The Ugly Side ofBeauty ProductsIn recent decades reproductive and develop-mental problems have become more preva-lent—for example, data from the Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)show that male reproductive problems,including undescended testicles and hypo-spadias, doubled between 1970 and 1993.Environmental chemicals are strongly sus-pected to be contributing factors. Severalrecent reports highlight the presence oflow-level concentrations of potential repro-ductive or developmental toxicants, partic-ularly phthalates, in cosmetics and person-al care products. A key question is whetherthese exposures are significant enough tocause harm.

In June 2004, Environment Californiaissued Growing Up Toxic: Chemical Exposuresand Increases in Developmental Diseases,which details chemicals found in con-sumer products and their potentialhealth impacts. Other reports releasedaround the same time by the Envi-ronmental Working Group (Skin Deep:A Safety Assessment of Ingredients inPersonal Care Products) and Friends ofthe Earth (Shop Till You Drop? Survey ofHigh Street Retailers on Risky Chemicalsin Products 2003–2004) support Envi-ronment California’s publication.

According to these three reports,makeup, shampoo, skin lotion, nailpolish, and other personal care prod-ucts contain chemical ingredients thatlack safety data. Moreover, some ofthese chemicals have been linked inanimal studies to male genital birthdefects, decreased sperm counts, andaltered pregnancy outcomes. There isno definitive evidence for the sameeffects in humans, but widespreadexposure, primarily to phthalates, hasbeen shown to occur.

Phthalates, as key components inplastics, appear in many consumerproducts. The main phthalates in cos-metics and personal care products aredibutyl phthalate in nail polish, diethylphthalate in perfumes and lotions, anddimethyl phthalate in hair spray. Often,their presence is not noted on labels.

“The concerns that are focusedaround this particular chemical [class]have arisen from a series of tests and

studies that have been released recentlythat point to significant potential healthconcerns,” says Sujatha Jahagirdar, an envi-ronmental advocate with EnvironmentCalifornia. For example, a population studyconducted by the CDC and published inthe March 2004 issue of EHP demonstrat-ed that 97% of 2,540 individuals tested hadbeen exposed to one or more phthalates.Another preliminary study conducted at theHarvard School of Public Health and pub-lished in the July 2003 issue of EHP showeda correlation between urinary phthalatemetabolite concentrations and DNA dam-age in human sperm. However, exposuresources in this study were unknown.

The personal care industry remains con-fident about phthalate safety, however. TheCosmetic Ingredient Review panel, an inde-pendent research group sponsored by theCosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Associ-ation, published a detailed literature reviewin February 2003 that unequivocally statesthat current use of phthalates in cosmeticsand personal care products is safe. Marian

Stanley, manager of the Phthalate EstersPanel of the American Chemistry Council,says, “Some of these concerns [from envi-ronmental groups] are based on high-doseanimal testing. The exposure that we reallysee in people—and we have the CDC num-bers to back that up—is remarkably low. Tous, why bother getting rid of a highly usefulproduct when there should be no concern?”

Therein lies the controversy—environ-mental groups view the CDC data as evi-dence of widespread exposure, whereasindustry groups view it as evidence of low-level exposure that falls well below amountsshown to cause problems in animal studies.The environmental groups respond thatalthough it may be low-level exposure, it ischronic low-level exposure. Says ElizabethSword, executive director of the nonprofitChildren’s Health Environmental Coalition:“In my view there is sufficient evidence topique my concern, not only as a parent butas the executive director of this organization,to circulate this information directly to par-ents in a way that they can then make the

healthiest decisions.” However, consumers cannot make

such judgments without knowing theingredients contained in the productsthey use. “There are industry tradesecrets and formulations that forindustry reasons are kept from theconsumer,” says Sword. “This pre-vents the consumer from makingfully informed decisions.”

