Nearly each day, four million people in the United States go to work as janitors, cleaners, maids, housekeepers, landscaping and groundskeeping workers, pesticide handlers and other maintenance occupations. Over 3% of the workforce is employed in these jobs, which are among the lowest paying jobs in the country.¹ But the below-average wages aren't the worst thing about the job: these people are exposed to toxic chemicals in their workplace on a daily basis.

According to workers' compensation data, six out of every 100 custodians have a lost-time injury every year due to chemical exposure.² The majority of injuries involve eye irritation and burns, skin irritation and burns, or breathing chemical fumes. And these are just the short-term effects.

The chemicals used to clean our schools, statehouses, libraries and office buildings in every town and city often contain caustic toxic chemicals linked with asthma, cancer, respiratory issues, hormone disruption, endocrine system issues and other negative health effects. Just the products used to clean commercial PVC floors contain a long list of toxic chemicals associated with all manner of health issues.³ And the problems don't stop there.

May is a month focused on women—the month started out with Mother's Day, and the week of May 8 is National Women's Health week, established to empower women to make their health a top priority.

Toxic chemicals are an increasingly important topic with women's health—too much chemical exposure at the beginning of life, or during pregnancy, can cause adverse health effects for women and for their children.

This month, we are featuring women heroes: women who are strong advocates for reducing exposure to toxic chemicals. Three of the women are legislators, and one is a scientist. They are tied together in the hard work that they are doing in their field to make our world and our homes safer from toxic chemicals.

In choosing these women, it was overwhelmingly clear that it's possible to come from very different backgrounds and agendas and reach the same conclusion: that stronger policies to reduce exposure to harmful chemicals are necessary on a state and federal level, with bi-partisan support to protect the health of our families and the most vulnerable populations in our society.

Persistent, bioaccumulative toxics, commonly known as PBTs, are a group of toxic chemicals that are joined together by some common features. Common PBTs in our lives include mercury, DDT, cadmium, lead, and several groups of chemicals including PCBs, toxic flame retardants (PBDEs) and dioxins. While these chemicals have many different uses in our lives, and different effects on our health, they are joined together by the following facts:

1. PBTs are persistent. These chemicals are often used in manufacturing because of the exact features that cause great, great trouble in our environment: they don't break down, and they stay in the environment for a very long time. PCBs, for instance, are man-made mixtures of chlorinated compounds that are used in manufacturing because they are non-flammable, have a high boiling point, and are insoluble in water: all features that make them very difficult to dispose of.
2. PBTs are bioaccumulative. Once these chemicals are ingested by living creatures, they build up in fatty tissue, and move up the food chain as they are consumed by bigger creatures, eventually making their way into our diets.
3. PBTs are toxic. These chemicals have been associated with all manner of health effects: mercury affects the nervous system of developing fetuses, chronic exposure to DDT affects the liver and kidneys among other parts of the body, cadmium has been labeled by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a probable carcinogen, lead exposure in adults results in neurological effects like seizures, PCBs pose a cancer risk, PBDEs have been found to be endocrine disruptors, and dioxins cause reproductive and developmental problems.

It's election season. And you know what that means: phone calls, door knocks, commercials and pieces of mail requesting your support for a particular candidate. How do you know which candidate should receive your vote?

Our candidates need to hear that toxics legislation is important, and that you will be taking that into consideration when you cast your ballot. One of the most important things that a candidate can do is commit to protecting our families from harmful chemicals.

And here's a great secret: new research has shown that there is overwhelming support for toxic chemical reform across the aisle. In a Mellman Group study shows that 74% of the public supports stronger controls on toxic chemicals. This issue clearly crosses political party lines.

Here are a few questions to consider asking this fall.

There has been a lot of toxics news coming from the states lately. The Safer States organizations have been doing an amazing job of protecting their state's citizens through legislation restricting toxic chemicals. Moreover, elected officials have been hearing the message from their voters: we deserve to be protected from toxic chemicals in our lives.

Here's what's happening, state by state:

Alaska

This year's legislative calendar included a ban on Deca-BDE in mattresses and electronics. The bill ultimately failed, but the momentum for the bill was encouraging.

