Indoctrinal disruptors: advice from the City of Nice to limit risks in daily life
2023-11-12 11:46:00
The City of Nice is launching a prevention campaign aimed at families in order to inform them about the risks linked to phthalates. These chemicals are present in plastics and constitute endocrine disruptors (1). However, they are particularly harmful to babies and children. Leaflets will therefore be distributed in municipal nurseries, maternity wards, annexed town halls and even in medical practices. This municipal policy will be presented to the Senate on November 17 and the action plan could subsequently be deployed at the national level.
The Dr Richard Chemla, deputy mayor responsible for Health, is very involved in this issue which he knows well. He is in fact the founder, in 1990, of the Sea and Mountain Discovery Center, which he left when he joined the town hall but with whom he had organized a number of workshops (2).
He returns to the challenge of fighting phthalates: “These chemicals are the only endocrine disruptors that the body eliminates through urine. Which means that if you are no longer exposed to them, after 7 to 10 days, they have disappeared from the body. It is therefore important to know their mechanisms because it is possible to get rid of them. The fight is worth it.”
Read labels carefully
To do this, you have to change your habits. “Let’s take the reflex to read the labels. There are applications which, by scanning the barcode, give indications on the potential danger. This is particularly useful for cosmetics for which nanoparticles are not necessarily well marked”remarks the chosen one.
Plastic in the microwave is not recommended: to reheat food, use glass, ceramic or porcelain containers.Photo Dylan Meiffret.
“Plastic containers should be banned”
In the kitchen, it’s time to embark on a big clean-up. “Plastic containers should be banned. Because when heated, this material releases endocrine disruptors. The worst thing is the bell for the microwave: under the effect of heat and condensation, these substances fall onto the food you then ingest. It is imperative to get rid of it and use glass, porcelain or ceramic containers”advises the Dr Chemla.
Avoid new furniture for the baby
Another broader field of action: the home. “New furniture, when you unpack it, will release harmful particles. So, when the family grows and you want to prepare the baby’s room, it is better to anticipate as much as possible. Especially not to install the newborn In a bed that you have just bought, there will be volatile materials. Either you plan several months in advance, or you opt for second-hand furniture. And if you re-paint , ditto, do it upstream and with non-harmful paints. Today there are suitable formulas.”
Finally, a small, easy gesture: ventilate your home thoroughly every day to renew the air and evacuate particles. At least 10 minutes.
1. Endocrine disruptors are chemical substances that disrupt the action of hormones present in the body. By disrupting them, they can influence health. This is particularly problematic in pregnant women whose fetuses are exposed as well as in babies and children. Endocrine disruptors constitute a major public health issue and are the subject of numerous international studies dedicated to better understanding their mechanisms and how to circumvent them.
2. The CDMM is offering workshops on the subject tomorrow, 9:30 a.m. at LAEP Petits loups (3, rue Joséphine-Baker). Rens. 04.93.55.33.33.