9.2 Six Chemical Classes

The six chemical classes presented by The Green Science Policy bring knowledge and awareness of ingredients in daily products used by billions of people. These chemicals include highly fluorinated chemicals, antimicrobials, flame retardants, phthalates & bisphenols, and certain heavy metals (mercury, arsenic, lead, and cadmium). The aspect of the 6 vidoes I really appreciated was they not only talked about where these chemicals can be found, the bring light to what us as consumers can do to avoid them. 

A chemical highlighted in the videos that is particularly interesting to me is antimicrobials. I recently did my literature review on the antimicrobial drugs given to livestock and how it is increasing the antibiotic resistance in humans. Antimicrobials are chemicals that are added to products to kill or inhibit the growth of microbes (bacteria or fungi). They are typically found in products like cleaning and personal care products; linens; building materials; kitchenware; exercise mats; and electronics. This particular chemical scares me due to the fact that overuse leads to the bacteria in your body becoming resistant to the common drugs that are supposed to be killing the bad bacteria. It also leads to disruptions in your hormones; negative developmental and reproductive effects; and higher rates of asthma, dermatitis, and allergies. The best ways to avoid overuse of antimicrobials is to avoid products labeled “antimicrobial” or “antibacterial”, this will ensue you are avoiding the two main ingredients in antimicrobial products (triclosan and triclocarban).