By Renee Martinez, Founder of Raising Boys World
There has been a lot of scary information in the media about the food we eat. I try to buy organic food, but what about all the other things we use to clean, bathe and eat with. Do you ever think about the many chemicals all around us and their affect on our sons? In doing a little research, I came across this article. It’s an issue that has concerned me. I often wonder what on earth I’m putting on my body when I use skin care products with ingredients I have no idea how to say. When I was pregnant, perfumes ingredients and processed foods seemed like a bad idea. Learning about the relationship between chemicals and infertility in boys, makes me realize how little we really know about the chemicals around us.
Professor Richard Sharpe, of the Medical Research Council, states that hormone-disrupting chemicals pose a significant threat to male fertility for boys in utero. He also linked chemicals found in many food and cosmetic products to raising rates of birth defects and testicular cancer and falling sperm counts.
HORMONE DISRUPTORS
Chemicals in consumer products and food that have been reported to disrupt the sex hormones include:
Phthalates: Found in vinyl flooring, plastics, soaps, toothpaste
Bisphenol: Found in babies’ bottles, food can linings. mobile phones, computers
Pesticides: Including pyrethroids, linuron, vinclozolin and fenitrothion
THE HIDDEN DANGERS IN EVERY HOME
Phthalates are used in a wide variety of products including: Air freshener
Baby toys (plastic)
Backpacks
Beach balls
Bubble bath
Cleaning agents
Coatings for tablets
Computers
Deodorant
Disinfectant
DVD players
Electrical cables
Garden hoses
Hair gels and mousse
Hairspray
Ink
Insect repellent
Lipstick
Mobile phones
Moisturisers
Nail polish
Paint
Perfume
Plastic raincoats
Portable music players
PVC flooring
Shampoo
Shaving foam
Shower curtains
Soap Sunscreens
Toothbrushes
Trainers
Vinyl blinds
Wallpaper (PVC)
Washing-up liquid
Wellington boots
FACTFILE
Phthalates have been used since the 1930s to make plastics softer and more flexible. In fragrances, they help smells last longer and can mask chemical odors Phthalates are not firmly bound into products and have found their way into the environment including remote marine locations They can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled or ingested in food. Phthalates damaged the liver and reproductive system in tests on animals.
My question is: If we know that these chemicals are dangerous, why are they still being used?
ADDITIONAL LINKS:
• Health and chemicals
• Common chemicals and increased risks in boys
• Man-made chemicals and boys
• Chemicals and boys sex health
About the Author: Renee Martinez is the mother of 4 boys, the founder of RaisingBoysWorld.com, www.socialmediabizsummit.com, and the president of RubyMarCom (www.rubymarcom.com), a boutique marketing communications company. Her business blog (www.lisac95.sg-host.com), provides resources on everything marketing and social media related for her active audience. Renee is an adjunct professor at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY where she teaches social media marketing in the business school. Find Renee on Twitter at @reneemmartinez.
Photo of chemicals by Dan Machold, found on Flickr
