<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
p.MsoAcetate, li.MsoAcetate, div.MsoAcetate
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
color:#000099;}
span.BalloonTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Balloon Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text";
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="2050" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#000099'><a href="http://news.consumerreports.org/health/2012/03/study-finds-worrisome-chemicals-in-wide-range-of-consumer-products.html">http://news.consumerreports.org/health/2012/03/study-finds-worrisome-chemicals-in-wide-range-of-consumer-products.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#000099'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:12.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:12.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:12.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Study finds worrisome chemicals in wide range of consumer products <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#666666'>Mar 9, 2012 5:00 PM<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><img border=0 width=240 height=175 id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01CD0137.A0D62430" alt="http://news.consumerreports.org/assets_c/2012/03/105862599_HEALTH_Toxic_Everyday_Products-thumb-240xauto-4242.jpg"></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>A new study has found potentially harmful chemicals, such as asthma-related compounds and endocrine disruptors, in common consumer products including cosmetics, household cleaners, and personal care products, and many of the detected chemicals are not listed on product labels. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>The study, which tested 213 commercial products representing 50 product types, was conducted by the Silent Spring Institute and published this week in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>The tested products included diapers, cat litter, dryer sheets, hand soap, laundry detergent, lipstick, perfume, shampoo, shaving cream, and sunscreen, among many others. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>For testing purposes, many of conventional products were combined into composite samples, therefore results cannot be linked to a specific product, while "alternative products" in the same categories but labeled "natural," "green," or "non-toxic," and the like—all unverified claims with little to no meaning—were tested individually.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>The study authors detected 55 compounds, indicating a wide range of exposures from common products, both conventional and alternative. According to the study, "Vinyl products contained >10 percent DEHP, a phthalate used to make PVC pliable," which could be a source of DEHP in homes. In other products, the highest concentrations of the tested compounds were in fragranced products such as perfume, air fresheners, and dryer sheets, as well as in sunscreens. Alternative products that didn't contain the better-known endocrine-disrupting phthalates (e.g. DEHP, DEP, BBP) contained other other lesser-known phthalates that are as strong or weaker endocrine-disrupting activity. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>The Silent Spring Institute states that the study represents only a fraction of consumer products and a small number of the chemicals used in products, and that since manufacturers are continually reformulating products and products, tests results may not apply to products currently for sale.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Last year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission <a href="http://news.consumerreports.org/safety/2011/08/cpsc-phthalate-tests-now-required-for-kids-toys-and-products.html" target="_blank"><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>voted to require manufacturers to perform third-party testing for phthalates</span></a> in children’s toys and care articles, to make sure they meet phthalate limits set by the federal government. Around that same time we also reported on an authors concerns <a href="http://news.consumerreports.org/baby/2011/05/author-raises-concerns-about-pervasive-plastics-and-childrens-development.html"><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>about pervasive plastics and children’s development</span></a>. Back in 2008, the CPSC banned three types of phthalates (DEHP, DEP, and BBP) in children’s bedding, toys and care articles and, in addition, banned three other phthalates (DINP, DIDP, DnOP) in teethers, toys and care articles that can be put into a baby’s mouth. For more on phthalates and when the ban became law in 2009 see <a href="http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/march-2009/recalls-and-safety-alerts/new-ban-on-plastic-chemical/recalls-new-ban-on-plastic-chemical.htm"><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>New ban on plastic chemical</span></a>. The <a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/838" target="_blank"><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>EU banned these same phthalates</span></a> back in 2005.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>We also found that consumers are being exposed to worrisome concentrations of arsenic in foods and beverages in our <a href="http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/consumer-reports-magazine-january-2012/arsenic-in-your-juice/index.htm" target="_blank"><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Consumer Reports’ investigation</span></a>, which found elevated levels of arsenic in apple and grape juices. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><a href="http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action;jsessionid=C9411292BD60FBE4410ABA8BFB2FA550?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.1104052" target="_blank"><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Endocrine Disruptors and Asthma-Associated Chemicals in Consumer Products</span></a> [Environmental Health Perspectives]<br><a href="http://www.silentspring.org/table-consumer-products-tested-endocrine-disruptors-and-asthma-associated-chemicals" target="_blank"><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Table: Consumer products tested for endocrine disruptors and asthma-associated chemicals</span></a> [Silent Spring Institute]</span><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#000099'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#000099'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#000099'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>Deborah L. DeBiasi</span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'><br></span><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>Email: Deborah.DeBiasi@deq.virginia.gov</span></b><b><i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:red'><br></span></i></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>WEB site address: <a href="http://www.deq.virginia.gov/">www.deq.virginia.gov</a></span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'><br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>Virginia Department of Environmental Quality</span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'><br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>Office of Water Permit and Compliance Assistance Programs</span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'><br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>Industrial Pretreatment/Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Program</span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'><br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>PPCPs, EDCs, and Microconstituents</span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'> <br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'><a href="http://www.deq.virginia.gov/vpdes/Microconstituents.html">http://www.deq.virginia.gov/vpdes/Microconstituents.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:red'>4th National DEA Drug Collection 04/28/12, 10-2 pm</span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#000099'> <br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:red'>Go to </span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#000099'><a href="www.dea.gov"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>www.dea.gov</span></a></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:red'> for site locations</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>Mail: P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, VA 23218</span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'><br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>Location: 629 E. Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219</span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'><br></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:navy'>PH: 804-698-4028 FAX: 804-698-4032</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#000099'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>