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 Blueair's eco-friendly engineers have created the world's most energy efficient air purifier, 10 to 20 times more efficient than comparable units.
The Blueair ECO10 air purifier uses only 10 watts on its highest fan speed; that's just a fraction of the energy use by a low-wattage light bulb!
The entire ECO10, including the HEPASilent filter, is recyclable.
Clean your air, reduce your electric bill, and show your eco-love with the Blueair ECO10 air purifier!
Order now and get a free filter!
Posted by Scott on Friday, September 28, 2007
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Recently featured in The Wall Street Journal, AllergyGrocer.com has a large selection of foods for people who have food allergies. Founded as Miss Roben's in 1992, the company initially sold only a few different wheat and gluten free mixes, along with some other gluten free products.
Now Allergy Grocer has a large selection of fresh and dried goods - everything from breads to condiments. The Wall Street Journal reports that Allergy Grocer's comprehensive selection makes it a good first stop for food allergy sufferers; WSJ also reports that the site has an impressive search function, allowing customers to search by a food category, by an allergen, or if the product is new, kid-friendly, or a top seller.
"We want people to know you don’t have to sacrifice great taste, quality, or selection just because you need to avoid certain foods," says Miss Roben of Allergy Grocer.
Posted by Scott on Tuesday, September 25, 2007
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 The Consumer Law Page lists the Top 12 Hazardous Household Chemicals: - Air Fresheners - Don't let the commercials fool you. Most air fresheners interfere with your ability to smell by disabling your nasal passages with an oil film or a nerve-deadening agent. Common chemicals in air fresheners include formaldehyde (a highly toxic known carcinogen) and phenol (which can cause hives, convulsions, circulatory collapse, coma, and even death).
- Ammonia is a volatile chemical that can damage your eyes, respiratory tract, and skin.
- Bleach is a strong corrosive that can damage the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. NEVER mix bleach with ammonia, as the fumes can be deadly.
- Carpet and Upholstery Shampoos generally contain highly toxic substances like perchlorethylene (a known carcinogen that damages the liver, kidneys, and nervous system) and ammonium hydroxide (a corrosive that irritates eyes, skin, and respiratory passages).
- Dishwasher Detergents - Most of them contain highly concentrated chlorine, which is the #1 cause of child poisonings.
- Drain Cleaners commonly include lye (which can burn skin and eyes, and the esophagus and stomach if ingested), hydrochloric acid (a corrosive eye and skin irritant that damages kidneys, liver, and digestive tract), or tricholoroethane (eye and skin irritant and nervous system depressant).
- Furniture Polish is highly flammable and can cause skin and lung cancer. It often contains phenol as well as nitrobenzene, which is an extremely toxic chemical that's easily absorbed through the skin.
- Mold and Mildew Cleaners often contain sodium hypochlorite (a corrosive which can lead to fluid in the lungs) and formaldehyde (a highly toxic, known carcinogen). To clean mold and mildew safely - and to prevent it from coming back - use M-1 House Wash and M-1 Sure Cote Sealant.
- Oven Cleaner contains lye (sodium hydroxide). Lye is often used to dissolve roadkill dumped in landfills; that can't be healthy.
- Antibacterial Cleaners often contain triclosan, which is absorbed through the skin and linked to liver damage. Antibacterial soaps may also contribute to the development of drug-resistant bacteria.
- Laundry Room Products may contain sodium or calcium hypocrite (a highly corrosive agent that can irritate the skin and eyes), hypochlorite bleach (a corrosive that can burn the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract). If exposed to other chemicals, hypochlorite bleach may form chlorine fumes that could be fatal.
- Toilet Bowl Cleaners may contain hydrochloric acid or hypochlorite bleach.
Other Dangerous Chemicals around the House - Pesticides - Dimpylate, or Diazinon, is extremely toxic and impairs the central nervous system. Chlorinate hydrocarbons are suspected carcinogens and mutagens; they accumulate in fatty tissue and attack the nervous system. Organophosphates are toxic and poisonous; if you can smell it, that means your lungs are absorbing it.
