Tasha Stoiber works to better understand the connections between exposure to chemicals and public health. She researches contaminants in water, indoor air pollution and chemicals in consumer products. Before joining EWG, Stoiber worked as an environmental engineer. She pursued postdoctoral study in the ecotoxicology of nanoparticles at the University of California, Davis and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Nearly every American has them in their bodies. This research is desperately needed.
Most mattresses typically contain polyurethane foam, which is made from petroleum chemicals. This foam can off-gas, or emit, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are harmful to health and have been linked to respiratory irritation and nervous system harm.
Those youngest children are also going to be the most vulnerable to lead exposure, especially because most of their caloric intake for the day is going to be formula mixed with tap water.
Children absorb half the lead they ingest, and malnourished children absorb it faster. ... Even at low levels, lead exposure in children is linked to developmental delays, damage to the central and peripheral nervous system, and impaired blood cell function.
There's not the capacity to test every single product that finds its way to the U.S.
[P]reventing [1,4-Dioxane] pollution outright is going to be the best course of action, because once it’s in water, it’s extremely difficult to deal with.
