Fracking has been known to be cause environmental and health damage. Doctors have begun warning the United States government along with gas and oil producers of the dangers revolving around fracking, with many on a quest to end fracking completely.

Carcinogenic Chemicals Contaminating Water Supply Through Fracking

Fracking, or the act of pumping water and chemicals underground in order to facilitate the flow of oil or gas, is resulting in contaminated and polluted groundwater. Environmentalists and activists alike have long been trying to force oil and gas companies to disclose which chemicals are being used for their drilling and fracking process, but efforts have been less than successful. A 2011 congressional report states that many of the chemicals being used in the fracking process do pose a health risk, and so individuals should know exactly what chemicals are being used. Another report released by the Food & Water Watch states that the process of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is to become a global and environmental health threat.

Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Watch, states:

“Fracking is a dangerous American export that should be viewed critically by countries just starting to engage in the practice. Modern drilling and fracking have caused widespread environmental and public health problems, as well as posed serious, long-term risks to vital water resources…while the oil and gas industry is profiting off of this technology, it has been a disaster for Americans exposed to its pollution.”

Although the full list of ingredients used in fracking is not known, we do have a partial list. Here are some of the known ingredients and chemicals used in the fracking process:

• Water – Making up approximately 99 percent of fracking fluid.

• Methanol – A chemical used in antifreeze, pain solvent, and vehicle fluid, methanol can cause headaches, fatigue, eye irritation and can be fatal at high doses. Swallowing methanol could cause eye damage or even death.

• Benzene – Found in gasoline, benzene has been shown to cause dizziness, weakness, and chest constriction at short-term exposure while being a major contributor to lifetime excess cancer risk. Benzene is a known carcinogen.

• Crystalline silica – A known carcinogen, crystalline silica is harmful when inhaled over a long period of time, leading to silicosis or cancer. It can be found in concrete, brick mortar, and construction sands.

• Naphthalene  – Naphthalene is found in mothballs, can cause respiratory tract irritation, nausea, vomiting, fever, death, and is carcinogenic.

• Diesel – Another carcinogen, diesel is known to cause redness, burning, severe skin damage, and cancer.

• Formaldehyde – Ingesting one ounce of formaldehyde can cause death, while exposure over time can cause lung damage, nervous system disorders, and reproductive problems in women. The chemical is also a carcinogen.

• Lead – Previously found in 500 popular lipstick shades, and known to contaminate the water supply, lead is a carcinogenic heavy metal found in paint and building construction materials. It leads to nervous system damage, fertility problems, and brain disorders.

• Sulfuric acid – Found in lead-acid batteries for cars, sulfuric acid is corrosive to all  body tissues. At a lethal dose of between 1 teaspoonful and 1.5 ounce, it is classified as a probable carcinogen.

Many more chemicals can be found in the fracking process such as fuel oil #2, kerosene, hydrofluoric acid, and boric acid. With mainstream doctors, the EPA, and countless activists around the nation protesting the health-threatening nature of hydraulic fracking, isn’t it time that an independent investigation was conducted?

The Food and Drug Administration is now warning consumers over the mercury content of many ‘off-brand’ personal care products, an element that is toxic in all forms. While the FDA is warning against certain ‘off-brand’ skin creams and lotions, a previous investigation by the Chicago Tribune involving  50 skin-lightening creams found mercury levels as high as 300,000 parts per million – six of which were even found to contain amounts of mercury banned by federal law. Five of the six had more than 6,000 parts per million — enough to potentially cause kidney damage over time.

According to the new FDA report, the common culprits are marketed as skin lighteners and anti-aging products. The agency also states that mercury-containing skin products were found in at least seven states, including Texas, California, Virginia, Maryland, New York and Minnesota. The FDA findings also reached similar conclusions to the independent analysis by the Chicago Tribune, with face cream tested by the agency containing mercury up to 131,000 times more than the allowable level.

Gary Coody, the national health fraud coordinator for the FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs, says that the products are often sold illegally in the United States or transported in from other countries.

If the product contains “mercurous chloride, calomel, mercuric, mercurio, or mercury,” stop using the product right away, the FDA said.

The news comes just after it was found that as many as 400 popular lipstick shades actually contain lead. The federal analysis reviewed top lipstick brands sold to children and adults alike. Purchased between February and July of 2012, all 400 shades came from retail stores. The lead content actually exceeded the limit that is safe for candy, except the FDA claims that it is “safe” in lipstick due to the fact that you do not ‘eat’ lipstick. Lipstick, however, is oftentimes ingested when eating and drinking, kissing, or licking your lips. In addition, chemicals can easily be leached into the skin.

Both reports serve as a reminder to only buy 100 percent organic personal care products and to avoid purchasing anything from traditional drug stores.

