rbattelle
TDR MEMBER
I get so many products now with that onerous label that says "This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm" that I finally took the time to look up the list.
Here it is.
I read it over, and here are some notable entries:
Aspirin
Carbon Monoxide (wouldn't it asphyxiate you long before killing you of cancer?)
Citrus Red No. 2 (food coloring? not sure... )
Cobalt (stay away from Cobalt twist drills!)
Cocaine (well, duh!)
D&C Orange No. 17 (cosmetics coloring)
D&C Red No. 8 (cosmetics coloring)
D&C Red No. 9 (cosmetics coloring)
D&C Red No. 19 (cosmetics coloring)
Diesel engine exhaust
Ethyl alcohol in alcoholic beverages
Estrogen (whew! I'm clean on this one)
Iodine-131 (isn't this used to sterilize an injection site?)
Lead (I've handled a fair amount of lead... me okay!)
Mustard Gas (well, duh!)
Naphthalene (you can buy gallons of this at Lowes)
Nickel (that's right, the element Nickel)
Retinol (THIS IS VITAMIN A!)
Shale oil (better not mine coal for shale oil!)
Sulfuric acid
Testosterone (I'm doomed... I'm loaded with this stuff)
Unleaded gasoline (don't get gas!)
I'm all for labeling dangerous chemicals. But this list doesn't mention how much exposure is harmful. If I put gas in my car once, will I get cancer? If I drink 1 beer, will my reproductive system be harmed? How much sulfuric acid do I need to drink to get cancer? How many aspirin is too many? How much Vitamin A (Retinol) is too much?
Seems to me this list and these little warning labels might do more harm than good. I mean, I see them on so many things that I've come to ignore them almost completely. It's like "the state who cried wolf".
Ryan
Here it is.
I read it over, and here are some notable entries:
Aspirin
Carbon Monoxide (wouldn't it asphyxiate you long before killing you of cancer?)
Citrus Red No. 2 (food coloring? not sure... )
Cobalt (stay away from Cobalt twist drills!)
Cocaine (well, duh!)
D&C Orange No. 17 (cosmetics coloring)
D&C Red No. 8 (cosmetics coloring)
D&C Red No. 9 (cosmetics coloring)
D&C Red No. 19 (cosmetics coloring)
Diesel engine exhaust
Ethyl alcohol in alcoholic beverages
Estrogen (whew! I'm clean on this one)
Iodine-131 (isn't this used to sterilize an injection site?)
Lead (I've handled a fair amount of lead... me okay!)
Mustard Gas (well, duh!)
Naphthalene (you can buy gallons of this at Lowes)
Nickel (that's right, the element Nickel)
Retinol (THIS IS VITAMIN A!)
Shale oil (better not mine coal for shale oil!)
Sulfuric acid
Testosterone (I'm doomed... I'm loaded with this stuff)
Unleaded gasoline (don't get gas!)
I'm all for labeling dangerous chemicals. But this list doesn't mention how much exposure is harmful. If I put gas in my car once, will I get cancer? If I drink 1 beer, will my reproductive system be harmed? How much sulfuric acid do I need to drink to get cancer? How many aspirin is too many? How much Vitamin A (Retinol) is too much?
Seems to me this list and these little warning labels might do more harm than good. I mean, I see them on so many things that I've come to ignore them almost completely. It's like "the state who cried wolf".
Ryan