Environment California and theother environmental organizationshope to change that through consumereducation and policy reform at thestate and federal levels. “EnvironmentCalifornia is pushing for a common-sense chemical policy that requireschemical manufacturers to test . . . theirchemicals before they are released intothe market and also provide the publicwith the tools that it needs to pro-tect itself from potential dangerousimpacts,” says Jahagirdar. “Labeling isan extremely important and ethicalthing for manufacturers to be doing.”

“I think a lot of this comes downto an individual’s acceptance of risk,”says Sword. “[Each person’s] personalrisk tolerance is different. I think whatwe as a society need to feel confidentabout is that adults will at least makebetter decisions if you give them a wayto do so, particularly when the healthof a child may be at risk from makinga bad decision.” –Julia R. Barrett

Favor me with silence.Horace (65–8 B.C.)

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Starting too young? Concern is mounting over the effectsof long-term exposures to chemicals—such as phthalates—found in cosmetics and personal care products.

CHEMICAL EXPOSURES

Reverse OsmosisMoves ForwardAs drought and growing populationscause water supplies to dwindle in areasaround the world, reclaimed wastewateroffers a possible solution. Indeed, somecommunities in California already usereclaimed wastewater to irrigate crops,water golf courses, and augment freshwa-ter aquifers to block saltwater intrusion.Critics are concerned about the potentialhealth hazards of the pharmaceuticals,hormones, and other contaminants thateven treated wastewater has been shown tocontain. But recent research reveals thatthe process of reverse osmosis may removesome of these contaminants.

As described in the 12 March 2004issue of the Journal of Chromatography A,Joel Pedersen, an environmental chemist atthe University of Wisconsin–Madison,and his colleagues used gas chromatogra-phy–mass spectrometry to look for 19compounds in effluent samples collectedfrom reclaimed wastewater plants inCalifornia. They found detectable concen-trations for 13, including food preserva-tives, painkillers, oral contraceptive hor-mones, and prescription medications.However, at the 228th American ChemicalSociety meeting held in Philadelphia inAugust 2004, Pedersen further reportedthat gas chromatography confirmed all 13compounds to have been eliminated at twopilot plants testing reverse osmosis for con-taminant removal.

Nonetheless, Pedersen cautions that it’stoo early to recommend that all reclaimedwastewater facilities employ reverse osmosis.“This is a case where the analytical chem-istry is ahead of the toxicology,” he says.

“Little is known about the toxicity oftrace concentrations of these compounds,”agrees Shane Snyder, project manager ofresearch and development at the SouthernNevada Water Authority (SNWA) in LasVegas. Snyder has monitored the flow oftreated wastewater effluent into nearbyLake Mead since 1997. He says fish in LasVegas Bay are the healthiest in all of LakeMead because they thrive on nutrients inthe effluent. Snyder and colleagues at theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are writinga paper on this topic.

Often used to remove salts, reverseosmosis requires electricity to pump waterthrough semipermeable membranes. “Alot of work is involved to perform reverseosmosis correctly,” says Pedersen. “Large-scale reverse osmosis may not be econom-ically feasible in some areas.” Salts, con-taminants, and biofilms can clog the pores

of membranes, raisingmaintenance costs.

Still other costs canmake the process pro-hibitively expensive forinland cities in particu-lar. Reverse osmosis gen-erates brine. While coast-al California wastewaterfacilities dump brine intothe ocean, inland facili-ties must heat the brineto evaporate the water,then dispose of the drysalt in a landfill. “Thecost of brine disposal isoften more expensivethan the cost of reverse

osmosis itself,” says Snyder. About 30% oftreated water ends up as brine duringreverse osmosis. That water loss “is notacceptable when you live in the desert,”Snyder says. By comparison, standard treat-ment results in less than 1% water loss,according Snyder.

