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Could Your Dandruff Shampoo Be Harming the Environment?
Posted by EcoWatch: Kaye Spector on December 4th, 2013
EcoWatch: It`s bad enough that some shampoos have ingredients that can cause cancer. Now a new study shows that some anti-dandruff shampoos may be harmful to the environment.
The study, in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, says that the anti-dandruff ingredient climbazole recently was detected for the first time in wastewater treatment plant discharge.
Climbazole acts as a highly efficient fungicide, the study says, and not much is known about its impact on the environment. But even...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on Could Your Dandruff Shampoo Be Harming the Environment?Factory Farming: Bad for People, Planet and Economy
Posted by EcoWatch: Kaye Spector on November 19th, 2013
EcoWatch: Factory farms, where large numbers of livestock are raised indoors in conditions intended to maximize production at minimal cost, affect all of us. Huge meat companies have steadily driven down the prices farmers receive for the livestock they raise, forcing farmers to get big or get out. Small farms have been replaced by factory farms that pollute nearby air and water, undermine rural economies and reduce the quality of life for neighbors.
Global Ban on Mercury Exempts Mascara and Eye Makeup
Posted by EcoWatch: Kaye Spector on October 26th, 2013
EcoWatch: Mercury was banned in cosmetics and soaps by a recently signed global treaty at the Minamata Convention. But mascara and other eye makeup were exempted.
Mercury is used in trace amounts in eye makeup as a preservative. The treaty exempts eye area cosmetics from the list because “no effective, safe substitute alternatives are available,” according to the signed treaty.
The Minamata Convention for Mercury is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects...
Environmental & Health Impacts Antibacterial Soap
Posted by EcoWatch: Kaye Spector on October 24th, 2013
EcoWatch: Antibacterial soaps are about the worst choice when it comes to cleaning your hands or your house. They are no more effective than plain old soap and water, but pollute the environment and may be contributing to antibacterial resistance.
The two antibacterial chemicals most commonly used are triclocarban (TCC) and triclosan (TCS). Rolf Halden, co-founder of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Water and Health, and his colleagues conducted a study that showed while wastewater treatment removes...
Buy Organic Bananas, Save Crocodiles
Posted by EcoWatch: Kaye Spector on October 21st, 2013
EcoWatch: Chemicals sprayed on bananas to control pests and disease are making their way into the bodies of the emaciated crocodiles who live near banana plantations in Costa Rica, says a new study that illustrates the environmental impact of pesticide use--and gives another reason to buy organic foods, even those with inedible peels.
Crocodiles who live near Costa Rican banana plantations are sickly, and researchers suspect pesticides are either directly responsible or impacting the crocs` environment...