BPA linked to a common birth defect in boys

A new study links fetal exposure to a common chemical pollutant, bisphenol A (BPA), to defects of a testicular hormone in newborn boys with undescended testicles. The results, which were presented Monday at The Endocrine Society's 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, suggest yet another potential harmful effect of BPA, which is widely used in many plastics, liners of food cans and dental sealants.

"Alone, our study cannot be considered as definitive evidence for an environmental cause of undescended testis," said lead author Patrick Fenichel, MD, PhD, professor and head of reproductive endocrinology at the University Hospital of Nice in France. "But it suggests, for the first time in humans, a link that could contribute to one co-factor of idiopathic [unexplained] undescended testis, the most frequent congenital malformation in male newborns."

Cryptorchidism, the medical name for undescended testicles, occurs in 2 to 5 percent of full-term male newborns, according to Fenichel. Sometimes the testicles descend on their own within six months after birth. If the condition persists and goes untreated, however, it carries an increased risk in adulthood of decreased fertility and testicular cancer, he said.

Fenichel and his colleagues studied 180 boys born after 34 weeks' gestation between 2003 and 2005. Fifty-two were born with one or two undescended testicles, 26 of whom still had the condition at 3 months of age. The other 128 newborns did not have this birth defect and were matched for pregnancy term, weight and time of birth (the control group). Using sensitive immunoassays of the infants' umbilical cord blood, the researchers measured the newborns' levels of BPA and insulin-like peptide 3, one of the two testicular hormones that regulate descent of the testicles.

Testosterone level, which also controls fetal testicular descent, did not differ between the groups and was normal in the whole population, according to Fenichel.

The infants with cryptorchidism had significantly lower levels of insulin-like peptide 3, compared with the controls, the authors reported. These infants did not have greatly increased levels of BPA or several other environmental endocrine disrupters that were measured. However, in all 180 infants, the BPA level inversely correlated with the level of insulin-like peptide 3, meaning that the higher the BPA level, the lower the level of this important testicular hormone.

Fenichel speculated that BPA, an estrogenic endocrine disruptor, might repress, as other research has shown for estrogens in rodents, expression of the gene for insulin-like peptide 3. This could be a co-factor in the development of cryptorchidism, he said.

Animal research also has linked fetal BPA exposure to an increased risk of reproductive disorders and other health problems.

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Demystifying household chemicals: Phthalates

Phthalates can be found in shaving cream
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos

"Demystifying household chemicals" is a series that aims to inform people on the types of chemicals found in and around our homes. The series will be featured every Wednesday where a different chemical, and its everyday uses, will be discussed.


It’s not really news that pretty much everything around us contains some kind of harmful chemical. Many chemicals are actually difficult to avoid. Car fumes, smokers on the street and even barbecues all contain harmful chemicals, yet we can rarely control our exposure to them.

What is conscious, however, is the morning or evening ritual of applying toners, creams, lotions, acne medication, shampoos, shaving creams, perfumes…  Many of these products contain phthalates (pronounced tha-layts).

Phthalates are most commonly used in plastics to make them more transparent, durable, flexible and lasting. These chemicals are therefore often referred to as plasticizers.

Providing a list of the multitude of alternate names for phthalates would consist of writing a novel, so instead, find a list on Wikipedia as well as a complementary one on Environmental Working Group.

In 2009, Author Rick Smith published Slow Death by Rubber Duck. In that book, he experimented with skin-care products by applying them regularly and then testing his blood. The number of phthalate byproducts found in his blood spiked after just three days, indicating how present this chemical is in our everyday lives.

What can phthalates do to you?

Phthalates can be blamed for several health issues, including decreased sperm count, male genital birth defects, damage to the DNA, as well as negative impacts on the nervous and immune systems. Recent studies have now revealed that phthalates may very well be linked to the development of diabetes. After following 1000 senior women, researchers noted that the women with diabetes also had higher levels of phthalates in their system.

What other products contain phthalates?

Apart from skin-care products, you can find phthalates in certain children’s toys as well as PVC, though many manufacturers have now stopped using this chemical in kid’s products.

Phthalates can also be found in:

• Waxes
• Paints
• Pharmaceuticals (including diabetes medication!)
• Some food products
• Textiles
• Sex toys (made of ‘jelly rubber’)
• Hair sprays
• Shower curtains
• Cleaning products
• Liquid soap
• Eye shadow
• Insect repellant

It is often difficult to tell what ingredients go into our skin care products because many companies don’t state every ingredient. If they do, chemicals, herbs and fragrances are often hidden in scientific jargon, which can be difficult to decipher. That is why websites, such as SkinDeep and GoodGuide, are useful. They can help you discover what chemicals are found in your current products, as well as choose the best and greenest products on the market.