It has only been a few weeks since we have updated you on the fight against Bisphenol-A (BPA) , but we have a lot of news to report. BPA is the ubiquitous chemical that is in hard plastics, can liners, register receipts and baby products and is known to cause health effects including impaired brain and reproductive development in unborn babies, miscarriage in pregnant women, diabetes, obesity and cancer.

Vermont moves toward a ban

Environmental health advocates in the state of Vermont are working to pass a ban against BPA. The proposed bill would ban the manufacture, sale or distribution of canned infant formula, bottled infant formula, plastic baby containers, and reusable food and beverage containers containing BPA.

We at SAFER states are thrilled with two major developments on the phase out of toxic flame retardants. As a result of action in the SAFER states over the last several years and often mentioned here, the EPA has negotiated an agreement with three large manufacturers who have agreed to phase out decaBDE (deca) in the United States.

Additionally, Representative Chellie Pingree (D - ME) introduced a bill into Congress to ban deca to ensure the phase out takes place and that safe alternatives are used for flame retardants.

Deca is a flame retardant that is used in insulation, electronics and home furnishings and there is concern about its health effects in wildlife and humans. 

Officials from thirteen states joined forces today to dictate a set of eight guiding principles to be used for reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act, or TSCA -- a law from 1976 which provides the EPA with the authority to regulate toxic chemicals.

The Obama Administration and Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the EPA, recently acknowledged that a major overhaul of this decades-old law is imperative for public safety.

There is concern, however, about the way that the Administration is setting out to reform TSCA. As Laurie Valeriano, policy director of the Washington Toxics Coalition wrote recently, "the changes are modeled after an approach that will result in endless government studies and gridlock when what we really need is action."

On December 2, 2009, 13 states dictated principles for the reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act. Officials from California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington signed the principles. Read more here.

Require Chemical Data Reporting. Chemical and product manufacturers should be required to develop and provide chemical health and safety information, as well as exposure and use data, including the presence of toxic chemicals in products and the associated chemical hazards and risks, to regulators, businesses, and the public.

Demonstrate Chemicals and Products are Safe. Manufacturers should provide the necessary information to regulators to conclude that new and existing chemicals and products in commerce are safe and do not endanger the public or the environment. The public has a right to expect that the products they use are safe.

Prioritize Chemicals of Concern.Government should identify and prioritize chemicals of concern in order to regulate the most problematic chemicals in commerce, and have the authority to take timely action to protect people and the environment. Sufficient resources should be made available to support these actions.

Protect the Most Vulnerable. Chemical regulation should be designed to protect the most vulnerable, including pregnant women and children.

Promote Safer Chemicals and Products. Based on green chemistry principles, manufacturers should be required to assess and identify safer alternatives to problematic chemicals of concern. Government should establish protocols for evaluating potential alternatives to chemicals of concern.

Address Emerging Contaminants. Emerging chemicals of concern, including nanoscale materials, need to be assessed for public and environmental safety before they go into widespread commerce and use.

Strengthen Federal Law & Preserve States’ Rights. States acknowledge the need for a strong federal chemical regulation system, while expressly preserving the authority of state and localities to implement measures to manage chemicals of concern.

Fund State Programs. Effective state-federal governance should enhance the role of states in TSCA implementation, promote data and information sharing, and provide sustained funding for state programs. The states are in a unique position to provide innovative, cost-effective solutions for chemicals of concern prioritization, interstate data sharing, and safer chemical alternatives assessments.

View the signed document (pdf).

Chicago has become the first city to ban bisphenol A (BPA) from children's products. The ban comes on the heels of Minnesota becoming the first state to enact a ban and Suffolk County, NY becoming the first county and first U.S. jurisdiction to ban the toxic chemical.

The Chicago city council passed the ban Wednesday after several city aldermen made lengthy speeches detailing the health threat BPA poses to humans and criticizing the FDA and Congress for failing to protect the public. The council's vote was unanimous.

The ban affects baby bottles and sippy cups sold in Chicago, which will now have to be BPA-free.