New Scientist - USA (2022-01-22)

22 January 2022 | New Scientist | 23

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The columnist

Fusion is a mystery,

says Chanda Prescod-

Weinstein p24

Letters

Another way

to solve pesky

paradoxes? p26

Aperture

Objects that reveal

European space

ambitions p28

Culture

Fictional pandemic in

Station Eleven is oddly

comforting p30

Culture columnist

Simon Ings rolls back

the years to revel in

old-school sci-fi p32

M

ORE than a decade ago,
the UK’s Royal Society
of Chemistry offered
£1 million to the first person in
the world to create a chemical-free
product. No one has yet claimed
the bounty because it is
impossible. Water is a chemical.
So is your cuppa. Yet there is still
so much confusion about everyday
products, from cleaning sprays to
cosmetics. While some are labelled
as chemical free, others declare
they are non-toxic, natural and
eco-friendly. What does it all really
mean? And can we believe it?
To work out whether products
contain toxic chemicals, which
are harmful or hazardous to us or
the planet, we need to look at the
bigger picture of how something
is manufactured and where it ends
up after we have used it. Our homes
are just a snapshot of a complex
global supply chain. Your handbag
may not be dangerous, but direct
exposure to the chromium salts
used in commercial leather
tanning factories can trigger
chronic conditions in people
involved in its production. And
that chlorine bleach that gets
flushed down the toilet? That is
poisonous to aquatic animals.
There may even be a picture of a
dead fish on the back to prove it.
Labels are so full of jargon,
however, that deciphering what
is good and what isn’t can feel
impossible. A starting point is
to not be duped by outlandish
marketing lingo. Even the term
“sustainable” has no official
MIdefinition, so for green credentials
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look for proof of claims in the

form of certifications, such as

Cradle to Cradle, which ensures

the chemicals used are safe for

people and the environment,

and that they get reused in the

manufacturing process.

Also be sceptical about labels

focusing on what a product doesn’t

contain, such as “paraben-free”

or “no nasties”. Real transparency

is about disclosing ingredients,

not distracting us from them.

Such greenwash isn’t yet

regulated, but in the UK, the

government and Competition

and Markets Authority recently

introduced a green claims code

that suggests guidelines for “eco”

brands to follow, such as better

transparency. In the European

Union, the Circular Economy

Action Plan proposes regulations

to stipulate that sustainability

claims must be proved.

This matters because,

although the risks are low, some

chemical contaminants increase

the chances of developing

certain cancers, disrupt brain

development or interfere with

the body’s hormones. These

risks aren’t fully understood

and may be contributed to by a

toxic cocktail effect that is missing

from lab experiments – we are

rarely exposed to just one

chemical at a time.

One way to minimise your long-

term exposure to toxic chemicals

is to streamline the number of

products you use and focus on

conscious consumption. Ditch

the added extras – the overtly

fragranced air fresheners, the

period pants with antimicrobial

nanosilver, the school trousers

with hard-wearing, non-stick

patches inside the knees. These

chemicals just aren’t necessary.

That said, it is practically

impossible to live a life free from

toxic chemicals. Robin Dodson

at the Silent Spring Institute in

Newton, Massachusetts, has

found that people who paid close

attention and actively avoided

specific hormone-disrupting

chemicals had a lower overall level

of toxic chemicals in their blood.

But even though Dodson herself

took steps to avoid such chemicals,

when she tested her own urine for

10 of the most common hormone-

disrupting chemicals found in

household products, some were

present at surprisingly high levels.

Ultimately, it shouldn’t be our

responsibility to navigate this. But

until long-term effects on people

and the planet are investigated,

we should choose brands that

are fully transparent and call for

clearer labelling from the rest. ❚

Chemical consumption

Product labels are filled with jargon about chemicals or the lack

of them – how can we know what it all means, asks Anna Turns

Anna Turns is author of

Go Toxic Free: Easy and

sustainable ways to

reduce chemical pollution