A panel of scientists assembled as members of the Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel (CHAP) and charged with assessing the safety of using phthalates or six alternative chemicals in children’s toys and child care articles has completed their review and released a report.

In honor of TSCA’s 37th “unbirthday” we’ll post a series of blogs this week highlighting some of the failures of our federal law and outline a path towards safer chemicals.

As the US Senate begins consideration of the recently introduced Chemical Safety Improvement Act, I want them to think about the brain.

Most of us don’t think about our brains. It’s like thinking about our hearts beating or about the sun rising and setting each day.

The human brain develops in an incredibly intricate and elegantly orchestrated series of events. Brain cells (neurons) divide, migrate, differentiate and communicate. At birth, a baby’s brain has about 100 billion neurons that are in place and beginning to connect with each other, sending and receiving messages. The brain continues to grow and strengthen connections throughout childhood.

Wow. That’s a lot happening in just nine months. But that’s not the part I really want our Senators to think about.

By Mary Brune, Co-founder of Making our Milk Safe (MOMS). Originally published for Generation Green, the blog for the Center for Environmental Health, on January 20th, 2011. On my way into work last Friday I heard a story on NPR about a UCSF study that found dozens of toxic chemicals in the bodies of pregnant […]

A new study from researchers at the University of California –San Francisco found for the first time that virtually all U.S. pregnant women carry multiple chemicals, including some banned since the 1970s and others used in common products, such as non-stick cookware, food and beverage cans, and personal care products.  Lead author Tracey Woodruff, PhD, […]