(HealthyStuff.org: Ann Arbor, MI) -- A nonprofit environmental research organization recently released results on more than 900 common products tested for toxic chemicals including lead, cadmium, mercury, bromine, chlorine (PVC), and arsenic. Using an XRF analyzer, researchers at the Ecology Center analyzed the ingredients of pet products, cars, women’s handbags, children’s car seats and more, creating the largest database yet of independent tests of toxic chemicals in consumer goods.

The results can be found on the user-friendly web site www.HealthyStuff.org. Visitors can look up products by manufacturer, brand, or product type and easily generate lists of highly rated and poorly rated products.

HealthyStuff.org tested for chemicals based on their toxicity, persistence, and tendency to build up in people and the environment. Such chemicals have been linked to reproductive problems, developmental and learning disabilities, liver toxicity, and cancer.

“The more we test, the more we find that the presence of toxic chemicals is widespread in everyday consumer products,” says Jeff Gearhart, research director at the Ecology Center, who created the site. “It should not be the responsibility of public health advocates to test these products. Product manufacturers and legislators must take the lead and replace dangerous substances with safe alternatives.”

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