A brave new world known as “green chemistry” seeks to reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, use and disposal of products. Credit: Thinkstock

A brave new world known as “green chemistry” seeks to reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, use and disposal of products. Credit: Thinkstock

A brave new world known as “green chemistry” seeks to reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, use and disposal of products. Credit: Thinkstock
  • Thinkstock
  • A brave new world known as "green chemistry" seeks to reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, use and disposal of products.

Courtesy of: EarthTalk®
E — The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: So many chemicals in everyday products are harmful to our health and the environment. Why aren't we developing safer alternatives? — Donna Langston, Asheville, NC

Researchers today are beginning to question the safety of many chemicals used in consumer products. Studies have linked Bisphenol A (BPA), flame retardants, phthalates and many other chemicals found in everyday products to a wide range of health problems, including cancer, learning and behavioral problems and reproductive illnesses.

This article appears in Jun 30 – Jul 6, 2011.