How many of you actually read the list of ingredients on the back of your skin-care products? Does this information surprise you? Share your comments with us!

Sources: The Age, Environmental Health Perspective

Minimizing phthalate exposure

AllerAir's 5000 DX Vocarb

The first thing you can do to reduce the number of phthalates in your home and your body is to replace your skin-care and household products with safer alternatives. This will help you naturally improve your indoor air quality and minimize air pollution.

Using an air purifier is also a great way to remove odors and chemicals from the air, particularly if you place one in the bathroom where most of these harmful products are used.  

AllerAir’s 5000 DX Vocarb is made for areas that have a heavy concentration of chemicals and odors. The deep-bed activated carbon filter will help remove toxins from the air through adsorption, while the micro HEPA will take particles as small as 0.1 microns out of the air. With this heavy-duty air purifier, you and your family will enjoy a much healthier living environment..

For more information on AllerAir’s air purifiers, speak to one of our IAQ experts at 1-888-852-8247 or contact us through our website.

Follow our blog and show your support for greener and healthier living.

No tan is a good tan

Sun-bathing is actually better for you
than tanning substitutes

First we were told that sun-bathing was bad for our skin, so people starting using tanning salons. Then we were told that tanning beds caused more harmful UV rays than did the sun at high noon, so people turned to tanning lotions.

Now studies tell us to stop that too.

Though there is no evidence that these self-tanning products lead to melanoma, research has shown  that the chemicals absorbed by the skin and inhaled from the spray and fumes can in fact have long-term effects.

Tanning lotions are composed of several types of chemicals including the carcinogen formaldehyde, nitrosamines (also considered cancer-causing) and tartrazine (a synthetic yellow dye that is known to cause skin irritations).

Side effects may include reduced fertility, diabetes, cancer and obesity. Pregnant women also expose their children to these chemicals, which can result in birth defects.

Source: The MedGuru

Sunbathing is the better option

If you’re afraid you’re turning pasty and the prospect of tanning is just too good to pass up, your best bet is to get some real sun. Though extended exposure will still have negative consequences, it is still the safer option.

 How to protect your home from chemical toxins

Though it would be easy to just go home and throw out your tanning lotions, there are many other cosmetics and cleaning products that include some of the ingredients listed above. Some are more difficult to do without than others. 

Take the time to go through the products you use most often, and find greener options to replace them with. It is also a good idea to get an air purifier to clean your home when some of these products are used.

AllerAir's numerical series of air purifiers
(4000, 5000, 6000)

Though many chemicals are diffused outdoors, they tend to hang around indoors. An activated carbon filtered air purifier will adsorb the chemicals, rending your home safer and healthier.

Do you use self-tanning lotions? Will you continue to do so now that you know the side-effects? Tell us what you think!

Show your support for greener and healthier living by becoming a follower of this blog.

For more information on AllerAir’s air purifiers for odor and chemical control, call us toll free at 1-888-852-8247.

Time to Stop Trusting Regulators? Report Says They Knew World's Best-Selling Herbicide Causes Birth Defects



Image by Sura Nualpradid

It's time to take a proactive approach to protecting our indoor air, water and food.

It happened with cigarettes, drugs, BPA and countless other products; Regulators, supposedly in the business of keep us safe, seem to be routinely ignoring credible, scientific evidence that shows products can harm us. Is this a result of back-door strong-arming by powerful, ruthless corporations? We’ll leave that up to the conspiracy theorists to prove, however it is time for everyone to start taking a more proactive approach to protecting their own health.

The latest example of regulators failing the public, comes from the Huffington Post. They report that industry regulators have known for years that Roundup, the world's best-selling herbicide produced by chemical giant Monsanto, causes birth defects.

Herbicides are essentially weed killers. Some are selective killers, in that they are only suppose to target specific weeds and apparently leave crops unscathed. Newer crops, called “Round-up Ready” are actually genetically modified to be immune to herbicides. According to the USDA, agriculture spends more than 8 billion dollars a year on crop chemicals and accounts for 70% of all pesticide sales in the U.S.

The report in question, "Roundup and birth defects: Is the public being kept in the dark?" found that regulators have known for over 30 years that glyphosate, the chemical on which Roundup is based, can cause birth defects in laboratory animals.

So what can a regular person do? The answer: Stop relying on others to keep us safe. Make sure, to the best of your abilities, that your air, water, food and home are as clean as possible. That means using fewer chemicals in the home and workplace, maintaining good indoor air quality, and eating less packaged, processed and modified foods.

To learn more about removing airborne chemicals, odors, dust and other contaminants from the air you breathe connect with us:

Visit our website: http://www.allerair.com/
Start a live chat session with an indoor air quality expert
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E-mail or phone 1-888-852-8247