1. An organic chemical commonly found in cosmetics is dibutyl phthalate. It can be found in cosmetics such as nail polish or can be used as a fragrance in many other cosmetics.
2. Dibutyl phthalate is a phthalate ester which is a colourless oily liquid, and has a strong bitter taste, and a slight aromatic odor. The structure of dibutyl phthalate includes a benzene ring and two ester bonds attached to it.
The reason dibutyl phthalate is used in nail polish because is allows dyes to be dissolved in it easily and since it is also commonly used in the manufacturing of plastics, it prevents nail polish from becoming brittle, which would be an undesirable quality for nail polish to be. The benefits of using dibutyl phthalate in nail polish is it increases its resistance to chipping due to it’s flexibility. It’s slight aromatic odor allows it to be used in some perfumes.
3. Some health effects associated with the exposure to dibutyl phthalate include kidney and liver failure in young children, when a product containing dibutyl phthalate undergoes consumption (ie. sucking or chewing on) for prolonged periods of time, or may cause harm to a fetus and impair fertility. Also, since dibutyl phthalate can be absorbed into the skin, it has shown to reduce sperm count and cause developmental defects. There is also evidence that dibutyl phthalate may interfere with hormone functions.
4. The environment is impacted the most by the release of emissions directly into the environment during manufacturing and use of dibutyl phthalate. This impact has shown to increase the amount of dibutyl phthalate in the Great Lakes, among other bodies of water, which is a problem because dibutyl phthalate is very toxic to aquatic organisms. During the dispo...
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...hanolamine derivatives are used more commonly in many cosmetics.
3. Diethanolamine is a nitrogen containing substance, and nitrosamines have been clearly identified as a carcinogen. Diethanolamine has also been proved to induce asthma, cause shortness of breath, or cause irritation of the eyes or skin. Diethanolamine mainly affects the eyes, skin and respiratory system. In mice, it has also shown to have a slow excretion rate from the urine, so it builds up in the liver and kidneys and there it may be metabolized into atypical phospholipids.
4. During the degradation of diethanolamine, nitrites are released into the environment, which is acutely toxic to aquatic organisms, and has a potential for bioaccumulation. But, due to a half life of around only a few weeks, it does not present a high risk to the environment otherwise, mainly affecting humans health.
Just like this campaign for safe cosmetics its purpose has been to aware women, parents, workers and everyone who is affected by this problem of what big corporations are putting in the products we think are non-harmful. The title itself Chemicals in Beauty Products: The Story of Cosmetics is automatically supposed to draw women’s attention because of the words “chemicals” and “cosmetics”. Since this film was originally put on The Story of Stuff, a website for a variety of campaigns, we can assume this film was made for people who care and want to change the world to make it healthier. In addition, it also targets women who are interested in what they are putting on their bodies. Interesting enough, this video was released the same time the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 was introduced for the purpose of pursuing women, workers, and everyone affected by this chemical problem, to push congress even more to enforce this cosmetic act to be passed. The underlying purpose the producers of the film wanted from its viewers was to have them help get congress to ban all corporations from using hazardous chemicals in beauty products. Some strategies used to help their goal was to use logos and pathos to help evoke its audience to ultimately help put a stop to this problem once and for
Dihydrogen Monoxide is a colorless, tasteless, and odorless chemical compound. It is found in many explosive and poisonous compounds consisting of Sulfuric Acid, Nitroglycerine, and Ethyl Alcohol. This compound has many dangers such as death due to inhaling, even in small quantities, severes tissue damage and burns from exposure to solid and gaseous DHMO, and even car accidents due to brake failure. When an automobile is exposed to DHMO it can affect the condition of the brakes.
Toxic substances and Areas of concern: includes pollution prevention, clean up of the most polluted areas in the Great Lakes. Although many so...
Almost no data is available about the effects of organic arsenic compounds on human beings. Researches in animals show that most simple organic arsenic compounds (such as methyl and dimethyl compounds) are less lethal than the inorganic forms. In animals, intake of methyl compounds can result in diarrhea, and lifetime disclosure can damage the kidneys. Lifetime contact to dimethyl compounds can harm the urinary bladder and the kidneys.
On January 9th, 2014, it was reported that a chemical spill has occurred from a storage tank owned by Freedom Industries. The spill occurred on the banks of Elk River in West Virginia, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without tap water. The company first reported that 7500 gallons of the chemicals had spilled into the river through a one-inch whole but had found that two weeks later, there was an estimated 10000 gallons of the toxic chemical in the river. The chemicals released include 4-methylcyclohexane (MCHM) and PPH. Methylcyclohexane is a chemical that is used in coal to reduce the amount of ash it produces(Field & Catherine, 2014). The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection are still calculating the exact amount of how much of the chemicals were spilled.
Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable. GLRPPR, 12 Dec. 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. .
The affects teratogens can have on the developing fetus can vary greatly. Research provided from the University of Iowa’s on teratogens explains some of the possible outcome to exposure to certain teratogens. Listed birth defects resulting from exposure to teratogens, range from prenatal death, to physical and mental abnormalities.
We all know that cosmetics existed thousands of years ago. Cleopatra used a heavy arsenal of beauty aids to help her shake the foundations of the Roman Empire. Yes, cosmetics and perfumes have a long history, but the consumer industry we live in is relatively recent, a creation of the decades 1890 through 1920. The products hawked in the 19th Century by druggists, perfumers, barbers, physicians, and a colorful assortment of other enterprising individuals were primitive by our standards. Certainly, active ingredients were used with abandon, notably arsenic, lead, and mercury. These were products that really made visible differences, and the consumer was well-advised to be wary of the majority of these mysterious concoctions.
Evidence provided to support these claims of human and wildlife harm is largely from laboratory studies in which large doses are fed to test animals, usually rats or mice, and field studies of wildlife species that have been exposed to the chemicals mentioned above. In laboratory studies, high doses are required to give weak hormone activity. These doses are not likely to be encountered in the environment. However the process of bioaccumulation can result in top-level predators such as humans to have contaminants at levels many million times greater than the environmental background levels (Guilette 1994). In field studies, toxicity caused by endocrine disruption has been associated with the presence of certain pollutants. Findings from such studies include: reproductive disruption in starfish due to PCBs, bird eggshell thinning due to DDT, reproductive failure in mink, small penises in alligators due to DDT and dicofol (Guillette 1994, Colburn et al 1996). In addition, a variety of reproductive problems in many other species are claimed to be associated with environmental contamination although the specific causative agents have not been determined. One recent discovery that complicates the situation is that there are many naturally occurring "phytoestrogens", or chemicals of plant origin that exhibit weak estrogenic properties.
Propionaldehyde [Fact sheet]. (2007, January 30). Retrieved January 5, 2014, from United States Department of Labor website: https://www.osha.gov/dts/chemicalsampling/data/CH_264250.html
Latham, A., Wright, E., & Tsang, A. (n.d.). Pollution's Effects on the Great Lakes Ecosystem: Introduction and Background. Pollution's Effects on the Great Lakes Ecosystem: Introduction and Background. Retrieved May 28, 2014, from http://sitemaker.umich.edu/section5group1/introduction_and_background
Reid, Brian. "Controversy Over Phthalates in Cosmetics" (2011): Our Stolen Future. Web. 2 Feb. 2015.
Over the course of the past 60 years, an increasing amount of the current population is using plastic and reusable products to try and reduce the amount of waste that is being thrown away. Bisphenol A (BPA) is used to manufacture polycarbonate #7 plastic which have help strengthen plastic bottles, food containers and epoxy resins (University of Minnesota, 2008). BPA is used in a range of products from every day plastic beverage containers and plastic dinnerware, to compact disks, impact-resistant safety equipment, automobile parts, and toys (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). The CDC (2013) also states that BPA epoxy resins are used in the protective linings of food cans, in dental sealants, and in other products (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013).
Some examples of harmful toxins with difficult names include diethanolamine (DEA), formaldehyde, glucocorticoids, and triethanolamine (TEA). We are exposed to toxic chemicals in many ways. We may breathe them in as sprays and powders, swallow chemicals on our lips and, even rub them on our skin. According to a team of researchers who conducted a study on the relationship between exposure to phthalates and DNA damage on human sperm, “cosmetics frequently contain enhancers that allow ingredients to penetrate deeper into the skin. Studies have found health problems in people exposed to common fragrance and sunscreen ingredients, including increased risk of sperm damage, feminization of the male reproductive system and low birth weight in girls” (Duty et al. 1164). There should be regulations banning toxic chemicals from personal care and beauty products because toxins are bad for our health (1), the consumer faith in cosmetic companies are suffering (2), and other countries recognized the effects and banned it while America has not
Most people fear that BPA will have negative effects on their health, such as reproductive issues and cancer.... ... middle of paper ... ...2014. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'. http://www.onlineeducation.net/bottled_water/water_full.jpg>.