Guide to references:
IARC: International Agency for Research on Cancer. IARC pesticides noted here are Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic to humans).
P65-C: California’s Proposition 65 inventory of carcinogens, listed as substances “known to the state to cause cancer.”
P65-R: California’s Proposition 65 reproductive toxins, listed as “substances known to the state to cause reproductive toxicity.”
EPA-C: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s list of carcinogens.
EU-EDC: The European Union’s priority list of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals, including known categories 1 and 2.
EPA-EDC: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s list of known Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals.
* Based on PMRA’s list of registered domestic products at time of publication.
Municipal action expanding
Since then, 69 municipalities across the country have already adopted or are
working towards adoption of bylaws that will restrict the use of toxic pesticides
on lawns or gardens, to protect community health, especially the health of children.
A number of public health organizations support the bylaw initiatives,
including the Canadian Cancer Society and the Canadian Association of
Physicians for the Environment.
At the heart of the initiatives is the precautionary approach. “The health
effects and potential risks from exposure to pesticides may never be completely
understood. Different interpretations have emerged from a consideration of the
totality of the evidence,”Toronto Medical Health Officer Dr. Sheila Basrur wrote
in a detailed report in 2002. “It is the judgement of Toronto Public Health that
a precautionary approach concerning residential-use pesticides
is prudent and advisable.”
Various community and environmental groups
across the country are working to raise public awareness
of the issue and to urge their own councils to adopt
similar bylaws. Consider working with a group in your
community to learn more about the impact of pesticides
and to help protect the health of your community and the
environment.
What about
Roundup?
Glyphosate, the active ingredient
in the herbicides Roundup
and Rodeo, doesn’t make it to
the list below, but the toxicity of
the commercial products containing
glyphosate has been
noted in a number of studies.
A 1997 study of Ontario farmers
found an increased rate of
premature birth and miscarriages
among families that had
used glyphosate. Glyphosate
herbicides are also toxic to fish.
A study by the U.S. Dept. of
Agriculture found that surfactants
used in preparations such
as Roundup added substantially
to the toxicity of the product.
24 • CANCERSMART PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS
hampoos, soaps, cosmetics, fragrances —
probably nothing is more closely connected
to human health than the personal care products
that we use all the time. According to
consumer statistics, the average adult uses nine products
per day. But do we know what’s in them?
After years of waiting, consumers in Canada will
finally see mandatory ingredient labelling on cosmetic
products as a result of new Health Canada
regulations formally announced in late
2004. Most products,
including lipstick, shampoos,
makeup, hair colouring
and fragrances will be
covered, although the regulations
will not include
products such as toothpaste
and sunscreens, which are
considered drug products.
Nor will it include natural
health products. Companies will be
required to be in full compliance with
the regulations by July, 2006, and some are expected to
begin labelling sooner.
The labelling is only a first step and still leaves
Canada behind the European Union,where new regulations
that came into effect in 2004 will bar companies
from including any ingredient listed by the EU as a carcinogen
or reproductive toxins in their cosmetic products.
But soon, Canadian consumers will at least be able
to see some of the ingredients to avoid.
Benzyl violet
Used as a colouring in various products, including
nail treatments, benzyl violet is listed under
California’s Proposition 65 as a substance “known to
the state to cause cancer.” It is a possible human carcinogen,
according to the
International Agency for
Research on Cancer (IARC
2B).When it appears on U.S.
and European labels, it is frequently
listed as Violet 2 or
Violet 6B.
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde, which is
sometimes used in cosmetic
products as a preservative,was
recently re-classified by the
International Agency for Research on Cancer to its
highest toxic class, IARC 1 (known human carcinogen).
It is sometimes listed on labels as formalin or methyl
aldehyde. Nail hardeners, particularly, may contain as
much as 10 per cent formaldehyde. In some cases, ingredients
are formaldehyde-releasing, including
Quaternium-15 and diazolidinyl urea.
S