Californians: Help Ban Nail-Care Products That Can Cause Pregnancy Complications


nail polish safety California

Regulators in California are taking steps to bar the use of chemicals found in cosmetic nail products linked to pregnancy concerns and respiratory problems. In February, the state (39.1% Latino) Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) proposed deeming toluene-based products under “priority” status, which requires manufacturers to phase out or find alternatives to brands containing the substance. Latinos, who already face chemical exposure in the workplace, in the foods they buy, and in other products on the market, should be aware of other potential risk. The DTSC is currently taking online public comments on toluene-based, nail-care items. UPDATE: The DTSC has extended the public comment period until April 1, 2019! Submit a Comment for Safe Nail Products! Here’s ...

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Tell FDA: We Need Safe Sunscreen


Sunscreen Chemicals FDA Safe

UPDATE: The FDA extends comment period until June 27, 2019! Chemicals found in reportedly 65% of over-the-counter sunscreens could be causing significant health and environmental concerns. Oxybenzone, one of the chemicals in sunscreen, allegedly caused the death of coral reefs and harmed human skin and hormones, according to the Environmental Working Group (EGW). Doctors have OK’d the use of sunscreen to protect against skin cancer, which is rising among Latinos, but debate rages over the consequences of oxybenzone exposure. The FDA wants your opinion on its proposed a new rule in the Federal Register that could ban the use of harmful additives in sunscreen by June 27, 2019! How to Submit a Comment for Safe Sunscreen! Copy the Salud America! model comment below (and ...

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Chemical Found in Weed Killer Linked to Sizable Cancer Risk


weed killer and cancer

Exposure to a widely used substance in weed killers is connected to a 41% increase in the likelihood of developing cancer, according to a new study. Researchers found people who regularly interacted with high levels of the chemical, glyphosate, had a higher chance of contracting non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), reported in findings published in Mutation Research. This is important for Latinos and those in poverty, who tend to disproportionately live in regions where glyphosate is sprayed in California (39% Latino). Rachel Shaffer, a study author and a University of Washington doctoral student, told UW News the new study gives a current and in-depth examination of links between NHL and glyphosate. “These findings are aligned with a prior assessment from the International Agency ...

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Latinos Sue EPA for Failing to Ban ‘Deadly’ Paint Stripper


toxic paint stripper

A Latino labor agency and environmental groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week for not banning a lethal chemical used in paint removers. Exposure to methylene chloride, the harmful substance, has caused asphyxiation and heart failure. At least 50 people have died from working with the chemical, according to Earthjustice. The short-term side effects should concern the Latino community. Heart disease is common in Latinos (49.0% men/42.6% women), and they are less likely to receive life-saving heart devices. Latinos also are more likely to work jobs that use these “deadly paint strippers,” according to the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement’s (LCLAA), who teamed with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) on the lawsuit. “EPA’s ...

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Los fumadores ganan menos y les cuesta mayor esfuerzo encontrar nuevo empleo



El tabaquismo usualmente es  asociado con el cáncer y otras enfermedades crónicas, pero un nuevo estudio de la Escuela de Medicina de Stanford asocia el tabaquismo con ganar menos dinero y más dificultades para encontrar un trabajo, informa Science Daily. Para el estudio, investigadores estudiaron a personas en busca de un nuevo empleo en el área de San Francisco entre 2013 y 2015. Cerca de la mitad eran fumadores y la otra mitad no lo eran. Según el estudio, después de un año, el doble de los no fumadores tenían un empleo. "Entre los fumadores que encontraron trabajo, en promedio, sus ingresos por hora era de $5 menos con respecto a los no fumadores que encontraron trabajo, una diferencia del 25,5 por ciento", dijo Judith Prochaska, de la Universidad de Stanford en su ...

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Cigarrillos electrónicos podrían ser dañinos para los bebes


E-cigarette in woman's hand close up

Nuevos datos sugieren el uso de cigarrillos electronicos durante el embarazo puede ser tan perjudiciales como el uso de productos con tabaco, DW informa. Investigadores de la Universidad de Nueva York Langone presentan los resultados de los experimentos con animales que sugieren que el “vaping” estando embarazada puede dañar al feto. Para el experimento, los investigadores expusieron a ratones gestantes al vapor de cigarrillos electrónicos  y los compararon con ratones embarazadas que no fueron expuestos a los productos de tabaco alternativos. "Los animales jóvenes [expuestos] mostraron cambios genéticos en la corteza del lóbulo frontal, la parte del cerebro responsable de la cognición, la planificación y la motivación", de acuerdo con Judy Zelikoff, toxicóloga e ...

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