Moreover, “reverse osmosis membranesare not infallible,” says Snyder. For instance,the carcinogen N-nitrosodimethylamine, adisinfectant by-product of wastewater treat-ment, breaches reverse osmosis membranes.However, dangerous compounds may beremoved with less expensive treatmentsthan reverse osmosis. For example, ad-vanced oxidation methods can destroy N-nitrosodimethylamine.

But it’s too soon to count reverse osmo-sis out just yet. Newer models require lesspressure to pump water through. “Moreefficient membranes will lower the energycosts of reverse osmosis,” Snyder predicts,“and likely make the process more cost-effective.” –Carol Potera

Smoky Horror PictureShow?At the American Medical Association’s 2004annual meeting, the group’s policy-makingHouse of Delegates adopted a resolutionurging the film industry to give an “R” ratingto movies with scenes of characters smoking.The goal of the resolution is to reduce theamount of smoking seen in movies, and to limitthose scenes tomovies seen onlyby adults.Speaking beforethe assemblage,Stephen Hansen,coordinator ofthe association’sTobacco ControlCoalition, citedseveral recent studies showing that the numberof smoking scenes onscreen is up from anaverage of 5 scenes per hour in the 1950s to 11today. Other studies suggest that film depictionsof smoking may correlate with the onset ofsmoking in youth.

EU Bans Phthalates in ToysIn September 2004 the EuropeanCompetitiveness Council voted to ban threephthalates from all products intended forchildren and to prohibit the use of three othersspecifically in toys and other items intended tobe chewed or sucked by very young children.These chemicals, which are used to soften vinylplastic, have been linked with reproductive andliver effects, and are known to leach fromproducts that contain them. More than 900tons of phthalates are produced each year.

Once the measure has been adoptedformally by the council it will be sent to theEuropean Parliament for a second reading. TheEuropean Commission will be charged withoverseeing the implementation of the ban.

Roaming Foam May Find aHomeThe polystyrene foam that helps boat docks stayafloat can break off in large chunks, littering thelakescape and posing aboating hazard. Foam istraditionally very hardto recycle because it iswet and oily, and oftencontains metal screwsand other items thatcan damage recyclingmachines. Now theMissouri-based companyBioSpan Technologieshas developed a solventthat dissolves the wet,dirty chunks at a ratio ofmore than 3 cubic yardsof foam per gallon ofsolvent. The dissolved blend is then mixed withrecycled asphalt to patch potholes. Otherproducts made with the blend are used topreserve cement, wood, and metal.

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One step back, two steps forward. New advances in reverseosmosis may mean cleaner—and healthier—reclaimed wastewater.

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES

North KoreanCatastropheWhen the Democratic People’s Republic ofKorea (DPR Korea, or North Korea as it isstill commonly known) makes headlines, itusually concerns the country’s nuclear ambi-tions. But recently the environment madethe news, when the United NationsEnvironment Programme (UNEP) issuedits DPR Korea: State of the Environment2003 report, which describes environmental

conditions in the secretive Asian country.The report paints a grim picture of amountainous, heavily forested countryfacing serious environmental challenges.

The report, which is available online athttp://www.rrcap.unep.org/reports/soe/dprksoe.cfm, was produced by officials from20 North Korean government and aca-demic agencies with advice from expertsat UNEP and funding from the UnitedNations Development Programme. In a27 August 2004 press release announcingthe first-ever nationwide report on condi-tions in North Korea, UNEP acknowl-edged “a paucity of research and data onwhich to base reliable environmentalassessments.”

The nation is mired in a morass ofintertwined environmental problems. Thereport says North Korea’s population isprojected to grow from 23 million in 2004to 29 million in 2020. Coal warms mosthouses and powers most industry. It is amajor cause of severe air pollution, yetaccording to the report, the national goal is

to quintuple coal consumption by 2020.As it is, the amount of firewood cut tomeet the demand for fuel jumped from 3.0million cubic meters per year in 1990 to7.2 million cubic meters in 1996, causingserious deforestation.

