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I do not know anything about these chemicals in particular, but this framing: > It may sound odd, but in America, your loaf of bread can contain ingredients wi

I do not know anything about these chemicals in particular, but this framing: > It may sound odd, but in America, your loaf of bread can contain ingredients with industrial applications – additives that also appear in things like yoga mats, pesticides, hair straighteners, explosives and petroleum products. always bugs the hell out of me. Water has numerous industrial applications. Linseed oil and NaCl have numerous industrial applications. Acting like any chemical which can be used in an industrial context is automatically poison is just straight-up fear-mongering.

weberc2 7y ago
> straight-up fear-mongering The unofficial Guardian tagline EDIT: Downvoters, from the linked page: > Toxic America: Is modern life poisoning us? Weedkiller in your breakfast cereal. Contaminated drinking water. Carcinogenic chemicals in your furniture. Americans are routinely exposed to dangerous chemicals that have long been banned in countries such as the UK, Germany and France. Of the 40,000 chemicals used in consumer products in the US, according to the EPA, only one percent have been tested for human safety.
- qwbfv 7y ago
  Well at least back in the day they would restrict themselves to the UK. Now they fear-monger worldwide :P
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
- NeedMoreTea 7y ago
  That snippet seems to clearly demonstrate that it is not fear mongering if only 400 of 40,000 chemicals used have been even tested for human safety.
  - weberc2 7y ago
    Hard to say since they drop that statistic without bothering to provide any context or citation.
  - reallydude 7y ago
    > That snippet seems to clearly demonstrate that it is not fear mongering It demonstrates nothing. There is no citation, there is no definition of what the EPA tests for (vs the FDA or anyone else), what human safety means. A once over interpretation of a throwaway line is not "clearly" proof of anything in any forum.
  - pwinnski 7y ago
    That is exactly an example of fear-mongering. "We haven't fully tested nearly 40,000 'chemicals,' so we should assume the worst!" I make no judgement on whether the numbers are correct, nor on whether any of the substances in question are dangerous or benign. I state only that describing a lack of information as a problem is fear-mongering.
Scaevolus 7y ago
A particularly egregious case[1] is a lawsuit against LaCroix complaining that their product contains chemicals also used in cockroach insecticide. The chemical in common was linalool, which is just a floral scent! https://www.snopes.com/news/2018/10/08/lacroix-sparkling-water-full-dangerous-synthetic-chemicals/ https://www.snopes.com/news/2018/10/08/lacroix-sparkling-wat...
- beenBoutIT 7y ago
  Toll House Cookies contain 2 out of the 3 chemicals used in the clandestine manufacturer of crack cocaine, namely NaHCO3 and H2O.
DennisP 7y ago
I agree in general but in this case, they detailed specific health concerns for two specific chemicals in the next three sentences, so it seems like a fairly minor offense.
- flukus 7y ago
  It doesn't mention the all important dosage, very often studies that show "has been linked to kidney and thyroid cancers in rodents" have the mice eating their own body weight of the substance in order to have a noticeable effect.

weberc2 7y ago

> straight-up fear-mongering The unofficial Guardian tagline EDIT: Downvoters, from the linked page: > Toxic America: Is modern life poisoning us? Weedkiller in your breakfast cereal. Contaminated drinking water. Carcinogenic chemicals in your furniture. Americans are routinely exposed to dangerous chemicals that have long been banned in countries such as the UK, Germany and France. Of the 40,000 chemicals used in consumer products in the US, according to the EPA, only one percent have been tested for human safety.

qwbfv 7y ago
Well at least back in the day they would restrict themselves to the UK. Now they fear-monger worldwide :P
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
NeedMoreTea 7y ago
That snippet seems to clearly demonstrate that it is not fear mongering if only 400 of 40,000 chemicals used have been even tested for human safety.
- weberc2 7y ago
  Hard to say since they drop that statistic without bothering to provide any context or citation.
- reallydude 7y ago
  > That snippet seems to clearly demonstrate that it is not fear mongering It demonstrates nothing. There is no citation, there is no definition of what the EPA tests for (vs the FDA or anyone else), what human safety means. A once over interpretation of a throwaway line is not "clearly" proof of anything in any forum.
- pwinnski 7y ago
  That is exactly an example of fear-mongering. "We haven't fully tested nearly 40,000 'chemicals,' so we should assume the worst!" I make no judgement on whether the numbers are correct, nor on whether any of the substances in question are dangerous or benign. I state only that describing a lack of information as a problem is fear-mongering.

Scaevolus 7y ago

A particularly egregious case[1] is a lawsuit against LaCroix complaining that their product contains chemicals also used in cockroach insecticide. The chemical in common was linalool, which is just a floral scent! https://www.snopes.com/news/2018/10/08/lacroix-sparkling-water-full-dangerous-synthetic-chemicals/ https://www.snopes.com/news/2018/10/08/lacroix-sparkling-wat...

beenBoutIT 7y ago
Toll House Cookies contain 2 out of the 3 chemicals used in the clandestine manufacturer of crack cocaine, namely NaHCO3 and H2O.

DennisP 7y ago

I agree in general but in this case, they detailed specific health concerns for two specific chemicals in the next three sentences, so it seems like a fairly minor offense.

flukus 7y ago
It doesn't mention the all important dosage, very often studies that show "has been linked to kidney and thyroid cancers in rodents" have the mice eating their own body weight of the substance in order to have a noticeable effect.