- Lice Shampoo - Inhalation, ingestion, or absorption of lindane causes vomiting, convulsions, and circulatory collapse and may cause liver damage, stillbirths, birth defects, and cancer.
- Car Wash, Car Polish - Petroleum distillates are associated with skin and lung cancer, and they irritate the skin, eyes, nose, and lungs. Inhalation could cause fatal pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs).
Chemical Warning Labels The information below is actually new to me, and it's very interesting and helpful!
DANGER means that the chemical is harmful or fatal if swallowed. Ingestion of a small taste to a teaspoon could kill an average sized adult.
WARNING means that the chemical is harmful if swallowed. Ingestion of a teaspoon to an ounce could kill an average sized adult.
CAUTION means that the chemical is harmful if swallowed. Ingestion of an ounce to a pint could kill an average adult.
Posted by Scott on Friday, September 21, 2007
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 Reuters UK reports that exposure to common pesticides appears to increase the risk of asthma.
According to a study at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in North Carolina, a history of high pesticide exposure among farmers doubles the risk of asthma.
Lead researcher Dr. Jane A. Hoppin says, "Better education and training of farmers and pesticide handlers may help to reduce asthma risk."
Protective gear such as masks may also help reduce the risk.
The CDC points out that pesticides can enter the body through the skin, eyes, mouth, and lungs. The CDC recommends that mixers, loaders, and applicators of pesticides wear protecting clothing including coveralls, apron, broad-rimmed waterproof hat, boots, rubber gloves, googles or faces shields, and respirator masks.
Posted by Scott on Thursday, September 20, 2007
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 Since I blogged about the possibility of Genetically Modified Foods being behind the increase in food allergies, I've received several questions (mainly from concerned parents) about how to avoid GM foods. My standard answer has always been that you can avoid GM ingredients by buying whole, organic foods.
However, earlier today I discovered another resource that helps people avoid GM foods: the True Food Shopping Guide. The handy, printable guide, compiled by the True Food Network, lists several GM and non-GM foods in different categories.
Posted by Scott on Tuesday, September 18, 2007
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 Sublingual allergy drops constitute a form of immunotherapy - just like allergy shots - but the drops are not injected with a needle. Rather, one drop is placed under the tongue three times a day, and the drops can be self-administered.
According to CW2 News, Dr. Michael Menachof, an ENT physician in Englewood, CO, says, "Generally, with the shots, it's in the six-to-nine-month range that they start to feel better. With drops, we have people coming back two, three months, sometimes even six weeks, noticing a big difference.
"Medicines can work well but they don't do anything for the underlying allergies; they are just treating the symptoms. This actually effects the underlying allergies as well."
Allergy drops cost about $13 a week, but many allergists do not offer them yet. So far the drops have not received FDA approval, but Dr. Menachof says approval is on the way.
Posted by Scott on Friday, September 14, 2007
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 According to washingtonpost.com, one of out three college athletes has exercise-induced asthma.
The Ohio State University study found that exercise-induced asthma typically occurs between five minutes and 20 minutes after intense physical exertion. Symptoms may include wheezing, chest tightness, coughing, shortness of breath, and chest pain.
Seven percent of Americans are known to suffer from asthma, but many others - about one in 10 people - experience exercise-induced asthma, even if they have no history of asthma.
Posted by Scott on Tuesday, September 11, 2007
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Yahoo! News reports that 75 percent of homes have unwated "dust bunnies" that aggravate allergies.
In an air quality survey, more than half of residents said that someone in their home suffers from allergies, yet only 25% of households report using an air purifier or humidifier - and only 58 percent report that they changed their furnace filters in the past six months.
See When's the Last Time You Changed Your Furnace Filter? to learn more about the importance of this task.
Posted by Scott on Monday, September 10, 2007
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