“Soil erosion has in large part beencaused by the cutting down of trees on hill-sides and common land,” says Paul French,author of the 2004 book North Korea: TheParanoid Peninsula. “This was done tomake way for extra private plots wherepeople could grow food during the famine[which began in the late 1990s]. . . . Thelocal people had little choice as this was an

extreme survival strategy in the face of thefamine and government callousness andinability to provide food.”

The government turned a blind eye,says French, and people managed to getsome extra food. However, the rains, whenthey came, simply washed off the hill-sides—because most of the nation’s forestsare on slopes steeper than 20 degrees,deforestation causes erosion and floodingin the watershed. In 1995, floods costNorth Korea US$15 billion in damages,and soil erosion nationwide the next yearwas estimated at 15 tons per hectare.

Although numerous sewage treatmentplants have been built in North Korea,many households in small towns and ruralareas still discharge untreated sewage intosurface waters. The UNEP report attrib-uted severe stream pollution to a “decreasein investment in environmental protec-tion and abnormal operation of waste-water/sewage treatment plants.”

In the Taedong River, which flowsthrough the capital, Pyongyang, the effects

of these inputs are compounded by theconstruction of a barrier at the sea to blockincoming floodwaters and by low river vol-ume. Both of these factors have reducedthe river’s natural purification capacity,concentrating contaminants near waste-water discharge points. Today, the Taedongexceeds government environmental stan-dards and continues to deteriorate.

The report cites a number of govern-ment efforts to plant trees and conservewater, indicating that officials are aware ofdeclining environmental conditions.However, the report avoided mention ofthe unique political/economic context for

North Korea’s environ-mental conditions. RuthGreenspan Bell, whostudies Asian environ-mental matters for thenonprofit research groupResources for the Future,says she would assume thesituation in North Koreato be the same as that incountries such as theSoviet bloc before 1989and China today—“thatenvironmental protec-tion, if it exists, lacks anyindependent role andgets subsumed to pro-duction and full-employ-ment goals.”

The entry for NorthKorea in the 2004 CIAWorld Fact Book notesthat this nation, “one of

the world’s most centrally planned andisolated economies,” faces desperate eco-nomic conditions. The industrial infra-structure “is nearly beyond repair as aresult of years of underinvestment andspare parts shortages,” and industrial out-put has been declining for years. TheCentral Intelligence Agency estimates thatmassive military spending supports anarmy of 1 million.

Bell raises a second question about thedata used in the report. “It is often impor-tant to take data from societies like NorthKorea—in which independent data gath-erers and assessors don’t exist—with agrain of salt,” she says. “Too often peoplefeel compelled to tell authorities what theywant to hear.” Still, noted UNEP directorKlaus Töpfer at the report’s launch, “Bybringing together the available environ-mental information and identifying priori-ty issues, the report will help strengthenmonitoring and assessment, policy setting,action planning, and resourcing in DPRKorea.” –David J. Tenenbaum Le

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A glimpse inside. A dearth of data exists in the public realm on the envi-ronmental problems facing North Korea, but a new report from theUnited Nations Environment Programme leaves little doubt that severepollution problems are affecting the country and its people.

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH

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Coco LocomotionCoconuts are the latest plant to be tapped forbio-based fuels. In October 2004, a unit of thePhilippine National Oil Companyopened the first cocodiesel plant.The plant is meant to showFilipino farmers how thetechnology can benefit them andtheir communities. Coconut oiland methanol are the major rawmaterials used to produce abiodiesel that burns cleaner thanregular diesel without the needfor engine modifications. The fuelcosts about 8¢ less per kilometerto use, and the process also yieldsglycerine, which can be used tomake soap. Some Filipinogovernment vehicles are already usinga 1% blend of cocodiesel as part of apresidential drive to reduce vehicular pollution.

