poison birds.

Rachel Carson declared that “like the robin, another American bird, [the Bald Eagle] seems to be on the verge of extinction.” That same year Roger Tory Peterson, America’s greatest ornithologist, wrote that the robin was “the most abundant bird in North America.” There is no doubt as to which writer was correct!

What are the alternatives to DDT?

The alternatives to DDT is an array of equally dangerous and toxic chemicals that (currently) carry official approval. Approval does NOT MEAN they got it right. Time has PROVEN that over and over.

Other examples of Scientific Fraud

The most common examples of fraud in the United States appear to be environmental, including acid rain, ozone holes, carbon dioxide, ultraviolet radiation, global cooling, global warming, endangered species, and pesticides. This article primarily concerned DDT, but here are just a few others;

  • C19
  • HIV
  • Van Allan Radiation Belts
  • Marijuana
  • Brain Dead
  • UFOs / UAPs
  • Statistical Impossibilities

Scientific Fraud has it’s tentacles in every aspect of our lives now. Buyer Beware.

What’s the bottom line?

Isn’t it always about the money?

DDT was affordable and readily available to just about anyone from the 40’s – 60’s. There was no big money involved. DDT was everywhere and it was very effective at saving lives.

Currently, no obvious efforts are being made to reduce the numbers of infective mosquito adults or larvae, and neither the WHO nor any of the dozens of recent malaria researchers have proposed plans to help save human lives by killing mosquitoes or their larvae. Such humane preventive endeavors have not even been
mentioned in in recent years! Instead, hundreds of millions of dollars are devoted to the search for vaccines, which might or might not be effective.

Vaccines? Here we go again!

At least two malaria vaccine researchers have been indicted. Dr. Miodrag Ristic received $3.28 million in grants, but developed nothing. In 1990 he was indicted on four counts and heavily fined, but not imprisoned. Dr.Wasim Siddiqui of the University of Hawaii, who had claimed that his vaccine was almost ready for clinical trials,
was accused by the U.S. Inspector General of “an apparent diversion and theft of funds, submission of false claims, and criminal conspiracy.” Siddiqui was arrested by Honolulu police, but that very day the Vaccine Research Office of AID awarded him another $1.65 million “to continue his research.” Hawaiian Senator Inouye then announced on live television that if Siddiqui was handed any more federal funds he personally would see to it that the University of Hawaii would never get another grant of federal research money. Siddiqui served six months of house detention, but the local newspapers reported that he was still receiving his salary of $92,340 a year, even though not teaching classes.

The malaria protections that were hoped to replace mosquito controls have simply been expensive fantasies.

With no better methods available, past mosquito control programs were terminated. From 1974 to 1977, the U.S. Export-Import Bank financed more than $3 billion of pesticides, saving millions of human lives.

Dozens of other countries, where massive numbers of malaria deaths continue to occur, also cannot receive financial aid unless they agree to control mosquitoes by using DDT.

Conclusion

The ban on DDT, founded on erroneous or fraudulent reports and imposed by one powerful bureaucrat, has caused millions of deaths, while sapping the strength and productivity of countless human beings in underdeveloped countries. It is time for an honest appraisal and for immediate deployment of the best currently available means to control insect-borne diseases. This means DDT.

Source : The Silent Decade: Why It Took Ten Years to Ban DDT in the United States – https://vtuhr.org/articles/10.21061/vtuhr.v1i0.5?fbclid=IwAR2BV4AlK3czqYw_6UVJuXo_Tv8wBKCa0KSxbem04-5oyklrG5nIndqkvsU

Source : DDT: A Case Study in Scientific Fraud, J. Gordon Edwards, Ph.D.

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Ugly Truth of Chemical Spills

Chemical spills happen often in manufacturing, however, they are usually caught early and small enough to not cause massive public outcry. But these last few weeks, heads have been rolling and the public is no longer taking any of it lying down. Here are just a few incidents that have happened recently.

