User Comments

1. 

   6/13/08

   AmyOops

   we got a new mickey mouse shower curtain, and my daughter had a severe allergice reaction to it. I called the company to see what the put on them and was told just talcum powder.

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   1. 

      6/13/08

      timethief

      Well I suppose technically they told the truth. They put talcum powder "on" it. The real health threat is found in the composition of the material ie. vinyl itself. Will hearing about this now make you get rid of it?
   2. 

      6/13/08

      AmyOops

      oh it happened about 2 years ago. she was just recouping from anaplatic (spelling) shock on something else, than that happened. it was awful!
      but all is ok now. if i buy a new one, take it outside and wash it down and bleach it really good first..
2. 

   6/13/08

   JaneQCitizen

   Actually, we need a new one. One of the holes is about to rip out on ours.
   
   Maybe hang the new one outside for a bit?

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3. 

   6/13/08

   BennyGreenberg

   There are many ways to look at this...
   
   But - Since I have had vinyl shower curtains for 40 years... and am quite healthy...
   
   BTW: I drink regular milk, eat eggs and like mayo...
   
   My cholesterol is great - and so are the heart rate and sugar levels...
   
   So - I will keep the curtains - and enjoy the smell
   
   And fear nothing...
   
   In ten years we will find out that the elimination of the PVC from the daily-lifestyle has created the "new" disease - pv-not-c and we have a pill for you to take to counter the effect...
   
   You know - this is exactly why I stopped reading the paper and watching the news...
   
   Ignorance is not bliss - but - I want to shower behind my curtain and eat my bacon and eggs in the morning without anyone telling me it is not what I should be doing!

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   1. 

      6/13/08

      ekim941

      Sounds like it's time for you to get a new shower curtain. 40 years worth of mold can be hazardous to your health.
4. 

   6/13/08

   timethief

   @Jane
   "Maybe hang the new one outside for a bit?"
   Hanging it outside for a month is not on my agenda. I'm seeking an alternative.
   
   "The brain is a major target for VOCs, causing everything from headache and loss of concentration to learning disabilities in children whose mothers were exposed before their birth, as shown in a recent Canadian study. Since there are safe alternatives to vinyl shower curtains, such exposures should always be avoided," said David O. Carpenter, M.D., of the Institute for Health & the Environment at the University at Albany, State University of New York.
   
   Download our Guide to Vinyl: shower curtains and other products
   www.toxicnation.ca/files/toxicnation/guides/ToxicNationGuidetoVinylShowerCu...

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5. 

   6/13/08

   robinj

   Sigh is there anything in this world anymore that won't kill me last night they were talking about chemicals in sealed cans

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   1. 

      6/13/08

      BennyGreenberg

      stop thinking about all this crap!
      Thats whats killing you!
      
      stop listening to it as well...
      
      I know TT - Your thinking I am insane or have inhaled the PVC too long - but this is the very essence of the problems...
      
      Gas $5 a gallon? You know why? Because we are all afraid that it IS GOING TO BE $5 a gallon... and that is all we can talk about...
6. 

   6/13/08

   timethief

   @ben
   I do not view health alerts backed by authoritative studies as being alarmist. I view them as being informative. From what I have read it's important that parents are informed so they can take action to protect their babies and children's brains and bodies from harm. Many children have all kinds of disabilities today and we are not clear why this is. Perhaps environmental contaminants are contributors and perhaps not. What we do know is that phthalates are problematic and sharing that information is IMO a sensible and compassionate thing to do.
   
   "Phthalates are a family of chemicals that are used to make hard plastic, like PVC, soft, and are also used in personal care products. As endocrine disruptors, phthalates can interfere with the normal functioning of the hormone system of both people and wildlife in a number of ways to produce a wide range of adverse effects including reproductive, developmental and behavioural problems.
   
   Phthalates do not remain in the plastic materials or other products; instead they can easily migrate to the surface then into food, beverages, and our bodies. Phthalates have also been detected in household dust. The European Union has banned the more hazardous phthalates from products, and Canada should do the same."

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7. 

   6/13/08

   BennyGreenberg

   cleared until you finish editing...

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8. 

   6/13/08

   timethief

   @Ben
   I'm having a bad vision day. I accidentally typed "don't" instead of "do" and had to edit it. Please read the full report and other references at the links I supplied.
   
   We do know that phthalates are problematic and we do know who is most at risk.
   
   "Who is most at risk?
   Foetuses, infants and children around puberty. Young children are especially vulnerable because endocrine disruptors affect how their bodies grow and develop. Kids have immature organs, high metabolic rates, relatively low bodyweight, and are going through rapid physical development."

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   1. 

      6/13/08

      BennyGreenberg

      In human life - the fetus, the pre-pubecent children and the elderly are ALWAYS the greatest "at risks" - it just makes the most logical sense.
      
      I want to see the "alert" that says "men ages 24-38 are at greatest risk"
      (and I am not talking about marriage-alerts)
   2. 

      6/13/08

      timethief

      wrong placement
   3. 

      6/14/08

      momscrazylife

      I dont want to sound like a butthead, but in all of the years of medical training and a Masters in Science/biology minor. I have never heard nor experienced that men in between the ages of 24-38 are more inclined to get chicken pox.
   4. 

