Pure Mavens

The belief that toxic chemicals are seriously damaging human health was once a “fringe view,” according to Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times. He wrote a great article focused on the evidential links between chemicals in our world and autism. It’s worth a complete read, but a couple of key quotes:

“Among women with higher levels of certain phthalates (those commonly found in fragrances, shampoos, cosmetics and nail polishes), their children years later were more likely to display disruptive behavior.”

“The precautionary principle suggests that we should be wary of personal products like fragrances unless they are marked phthalate-free. And it makes sense — particularly for children and pregnant women — to avoid most plastics marked at the bottom as 3, 6 and 7 because they are the ones associated with potentially harmful toxins.”

Full article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/opinion/25kristof.html