Jan 27 – Keachi train derailment leaks 10,000 gallons of acid, causing evacuation

A train derailment in Keachi caused residents to evacuate from their homes Friday night after over 10,000 gallons of acid products were spilled. Louisiana State Police Hazmat team declared a mandatory evacuation of homes within a one-and-a-half-mile radius of the railroad crossing.

Feb 3 – 50-car train derailment causes big fire, evacuations in Ohio

Norfolk Southern said 20 of the more than 100 cars were classified as carrying hazardous materials — defined as cargo that could pose any kind of danger “including flammables, combustibles, or environmental risks.”

Feb 11 – Fire at Doral renewable energy plant still burning four days after it started

Massive fire breaks out at a renewable energy plant in DORAL, FL. EPA advises residents to “shelter in place”. Officials have urged residents to stay indoors and wear masks if they have respiratory issues.

Feb 13 – Emergency crews respond to deadly train derailment in Splendora area

The Splendora Police Department said about 15 cars derailed in the crash. Hazmat crews are on the scene but there are no leaks from the cars. They are cleaning up some of the spilled diesel fuel from the truck.

Feb 14 – Chemical spill at Lactalis USA in New Hampshire prompts hazmat response

Formerly known as Stonyfield Yogurt, the Derry Fire Communications Center was notified at around 4:30 p.m. of a report involving a forklift puncturing a chemical container, according to the Southeastern New Hampshire Hazardous Materials District’s Facebook page.

The container held 300 gallons of peroxide, Boston.com reported. The hazmat team and Londonderry firefighters worked into the afternoon and early evening to clean the spill.

Feb 15 – Truck spills hazardous material in Tucson, Arizona, shutting down highway

Authorities ordered a shelter-in-place for a three-mile perimeter around the incident Wednesday morning,  according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety. 

None of these incidents should be taken lightly, but some have called the incident in East Palestine as bad as Chernobyl. Even as many outlets and politicians try to pass it off as safe, the residents are getting the word out that all is NOT well.

What caused the train derailment?

In a press conference Sunday, the National Transportation Safety Board shared what it believes to be the cause.

“We have obtained two videos which show preliminary indications of mechanical issues on one of the railcar axles,” said National Transportation Safety Board member Michael Graham.

The company is liable for the wreck according to the NTSB report. KanekoaTheGreat has gathered several reports from locals and reporters to help us get a handle on what is actually going on.

You are looking at a toxic cocktail of deadly chemicals purposefully being burned off in East Palestine after a train derailment. Authorities burned off vinyl chloride, which is toxic & carcinogenic, and released harmful & dangerous hydrogen chloride & phosgene into the air.

Phosgene is a highly toxic, colorless gas with a strong odor that causes vomiting & breathing trouble & it was used as a chemical weapon in World War I. Hydrogen chloride is a colorless to yellowish gas with a strong odor, that causes skin, eye, nose, and throat irritation.

Wisconsin Department of Health: “Exposure to vinyl chloride can affect a person’s liver, kidney, lung, spleen, nervous system and blood.” “Human and animal studies show higher rates of liver, lung and several other types of cancer.”

The vinyl chloride burn occurred near the Ohio River which flows directly into the Mississippi River. Thousands of farms may be affected by this.

3 additional chemicals discovered on East Palestine train derailment

The EPA sent a letter to the rail company, stating that ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethlyhexyl acrylate, & isobutylene were also in the rail cars. “We basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open.”

Amanda Breshears found her chickens dead ten miles from East Palestine. “As soon as they started the burn, my chickens slowed down and they died.” “If it can do this to chickens in one night, imagine what it’s going to do to us in 20 years.”

There are reports of dead fish in rivers and creeks 5 miles away from the train derailment.

Taylor Holzer, a fox-keeper, just outside of the evacuation zone, says one of his foxes died, and all have been acting sick since the vinyl chloride burn. “The chemicals we’re being told are safe… are definitely not safe for animals… or people.”

One twitter user responded: There are ~75k farms in Ohio. Nearly 90% of those farms are run by families or individuals. It’s so “ironic” this awful environmental disaster happened there.

