Background: Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Products
Prepared by Yuzo Ishikawa
Just how the girls ended up living with high concentration of toxic chemicals because they used cosmetic products, there are many people of various ages, social-economic class, and ethnicity who are directly affected by the toxic chemicals that are found in many products that we use everyday – from plastic bottles, to cosmetics, to medicine, and many more. Because the issue of toxic chemical misuse is a very broad topic, requiring thorough study on numerous aspects of consumer products that could harm humans, animals, and the environment, we will limit our focus on the injustice done to humans. Toxic chemical misuse is a serious health problem, a problem that penetrates deeply into our personal lives that must be resolved. The future of the entire human race depends on human innovation to ensure survival.
Perhaps the most heartbreaking fact in the unjust use of toxic chemicals in consumer products is most seen in plastic bottles (and other plastic products) that are most commonly found in baby bottles. Although these bottles may appear to “safe,” these bottles actually contain a chemical called Bisphenol-A or BPA, which has a long history of causing “serious health problems in laboratory animals.” In fact, independent scientists has even proposed that “BPA may be an underlying cause of a collection of illness rapidly rising in the West,” such as obesity, heart disease, and birth defects, and low dosages may have a significant role in deteriorating an adult’s health, which would be of major concern when we are dealing with babies who have not fully developed their immune system (Hickman). However, despite recent knowledge of the potential dangers BPA may bring, both the US government and the industries have taken very little effort in solving the problem; instead, they have manipulated the information regarding tests, thus giving BPA a “clean bill of health” – most likely so that the companies could make profit selling such bottles. Because of such corruption in the corporate and federal levels that promote consumerism over consumer safety, many babies’ lives are placed in harms way.
Believe it or not, chemical injustice also takes place in the cosmetics business too. In fact, a British study done by University of Reading researchers have found that certain chemicals in body care cosmetics may adversely affect breast cancer incidence. When considering that breast cancer of a major health issue that affects roughly one out of eight women, the increased chances of getting breast cancer by using cosmetics – virtually the lifeline of many women – is just horrific. Research has revealed that p-hydroxybenzoic acid ester (commonly known as paraben), the chemical that is used in 99% “leave-on products and 77% of rinse-off products,” has been “detected in human breast tumor tissue” (Darbre). However, the major problem is not the parabens are cancer-causing, but that “body care products have continued to show that products do not comply with EC Cosmetic Directive with respect to labeling,” which would then mislead consumers to believe that their products are “safe” when they really are not. This is an injustice by the cosmetic industries that hopes to make profit through deception, thus putting many women’s lives in harms way.
Unlike the world fifty years ago, human exposure to various chemicals has risen very dramatically – mainly due to the rise of electronic products. In fact, many household products we all have around contains traces of various chemicals have may have damaging effects on not only humans but also on the environment; but, companies still continue to use these chemicals, without thoroughly educating the public about such hazards. Phthalate ester is one such example. Phthalates have been known to be toxic to the developing male reproductive organs “for more than 50 years,” yet industries and governments have taken little effort in stopping the harm done to the male population (Greenpeace). In addition, recent studies have also revealed that children and women are also affected by the widespread use of phthalates. The government must learn to realize the health hazards their house may potentially bring, or else many people’s lives will be endangered.
Although is it very difficult to completely determine true intentions of industries as they use toxic chemicals (that are sometimes vital in the products’ ability to function), it is evident that there are many accounts of serious health issues that require great attention due to the lack of detailed regulation of potentially dangerous chemicals by the industries and ultimately the government – even if health hazards are still unknown. As seen in the injustice in the cosmetic products, there are “many major companies, including Coca-Cola, Kellogg, Kraft, General Mills, and Nestlé, continue to confuse or defraud consumers about the health effects, ingredients, or ‘naturalness’ of their products” (“CSPI Urges”). False labeling continues to be the “evil” done by companies as they try to deceive not only the public but also the governments that their product XYZ is chemically safe to consume or use. In fact, the FDA has also taken some role in passing certain products as “safe” when they should not be.
There are many social systems that are involved in contributing to the unhealthy distribution of many toxic chemicals in consumer products. Many of these systems – especially the companies that make the products and the government agencies that pass them as “safe,” often manipulate real data about the toxicity of the chemicals in products to make them more chemically appealing to the general public – thus improving profit (“CSPI Urges”). The most obvious problem is rooted in the companies that make the products; as is the case with False-labeling, which is the “evil disguised as good.” In addition to the administrative evils, the economic system is another system that contributes to unsafe products. Because the companies do not wish to spend time doing painstaking research to ensure safety, but rather wishes to “effectively” increase profit, they often end up ignoring the concerns real scientists have with the chemicals they use (Darbre). These systems need serious reform, or the people will lose their trust as experts in the regards to chemicals and the principle of “consumer first.”
In response to the injustices done by companies and governments in allowing very hazardous chemicals to be distributed worldwide through everyday products, many organizations and researchers have begun to take great steps in promoting consumer safety. In fact, due to the persuasive evidence of BPA hazard provided by European researchers, countries such as Canada and three US states (Connecticut, Minnesota and Wisconsin) have banned the use of BPA in plastic products (Hickman). Other organizations like Healthy Child Healthy World have rallied to protect children from the many chemicals that many potentially harm them. There is still hope for a healthier world; however, more dramatic steps by governments and industries still need to be taken to solve the problem.
Although winning the race to create and sell the world’s “best” product X that would grant instant “happiness,” it is important to know that happiness may not always be the end result, because many of our everyday products we use contain toxic chemicals, that results from the injustices by the companies who make Product X. By manipulating the truth about the real potential health hazards that may lie in their products, the companies exploit their customers, so they can make money. Consumer safety is apparently not the primary concern. As a result, the lives of many people – both adults and children – are endangered; in fact, the entire human race may be in danger of destroying itself. Therefore, As a result, it is important for government, individuals, and ultimately the industries to realize how many people are harmed because of unjust distribution of toxic chemicals. With thorough investigation and regulation of harmful chemicals in many of the everyday consumer products, many lives (including ours) may be saved.