Everybody loves that “new car smell.” A fresh out of the factory smell is often desired so much that artificial sprays and air fresheners are manufactured specifically to simulate the distinctive smell, long after the car is ‘fresh out of the factory.’

New Car Smell Actually Concoction of Over 275 Toxic Chemicals

While the smell is often desired, an obvious detail is often overlooked. The unique odor is the product of a chemical manufacturing process that uses a host of dangerous toxic fumes. According to recent research, this seemingly harmless enticement is actually the indicator of a health risk largely unrecognized.

Researchers tested 200 of the most popular cars in 2011 for chemicals that ‘off-gas’ from any interior car parts such as seats or the dashboard. They found that more than 275 chemicals reside in the cars, with some of them being flame retardants.

According to Jeff Gearhart, Research Director at the Ecology Center, toxic chemicals used in manufacturing car interiors are numerous, and due to their prominence, produce a level of toxic air contamination within cars.

“Research shows that vehicle interiors contain a unique cocktail of hundreds of toxic chemicals that off-gas in small, confined spaces,” said Gearhart “Since these chemicals are not regulated, consumers have no way of knowing the dangers they face. Our testing is intended to expose those dangers and encourage manufacturers to use safer alternatives.”

Some of the chemicals include bromine, chlorine and lead. These alone are known to contribute to a number of health risks, but these chemicals in tandem with high temperatures cause the chemicals to fume and affect your health more strongly. This is especially true when cars are parked in hot areas or direct sunlight.

The chemicals used in car interiors are essentially volatile, and can very easily affect your health even long after the smell has dissipated. Individual steps are not necessarily easily reached due to the nature of car manufacture, but reports such as these should compel and obligate car manufacturers to reconsider their use of these chemicals to prevent health risks to buyers.

Cadmium and lead – two heavy metals that seemingly go hand and hand are consistently being targeted as a threat to your health. Higher blood levels of cadmium in females and higher blood levels of lead in males leads to infertility problems and delayed pregnancy, a new study has found. These are the same contaminants now being found in common products like lipstick and low quality jewelry for children.

Lead, Cadmium Shown to Delay Pregnancy

The study, published online in Chemosphere, enrolled 501 couples from Michigan and Texas between 2005 to 2009. The women, aged 18-44, and the men, aged 18+, were followed for up to 1 year or until pregnancy. Women were also asked to keep a journal to record monthly menstrual cycles and results of home pregnancy tests.

Using blood samples to find the participants’ blood concentration of the metals, the researchers found that the probability of pregnancy was 22 percent less for each increase in blood cadmium concentration for women.  In men, the probability of conceiving was 16 percent less for each increase in blood lead concentration.

“Our results indicate that men and women planning to have children should minimize their exposure to lead and cadmium…they can reduce cadmium exposure by avoiding cigarettes or by quitting if they are current smokers, especially if they intend to become pregnant in the future. Similarly, they can take steps to reduce their exposure to lead-based paints, which may occur in older housing, including during periods of home renovation.” principal investigator Dr. Germaine Buck Louis, director of the division of epidemiology, statistics and prevention research at the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, said.

Both cadmium and lead are toxic metals that can be found in many products today. Cadmium, most commonly found in cigarettes, is also used in batteries, pigments, metal coatings, and inexpensive jewelry for kids. Although lead has always been the heavy metal receiving the spotlight for damaging your health, recent research shows that cadmium is potentially even more dangerous than lead.

Lead, often found in ceramics, pipes, and batteries, has also been shown to be tainting commercial apple juice and 400 popular lipstick shades. Government agencies like the Food and Drug Administration generally know about all of this heavy metal exposure, but claim they are “safe” since found in such low amounts. What they seem to forget is that toxic metals like cadmium and lead are in many products people use every single day.

Beauty and body care products are continually being ousted as toxin-containing health destroyers. A recent study has added further cause for alarm, finding that 400 popular lipstick shades contained lead. Of course the FDA is assuring consumers that this lead exposure is completely safe, failing to act once more regarding serious health threats lurking in consumer products. The FDA said that lipstick is not meant to be ingested, and is for topical use only. Therefore, it is ‘completely safe’.

Lipstick Shades Shown to Contain Toxic Lead

The federal analysis reviewed top lipstick brands sold to children and adults alike. Purchased between February and July of 2012, all 400 shades came from retail stores. Of the 400 lipstick shades, a list of the top 5 offenders was created:

1. Maybelline’s “Color Sensational 125 Pink Petal” at 7.19 ppm of lead.
2. L’Oréal’s “Colour Riche 410 Volcanic” at 7.00 ppm.
3. NARS’ “Semi-Matte 1005 Red Lizard” at 4.93 ppm.
4. Cover Girl Queen Collection’s “Vibrant Hues Color Q580 Ruby Remix” at 4.92 ppm.
5. NARS’ “Semi-Matte 1009 Funny Face” at 4.89 ppm.