“Coincidentally” there’s a global war on small holding farms to sell or go bust, via legislation and economics.

The top 10 owners of the Norfolk Southern Corp rail transportation company include:

  • Vanguard
  • JPMorgan
  • BlackRock

Some are reporting that Norfolk Southern is trying to pay residents $1000 “inconvenience” fees. Don’t sign papers associated with the fee. BlackRock and Vanguard WILL try to use it as a waiver of all future claims.

The EPA released a manifest last night from Norfolk Southern summarizing more chemicals that were released in East Palestine, Ohio:

  • Three cars of Diethylene Glycol
  • One car of Polypropyl Gylcol
  • One car of Propylene Glycol
  • Two cars of Polyethylene
  • Two cars of Polyvinyl
  • Five cars of Petroleum

Hazmat specialist is concerned authorities aren’t testing for phosgene, hydrogen chloride, and dioxins in East Palestine, Ohio.

“Phosgene takes a special photo-ionization lamp or a special meter… What are they checking for? They only give lists of what they have found. They are not telling you what they are checking for.”

“Norfolk Southern checking your house out is like the fox guarding the hen house… You don’t know the long-term health effects.”

Mother talks about her 9-year-old asthmatic son’s reaction to toxic chemical release in East Palestine, Ohio: “He was projectile vomiting across the floor out of nowhere…he was shaking, begging for water, he said he couldn’t breathe… he broke out with some rashes—I’m terrified to go back.”

Katlyn Schwarzwaelder tells Glenn Beck four of her dogs were projectile vomiting, her eyes and throat get itchy and burn when she visits her home, and she plans to abandon East Palestine forever because of her long-term health concerns:

“I had four dogs needing emergency veterinarian services because they were projectile vomiting and very lethargic.”

“Going back is extremely uncomfortable, there are physical symptoms every time, from itchy burning, watery eyes, itchy burning throat, coughing, and a weird sensation like your eyes pulsating like a heartbeat.”

“The media is not appropriately displaying that people aren’t returning. Some people who didn’t have the financial means to stay away any longer came back, but any body who had an option did not go back.”

“The vinyl chloride is like water and travels through the ground and soil like water… It takes time for this stuff to travel through the ground… These levels could be astronomic in four, five, or six months from now.”

Jesse Waters – ‘Ohio town is abandoned’

“I’ve been sick with upper congestion. This morning I woke up with my eye swollen. My kids keep breaking out in rashes. I have experienced headaches and coughing. Sore throat and headaches.”

“Aren’t these the same people who told us Flint, Michigan’s water was good to drink? Remember the EPA also lied to New Yorkers about 9/11? They said the air around ground zero was safe and told them to go outside, and ten years later, thousands of people wound up with cancer.”

“The EPA is setting East Palestine up to be another stat, and the people there see through it… It’s like it doesn’t even matter that a small rustbelt town got a chemical nuke dropped on them by a rail company.”

East Palestine Ohio residents talk about reactions after toxic chemical release:

If it’s safe, why are people getting sick, and why does it smell toxic?

East Palestine resident says Norfolk Southern offered to move them out of their home:

“They’re offering to get us a new place and a couple months rent… We have a unique situation with water runoff into our basement.”

Some residents have filed a federal lawsuit after hazardous train derailment in Ohio

Toxicology testing firm is questionable

East Palestine toxicology test relies on a controversial consulting firm accused of serving corporate interest rather than public health.

CTEH, a private contractor hired by Norfolk Southern to test water, soil, and air quality in East Palestine, Ohio, has a history of minimizing the effects of environmental disasters to satisfy its corporate employers.

After a million gallons of oil spilled on a Louisiana town in 2005, after a flood of toxic coal ash smothered central Tennessee in 2008, and after defective Chinese drywall began plaguing Florida homeowners, CTEH was on the scene — saying everything was fine.

In each of these cases, the controversial consulting firm was alleged to be supplying the data its employers wanted while falsely assuring the public that they were safe from harm.

