2
Toxic Chemical
Composition Reporting
INTRODUCTION
Concerned individuals have attempted to reduce their individual exposure to toxic
chemicals by buying significantly more expensive “green” products or consuming
“organic” food. Although the development of these products is an initial step forward
in the right direction, it is our opinion that this puts an impossible burden on the individual consumer. First, without conducting any research, it requires that individual
consumers fully understand and trust the numerous types of green or organic labels
in the market today. The reality is that some types of labels are regulated, requiring
adherence to a set of standards to use the label, and “trustworthy,” whereas others
are not. Taking it one step further requires that the individual first determine the
complete chemical composition using a list of compounds coupled with the amount
of each compound in the product for each of the products purchased, information
that is not currently on product labels. Then, it requires that the individual determine
all of the relevant toxicity information on each of these compounds and assess the
relevant exposure pathways to make a decision on the potential hazards of using the
product, also not currently on product labels. For instance, hexavalent chromium is a
carcinogen if inhaled but is relatively harmless if swallowed because it is converted
in the stomach to the relatively benign trivalent form. Moreover, the benign trivalent
form is an essential nutrient and frequently purchased as a dietary supplement.
There are literally hundreds of thousands of chemicals that we encounter in our
daily lives. In addition to chemicals contained in products themselves, when a toxic
chemical is released to the air, water, or land in a community, individuals are involuntarily exposed to the associated risks. Avoiding all chemicals is not an effective
or even possible method of shielding oneself from toxic exposure. Alleviating the
burden of reducing or eliminating toxic chemical exposure on the individual consumer level to the extent that is feasible requires the modification of product labels
to include chemical composition and toxicity data as well as the concurrent development of a federal program that is aimed at reducing the overall use of the most highly
toxic (and used) chemicals in the manufacturing process in the first place. If the use
is limited, worker exposure and releases will be limited, to the air, water, and land
and through products. A first step in label modification and development of such
a reduction program is to know exactly what is in the manufactured products that
one consumes and in what amounts. The remainder of this chapter discusses three
existing programs that require composition reporting on products.
7
Toxic Chemical
Composition Reporting
INTRODUCTION
Concerned individuals have attempted to reduce their individual exposure to toxic
chemicals by buying significantly more expensive “green” products or consuming
“organic” food. Although the development of these products is an initial step forward
in the right direction, it is our opinion that this puts an impossible burden on the individual consumer. First, without conducting any research, it requires that individual
consumers fully understand and trust the numerous types of green or organic labels
in the market today. The reality is that some types of labels are regulated, requiring
adherence to a set of standards to use the label, and “trustworthy,” whereas others
are not. Taking it one step further requires that the individual first determine the
complete chemical composition using a list of compounds coupled with the amount
of each compound in the product for each of the products purchased, information
that is not currently on product labels. Then, it requires that the individual determine
all of the relevant toxicity information on each of these compounds and assess the
relevant exposure pathways to make a decision on the potential hazards of using the
product, also not currently on product labels. For instance, hexavalent chromium is a
carcinogen if inhaled but is relatively harmless if swallowed because it is converted
in the stomach to the relatively benign trivalent form. Moreover, the benign trivalent
form is an essential nutrient and frequently purchased as a dietary supplement.
There are literally hundreds of thousands of chemicals that we encounter in our
daily lives. In addition to chemicals contained in products themselves, when a toxic
chemical is released to the air, water, or land in a community, individuals are involuntarily exposed to the associated risks. Avoiding all chemicals is not an effective
or even possible method of shielding oneself from toxic exposure. Alleviating the
burden of reducing or eliminating toxic chemical exposure on the individual consumer level to the extent that is feasible requires the modification of product labels
to include chemical composition and toxicity data as well as the concurrent development of a federal program that is aimed at reducing the overall use of the most highly
toxic (and used) chemicals in the manufacturing process in the first place. If the use
is limited, worker exposure and releases will be limited, to the air, water, and land
and through products. A first step in label modification and development of such
a reduction program is to know exactly what is in the manufactured products that
one consumes and in what amounts. The remainder of this chapter discusses three
existing programs that require composition reporting on products.
7