For the full list you can visit the FDA’s website.

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Amazingly, reports of lead residing in lipstick have been springing up since the 1990s, periodically resurfacing since then. Meanwhile, the FDA continues to assert that such ‘low levels’ of lead exposure is perfectly safe. Despite the fact that kissing, eating, or drinking with lipstick can lead to ingestion (not even mentioning the fact that topical use can still result in exposure), the FDA says that since you aren’t eating the lipstick there is nothing to worry about.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has been leading the charge against lead in lipstick products for years, calling upon the FDA to act. In 2007 the organization tested 33 red lipsticks and reported that two-thirds of the tested products contained lead. What’s more is that one-third exceeded the FDA’s lead limit for candy. As the agency has taken no action, reports continue to surface regarding the presence of not only lead, but mercury in common food and personal care items as well.

Recent research shows that cadmium could very well be more dangerous to children’s health than lead. While heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, and mercury are often the first to pop up when discussing or thinking about heavy metals and human health, cadmium remains the lesser mentioned metal compromising the health of many — especially children. Current and future research will likely continue to make the dangers of cadmium more well known.

Is Cadmium More Dangerous for Children than Lead?

The study, led by Harvard University researchers, found that children with higher cadmium levels are three times as likely to have learning disabilities than those with lower levels. Study’s senior author Dr. Robert Wright explains:

“One of the important points of the study is that we didn’t study a population of kids who had very high exposures. We studied a population representative of the U.S. That we found any [effect] suggests this is occurring at relatively low levels…It does certainly point to the fact that we need more attention paid to the neurotoxic effects of cadmium in children”

A total of 2,199 children between the ages 6 and 15 were included in the study, with 12.6 percent of them having a learning disability and 10.5 percent being enrolled in special education classes. Those with the highest cadmium levels were 3.21 times more likely to have a learning disability than children less exposed.

Although cadmium is naturally found in much of the soil across the U.S., the heavy metal is also released by battery manufacturers, smelters, electroplating plants, and other industries. Cadmium is also present in inexpensive jewelry for kids. In 2010 the Associated Press tested children’s jewelry manufactured in China and found levels of cadmium, prompting store recalls. Canada also made the decision to crack down on cadmium in 2011, following tests performed in October of 2010 that found high concentrations of cadmium in some children’s jewelry sold in Canadian stores.

While there needs to be more research on the dangers of cadmium, past studies are collectively very consistent in showing how cadmium is a dangerous neurotoxin. High levels of exposure can lead to neurological problems as well as mental retardation and decreased IQ in children. The scientists highly recommend that the government re-evaluate cadmium’s place in society by instituting stricter rules for cadmium in food, soil, workplaces, and consumer products.

An unnamed juice company recently contacted the Food and Drug Administration to let them know that it detected low levels of a fungicide called carbendazim in the company’s own orange juice as well as competitors’ orange juice. The fungicide isn’t currently allowed to be used on citrus in the United States, but it is used in Brazil, which exports orange juice to the US. FDA officials show little concern, but claim they will increase testing to ensure no problems arise from contamination.

FDA Claims to Start Testing for Carbendazim, A Currently Illegal Fungicide Found in Orange Juice

According to an FDA spokesperson, the juice company’s testing found up to 35 parts per billion (PPB) of the fungicide in the juice. Although there is no established maximum residue level for the carbendazim in orange in the U.S., the amount found is far below the European Union’s maximum residue level of 200 PPB.

FDA official Nega Beru says the orange juice will start being tested for carbendazim at the border and will not allow any orange juice in the country if even a small amount is found. Any amount found in food is currently illegal, and he says that the industry should ensure that suppliers in Brazil as well as other nations exporting orange juice do not use the fungicide.

Unfortunately the FDA’s financially-influenced view on what should and shouldn’t be allowed shows that the likelihood of the problem being taken care of is dismal. Despite orange juice being completely artificial, the FDA still allows companies to not only deem it as healthy, but also claim it to be 100% juice. The sad truth, however, is that most orange juice is is not at all 100% juice and it artificially flavored to taste like oranges.

Once the juice is squeezed and stored in gigantic vats, they start removing oxygen. Why? Because removing oxygen from the juice allows the liquid to keep for up to a year without spoiling. But! Removing that oxygen also removes the natural flavors of oranges. Yeah, it’s all backwards. So in order to have OJ actually taste like oranges, drink companies hire flavor and fragrance companies, the same ones that make perfumes for Dior, to create these “flavor packs” to make juice taste like, well, juice again.

Orange juice aside, has the FDA successfully taken care of other contaminants or toxins found in food and beverages? A past study set up by Dr. Oz concluded that many apple juice brands contain high amounts of arsenic, but the FDA wasn’t impressed and even argued with the study’s findings. Similarly, a different report also showed dangerous levels of arsenic and lead in apple juice and grape juice. Finally, and more alarmingly, toxic metals arsenic and cadmium were found in baby food.