CTEH’s work for BP in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, for example, drew accusations of the “fox guarding the chicken coop” from the New York Times:

“As BP continues to claim that the leaking oil has caused “no significant exposures,” despite the hospitalization of several workers and the sparse release of test data, these observers of CTEH’s work say the firm has a vested interest in finding a clean bill of health to satisfy its corporate employer.”

“It’s essentially the fox guarding the chicken coop,” said Nicholas Cheremisinoff, a former Exxon chemical engineer who now consults on pollution prevention. “There is a huge incentive for them to under-report” the size of the spill, Cheremisinoff added, and “the same thing applies on the health and safety side.”

“Another toxicologist familiar with CTEH, who requested anonymity to avoid retribution from the firm, described its chemical studies as designed to meet the goals of its clients. “They’re paid to say everything’s OK.”

“Matt Landon, a staff member at the anti-mountaintop removal mining group United Mountain Defense, encountered CTEH in the wake of the 2008 breach in a coal ash dam run by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).”

“Landon said his group began its own air monitoring after finding CTEH employees installing low-volume monitors that community advocates believed were not strong enough to measure air quality in compliance with EPA standards.”

“People were getting sick,” Landon recalled, “eyes swelling up, rashes, ear aches, wedding bands tarnishing. They said it was taking them time to get high-volume monitors out there.”

In 2010, Congressional Democrats pressured BP to fire the toxicology testing company used by Norfolk Southern and the EPA in East Palestine, Ohio.

The lawmakers claimed the company had a “long pattern of tainted results,” prioritizing corporate interests over public health.

After Ohio train derailment, residents are living the plot of a movie they helped make

Two months ago NetFlix released a trailer for White Noise, and it has a chemical train wreck filmed at the exact place where the Ohio train wreck was.

Set in the 1980s, White Noise follows the life of an academic and his family whose lives change after an air contamination accident near their home.

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#572 – The Ugly Truth of Big Pharma

#572 – The Ugly Truth of Big Pharma

A history of the pharmaceutical industry

The oldest records of medicinal preparations made from plants, animals, or minerals are those of the early Chinese, Hindu, and Mediterranean civilizations. In 1546 the first collected list of drugs and medicinal chemicals, appeared in Nürnberg, Germany. In the 1800’s many important compounds were isolated from plants for the first time. 

Originating as a pharmacy founded in Darmstadt, Germany in 1668, it was in 1827 that Heinrich Emanuel Merck began the transition towards an industrial and scientific concern, by manufacturing and selling alkaloids.

GlaxoSmithKline’s origins can be traced back to Beecham of London, producing patented medicine from 1842, and the world’s first factory for producing only medicines in 1859.

Meanwhile in the USA, Pfizer was founded in 1849 by two German immigrants, initially as a fine chemicals business. Their business expanded rapidly during the American civil war as demand for painkillers and antiseptics rocketed.

Bayer, founded in 1863 in Germany, commercialized aspirin around the turn of the 20th century, one of the most successful pharmaceuticals ever at that point.

These companies focused as much on cod liver oil, toothpaste, citric acid for soft drinks, and hair gel as on prescription medicines, as well as selling products like heroin on the over-the-counter market.

The period between 1918 and 1939 was marked by two breakthroughs, insulin and penicillin, that saw the arrival of the modern pharma industry. The US pharmaceutical industry was booming, thanks to the economy and generous funding from the government, with the National Institutes of Health seeing its federal funding rise to nearly $100 million by 1956. This investment fueled the development of drugs to come over the coming decades.

Since the passage in 1902 of the U.S. Biologics Control Act, which initiated the regulation of vaccines, problems with negligence in manufacture have declined greatly.

In 1955, about 200 people were paralyzed and ten died after contracting polio from the Salk polio vaccine, despite manufacturers’ adherence to federal government standards. The event was known as the Cutter Incident, after the manufacturer of one of the implicated vaccines. Many injured people and their families filed lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers, and most cases were settled out of court with monetary awards by the manufacturers.

