New research studies conducted by a toxicologist at a Department of Energy Pacific Northwest National Laboratory under a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) conference show that “human exposure is likely to be too low for estrogenic effects” from typical daily exposure […]
Tag Archives: Health
ACC responds to Chicago Tribune story on flame retardant research
At ACC, we believe in the importance of science and we value the scientists that produce the studies and analysis that advance safety and help inform public policy debates. However, based on the Chicago Tribune’s recent story on flame retardants, it appears the Tribune is more interested in attacking the credibility, character, and work of […]
New report finds no causal link between product exposures and new-onset asthma
The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) today released a report summarizing outcomes from the Asthma Science Forum, a 2011 gathering organized and attended by scientists and expert researchers from an array of chemical and consumer-product organizations, including the American Chemistry Council. There are lots of questions and misunderstandings about asthma and the factors that might cause […]
With fraudulent studies on the rise, consumers must read between the headlines
Consumers have borne the brunt of a barrage of pseudo-scientific studies in mainstream media over the past ten years claiming that the chemistry behind everyday products could be harmful to them or their families. Over the course of that same decade, retractions of “scientific” studies found to be fraudulent or inaccurate increased by tenfold — […]
Precautionary principle can do more harm than good, CPSC commissioner says
Commissioner Nancy A. Nord of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says “it’s time to discard the precautionary principle at the CPSC,” referring to work underway as mandated by Congress and the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008. Currently, the CPSC appears to be making decisions to limit or ban a substance […]
Unenlightened “How Chemicals Affect Us” gets a D+ in endocrine disruption
Twenty years of scientific literature on “endocrine disruptors” cannot be drummed up in 790 words, but consumers’ fear of them can (“How Chemicals Affect Us,” May 2, 2012). A good writer, but not a science reporter, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, before all else, failed even to define “endocrine disruptor.” This is important because […]
NPR story about the safety of BPA leaves consumers feeling more confident
NPR Radio featured a story this morning that anyone who has ever wondered or been confused about the safety of bisphenol-A (BPA) should hear. Some of the latest scientific studies from the government are now in, and, contrary to what other groups would have you believe, the science speaks to the safety of BPA. NPR’s […]
NYT asks “Is it safe to play yet?” Regulatory bodies around the world say “yes”
An article in Thursday’s New York Times focused on a subject all parents and caregivers can relate to: selecting products to ensure a healthy, safe environment for our children. Regrettably, at 3,000 words in length, the article confounds the reader with a barrage of speculative information and parents’ personal anecdotes about the role chemistry plays […]
Chemistry solutions: HydroPack™ turns dirty water into clean, flavorful drink for disaster victims, waterborne illness sufferers [VIDEO]
The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) last month presented the 2011 Curator’s Choice Award to makers of the Hydropack™ Self-Hydrating Drink Pouch - a 5-inch by 7-inch pouch capable of turning a dirty puddle of rainwater into a clean, flavorful drink in about 10 hours. With UNICEF reporting that 1.5 million children die every […]
Chemistry professor and Dow Chemical Co. director, Jacqueline Barton, awarded National Medal of Science
Jacqueline K. Barton, a professor of chemistry at the California Institute of Technology and member of The Dow Chemical Company’s Board of Directors, was one of seven individuals awarded the National Medal of Science on Tuesday. Many consider the award, presented this year by President Obama, to be the U.S. government’s highest scientific honor. A […]