      6/14/08

      timethief

      Worse still, I don't understand why a post on vinyl curtains gave rise to chickepox comments. The bad news is that vinyl shower curtains and other plastic toys containing phthalates are problematic. The good news is that there are alternatives.
   5. 

      6/14/08

      momscrazylife

      Well, I find the information informative and will definitely look for an alternative to the shower curtain. TY
   6. 

      6/14/08

      timethief

      Thanks for the support
9. 

   6/13/08

   jessblabber

   Thankfully I don't have a PVC shower curtain. My shower has sliding door with a type of molded perspex. I hate they way PVC curtains smell and how they stick to your butt.
   
   Material shower curtains are enviro friendly, they're easy to wash and are appealing to the eye.
   
   On a different note what about blow up toys for the pool like floaties, rings and boats?

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   1. 

      6/13/08

      BennyGreenberg

      and what are you going to do when "they" tell you that the composition of your "cloth" curtains will cause your butt to double in size and your breasts to shrink to half? Or that then Perspex is the cause of all thyroid cancer on the planet?
   2. 

      6/14/08

      newward

      @benny - Thinking about Courney aren't you... And to answer your question... Chicken Pox most adverly affects men it that age category...
   3. 

      6/14/08

      BennyGreenberg

      comment removed by the community.
   4. 

      6/14/08

      timethief

      @Ben
      This is not a Courtney situation at all. This is not about your experiment with use of the power of suggestion on an unsuspecting waitress. It has nothing whatsoever to do with chickenpox either.
      
      This is a health warning based on reality ie. backed by a authoritative study. And I strongly resent you posting a link to your unrelated blog post here.
   5. 

      6/15/08

      jessblabber

      That depends on your perspective. Ha! As for perspex I was guessing that it was, being fairly new to Spain. I wish companies would think of the environment and the end user when they manufacture goods. Grrrr!
10. 

    6/13/08

    timethief

    FWIW I have not marked this discussion thread for follow-up by email. And also FWIW and I will not be making additional input to this thread. Best wishes to all for happy blogging and healthy living.

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    1. 

       6/14/08

       nardeeisms

       Nards sprays totally unrelated grafitti : I &hearts Benny and TT - Nards (as she slinks away with a smile)
    2. 

       6/14/08

       BennyGreenberg

       @Nards - I saw you there... sneaky around with the "comment-graffitti-can"
    3. 

       6/14/08

       kat822

       so what are the two additional responses below?, wow you benny riled up interesting, me thinks he's in need of a little ya-ttitude lol
    4. 

       6/15/08

       jessblabber

       @TT my last comment was for benny. Still posting comments in the wrong spots. Whoops!
11. 

    6/13/08

    mikeny07

    But someone does not stay in the shower all day smelling curtains. It is the same with most everything else. Probably you need so much exposure to cause a problem.
    
    You have the magnetic fields given off by computer monitors. Everyone is exposed to those many hours a day on some jobs.
    
    No matter what anyone does, you can't live forever. I just try to play it safe of course. Some things you just can't avoid.

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12. 

    6/13/08

    DrowseyMonkey

    I heard about this on the news, makes ya wonder what else is out there ... scary.

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13. 

    6/14/08

    kab625

    The environmental working group has great information about what's out there for anyone interested:
    www.ewg.org/
    
    The Moyers report is also excellent:
    www.pbs.org/tradesecrets/program/program.html
    
    It is scary.

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    1. 

       6/14/08

       timethief

       @kab625
       Thanks for posting those links. I'm making an effort to locate the sources of my breathing problems and to eliminate the products that trigger them from my home. As I still provide child care services for those who need temporary help I have now eliminated all toys containing phthalates from my toy box as well as the vinyl shower curtain. Luckily there are many alternatives so the little ones who I mind will be in a safer environment when they are in my home.
14. 

    6/14/08

    kab625

    TT,
    You're very welcome.

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15. 

    6/14/08

    acousticguitarist

    this is my all time favorite
    
    www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2007/107_virus.html

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    1. 

       6/14/08

       timethief

       @redpanda
       OMG!
    2. 

       6/14/08

       acousticguitarist

       Pandas aint stupid
       
       The Red Panda species are going back to Arcturus with the Dolphins :-)
    3. 

       6/14/08

       acousticguitarist

       au.news.yahoo.com/080613/2/179x8.html
16. 

    6/14/08

    PotatoChef

    I just read an article about this.
    
    Luckily all of the showers in my house are enclosed in glass, therefore they have glass doors and no shower curtains.
    
    If I had vinyl shower curtains I would get rid of them and find an alternative.
    
    It seems like nothing is safe anymore.

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17. 

    6/14/08

    gerryPlanetEarth

    To the best of my knowledge the Canadian government recently banned the use of some chemical plastic coating that was used in plastic baby bottles and water drinking bottles...
    
    The larger national retailers quickly complied and took the products of their storeshelves and more than likely shipped this inventory south to the U.S.A. where this chemical plastic coating is not banned...

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18. 

    6/15/08

    acousticguitarist

    I guess we could stop washing, ...any ladies out there like smelly men?

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