Through the 1970s and 1980s, the number of lawsuits brought against vaccine manufacturers increased dramatically. Manufacturers made large payouts to individuals and families claiming vaccine injury, particularly from the combined diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (DPT) immunization. In this environment of increasing litigation, mounting legal fees, and large jury rewards, many pharmaceutical companies left the vaccine business. By the end of 1984, only one U.S. company still manufactured the DPT vaccine, and other vaccines were also losing manufacturers.

We can’t let them fail …

In October 1986, the U.S. Congress responded to this precarious situation by passing the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (NCVIA). The act included many regulations related to informed consent and adverse event reporting. The Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) lists the risks and benefits of a particular vaccine. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) was created to report suspected vaccine-related adverse events. Additionally, the act contained provisions for a program that would fairly and efficiently compensate individuals harmed by certain vaccines properly manufactured. Such a system, it was hoped, would stabilize the legal environment for manufacturers, allowing them to limit their liability, better anticipate their legal costs, and reduce potential barriers to research into new vaccines.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) established this system, the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP), in 1988. The NVICP does not cover all vaccines. However, vaccines routinely given to children as part of the recommended immunization schedule are included, and some adult vaccines are also covered.

Omnibus Autism Proceeding

Beginning around 2001, hundreds and then thousands of families began to petition NVICP, claiming their children’s autism resulted from vaccination. 

To deal with the volume of these petitions, and to address the assertion that a causal relationship existed between vaccination and autism, the NVICP established a special program in 2002 called the Omnibus Autism Proceeding, housed within the U.S. Court of Federal Claims Office of Special Masters.

The first test case addressed whether measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine alone, or along with thimerosal-containing vaccines (TCVs), is a causal factor in autism. Three test cases was selected to represent this theory (Cedillo, Hazlehurst & Snyder).

A special master issued the first opinion in the OAP on theory one in 2009. The ruling found, in three test cases consolidated into theory one, that the MMR vaccine given alone or with TCVs is not a causal factor in autism.

The second test case examined TCVs alone. Theory two was decided in 2010, with a finding of no causal relationship between TCVs and autism.

As of March 2010, 13,330 cases had been filed under the VICP, of which 5,617 are autism cases. To date, the Court has held that there is no correlation between vaccinations and autism.

CDC Recommended Vaccine Schedule 1986 vs. 2019

It’s all about the money

Companies Should Have No Role in Testing Their Drugs

The NY Times – 12/16/2013

How can companies that need to maximize profits for shareholders be expected to evaluate their drugs objectively?

Drug companies sponsor the clinical trials that must be submitted to the F.D.A. to get approval to sell prescription drugs. The problem is that they can design those trials to make a favorable outcome much more likely. For example, they can test a drug in young people, even though it will be used in older people, because young people are less likely to have side-effects that indicate safety problems.

Who owns the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies?

The three largest shareholders of Pfizer, J&J and Merck are Vanguard, SSGA and BlackRock, the multi-trillion dollar funds which make investments on behalf of their clients and keep a cut for their service. 

How Pharma Companies Game the System to Keep Drugs Expensive

Drug development is risky and expensive, thanks to the long testing and approval process. That’s why in 1984, the U.S. Congress struck a bargain with pharmaceutical companies. If they brought a new therapy to market, they won exclusive rights to sell that product in the U.S. for a limited amount of time.

After that, generic drugs could be made by competitors — at competitive prices. But increasingly, makers of branded drugs are using a variety of tactics to extend their exclusive rights. They’re using “pay-for-delay” agreements, citizen petitions, restricted distribution schemes, and legal challenges to delay the introduction of cheaper generic drugs. (Generic drug makers aren’t helping themselves by having issues with manufacturing quality.)

These delay tactics are costing consumers billions of dollars a year. The federal government should clamp down on these loopholes.

I think it’s time we get back to our roots. There is not a pill to cure every ailment and most pharmaceuticals cause more problems than they help. Let’s look first to our ancestors and the roots of holistic health and natural remedies.

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