Politics on the Hudson

First it was lead in toys poisoning children across the country. Then it was play-jewelry. Now the list of common items with toxic properties is ever expanding – even to shower curtains.

A new report from the Center for Health, Environment and Justice found “startling results” that vinyl showers shed 108 poisonous chemicals into the air after being removed from the package, said Anne Rabe, a center member.

The “new smell” of a fresh vinyl curtain is so toxic that contaminants can continually be released into the air for 20 days, she said. The released chemicals can cause headaches, nausea, liver, kidney and nervous system damage and have even been linked to cancer in animals, Rabe said.

Retailers must stop carrying these toxic curtains and the legislature should introduce legislation to ban their sale, she said. The state should also cease using these curtains in all state facilities, she said.

Families should shy away from chlorinated vinyl curtains, instead opting for curtains marked as “chlorine-free” or fabric curtains, said the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition Executive Director Barbara Warren.

Most vinyl curtains can cost anything from $1 upwards, and non-chlorinated plastic curtains are similarly priced, she said. Cloth curtains cost about $9.99 and up, she said.

-Dan Osburn