Targeting MosquitoesOnline Ever wonder whether those swarmingmosquitoes in your backyard are carrying WestNile virus or some other disease? Researchers atTexas A&M University are developing a web-based real-time system that researchers and thepublic will be able to use to see where disease-carrying vectors have been spotted. TheMosquito Spatial Information ManagementSystem will map disease occurrence,epidemiology, and control procedures. Jim Olson,an entomologist on the team, said the system isjust a small part of a larger multiagency projectto determine the level of mosquito resistance topesticides. This information will help pestmanagement officials choose the mostappropriate mosquito control measures for anygiven locality.

Mozambique Phases OutLeaded GasIn August 2004 Mozambique announced itsintention to ban the importation of leadedgasoline by the end of the year. The decisionfollowed government approval of an action planby the Leaded Gasoline Phase-out Task Force, amultiagency group working to facilitate thereplacement of leaded gas with safer options,and to educate thepublic on the health andsocietal benefits ofdoing so. The task forceplans to completelyphase out the use ofleaded gasoline in thecountry by mid-2005.

Most lead exposureis to airborne lead andlead in dust and soil.Excessive lead exposureis associated with cognitive impairment, stuntedgrowth, and permanent brain damage andmental retardation. Lead has been found invegetables grown in urban African gardens atlevels higher than U.S. EPA allowable limits.

Noise PollutionClearinghouse

ehpnet

Not all sound is bad, but too much of the wrong sounds harm yourhealth. What many people don’t know is that everyday items such aslawn mowers and kitchen blenders can emit noise at hazardous lev-els. More than 30 million Americans work at al job where they areexposed to hazardous sound levels on a regular basis. One-third ofAmericans with some degree of hearing loss can attribute that loss tosound exposure. And the evidence is building to point toward othernoise-related health effects. The Noise Pollution Clearinghouse (NPC)is one group whose mission is to foster awareness of noise-relatedissues. On the NPC’s website, located at http://www.nonoise.org/,visitors can find many different resources to learn about what noisepollution is and how it can be fought.

The NPC has four ongoing campaigns: Quiet Classrooms, QuietLawns, Quiet Lakes, and Silencing Car Alarms. The Quiet Classroomsportion of the site offers tips to students, teachers, and others onhow to make the learning environment as quiet as possible, whilethe Quiet Lawns page rates 40 different lawn mowers in terms ofnoisiness. The Quiet Lakes page features information on the noisecaused by sport watercraft and what the NPC is doing to fight thisnoise source. The Silencing Car Alarms portion of the site tells why theNPC thinks car alarmsshould be outlawedand lists quieter alter-natives for keeping carssafe from thieves.

For the layperson,the NPC has assembledan online library ofalmost 50 articles, re-ports, and seminal documents from a variety of sources. Within thissection is a dictionary of noise terms, a primer on environmentalnoise, and more technical documents from national and interna-tional experts. A separate library contains noise-related documentsjust from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This page alsolinks to the full text of the Noise Control Act and federal regulationsfrom the Office of Noise Abatement and Control, as well as to NoiseEffects Handbook: A Desk Reference to Health and Welfare Effectsof Noise. This 10-chapter textbook was written by the Office ofNoise Abatement and Control to address effects ranging from fetalimpacts to how loss of hearing affects speech and other activities.

Starting once more from the homepage, the Hearing Loss andOccupational Noise Library includes documents from theOccupational Health and Safety Administration, the NationalInstitute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the Mining Safetyand Health Administration. Located here are criteria, guides, andstandards for protecting workers’ hearing, plus a bibliography of2,500 references on hearing and ear protection, among other top-ics. The NPC also is building an online noise law library with feder-al, state, local, and European noise-related laws and regulations aswell as proposed regulations.

For people who want to put their knowledge to work, the NPCResource Library page has links for activists, educational resources,upcoming noise conferences and meetings, and potential fundingsources. The NPC also provides pages on its website for local noiseorganizations that could not otherwise afford to host their ownsites. –Erin E. Dooley