Will the FDA follow through with their claim to take care of the carbendazim found in orange juice? Only time will tell, but odds are against them.

Scientists are hailing a new discovery in the field of AIDS research that may lead to the development of an AIDS vaccine. The discovery, revolving around the elimination of a cholesterol membrane surrounding the virus, emerged from The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. However, the past of the AIDS vaccine is something that few scientists want to discuss. The controversial trials of experimental AIDS vaccines that led to the loss of innocent lives have been ignored by mainstream scientists and reporters. Even the scientists responsible for the deaths covered up the situation, failing to report the fatalities of their trials in order to prevent the public from finding out.

In 1991 it was reported by the Chicago Tribune that in a trial of only 19 participants based in Paris, at least 3 had died from adverse reactions to the experimental AIDS vaccine. In an attempt to cover up the deaths, the French and American authorities that sanctioned the experiments did not report the deaths in medical journals. Even after the deaths, the AIDS vaccine experiment continued, putting lives in danger purely to examine the nature of the reaction. It took the questioning of French physicians who examined 2 of the 3 dead participants to bring the truth to light, exposing the fraud to the media.

Even more shocking is the fact that the trials later continued in South Africa on unsuspecting victims looking to decrease their chance of contracting HIV. What researchers soon found was that the vaccine actually led to an increased risk of contracting HIV.

Scientists: HIV Vaccine Increases HIV Risk

The censorship regarding the horribly unsafe nature of the AIDS vaccine is so extreme that it took scientific whistleblowers to warn South Africans against participating in the vaccine trails, citing the fact that the vaccine actually increases the probability that the recipient develops HIV. The report was published in the Washington Post in 2007, after the trials were shut down after scientists claimed they were ineffective and needed more research. The whistleblowers state, however, that they were forced to stop due to an increase in HIV infection following the vaccine.

Interestingly enough, the AIDS vaccine in question is developed by Merck, creator of the Gardasil shot which has been linked to over 49 deaths and countless hospitalizations. The Gardasil shot, of course, may soon be forced upon young girls and boys thanks to legislators who were paid by Merck to pass a bill making the shot mandatory.

Vaccine risks are oftentimes covered up by mega corporations such as Merck in order to make a profit and avoid public scrutiny. It’s time to make vaccine manufacturers answer for their misdeeds through peaceful activism, as they have been granted legal immunity from all lawsuits — valid or not. Join the Vaccine Information Week movement and demand change within the vaccine industry.

Kidney stones are considered by many to be one of the most painful health conditions you may ever experience. New research finds that supplementing with calcium may lead to kidney stones, while dietary calcium does not. Conventional medical protocol for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis typically includes calcium supplementation, leading to an increased risk of kidney stones. In addition, studies have found that supplemental calcium is not effective in preventing fractures, while dietary calcium may be much more potent.

According to a study in the journal Maturitas:

These findings indicate that calcium supplementation probably does not have a role as a routine preventative agent and that dietary advice is the appropriate way to attain an adequate calcium intake in most situations. Patients at high risk of fracture need to take interventions of proven anti-fracture efficacy. Available evidence suggests that this efficacy is not dependent on the co-administration of calcium supplements.

Toxic chemicals have been found in over 90, 2011 model car seats for children. The research report on these toxic chemicals in children’s car seats was released by www.HealthyStuff.org, and ecology center. The chemicals that were tested for included bromine, chlorine, lead, and many other allergens and heavy metals.

Although over 60% contained at least one of the chemicals, on a happier note, some of the car seats were virtually free of most chemicals tested for. Most of us know that babies are most vulnerable to anything that could have an effect on them, as their bodies are in a critical state of development.

Children certainly should not stop sitting in car seats, this report is just informing consumers, which will hopefully lead to a reduction in harmful chemicals on the company’s part. In the mean time, take a look at the car seats which have been found to be the most toxic and least toxic.

Most Toxic 2011 Car Seats:

• Infant Seat: Graco Snugride 35 in Edgemont Red/Black & Graco SnugRide 30 in Asprey

• Convertible Seat: Britax Marathon 70 in Jet Set & Britax Marathon in Platinum

• Booster Seat: Recaro Pro Booster in Blue Opal & Recaro ProSPORT Toddler in Mist

Leat Toxic 2011 Car Seats:

• Infant Seat: Chicco KeyFit 30 in Limonata, Graco Snugride 35 in Laguna Bay & Combi Shuttle 33 in Cranberry Noche

• Convertible Carseat: Graco Comfort Sport in Caleo, Graco MyRide 65 in Chandler and Streamer, Safety 1st OnSide Air in Clearwater, and Graco Nautilus Elite 3-in-1 in Gabe

• Booster Seat: Graco Turbo Booster in Anders

Source: International Business Times