One of the leading suppliers of of products for Emergency Chemical First Aid & Decontamination, Diphex Solutions, defines CHEMICAL INJURY as “the local result of the reaction that corrosive or irritant chemical products have with biological tissue, causing partial or total destruction. It can affect different parts of the body, such as the eyes, skin, respiratory tract, upper GI tract, and plants. Moreover, it “is a serious condition that requires immediate intervention and can lead to visual impairment, disfigurement, or .. death.”

The novel, CHOIR OF CLOISTERED CANARIES, is an effort to bring the topic of chemical injury, in part, to the fore. For example, on page 45 through 48, Axex (a fictitious name for Avon Products, Inc.) it records how many toxic chemicals have been found in Axex products. It is astounding!

By way of some historical context, in June 2016, Democratic President Obama signed a bill into law that placed stronger regulations on chemicals present in nearly every product Americans use, including detergents, clothing, paint thinners, cleansers, and automobiles (WP, June 22, 2016,”The president just signed a law that affects nearly every product you use,” by Darryl Fears}.

Fears reported that “[t[his law gave the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) more oversight and stronger tools to monitor chemicals that, in some cases could cause cancer and other health problems in adults and children.” However, when the Republican Trump Administration took over, the Administration with the help of Republican legislatures unraveled the protective oversight of the EPA

For every step forward there seems always to be two steps backwards when it comes to regulating toxic chemicals. If only we could make politics less toxic, too.

Our choir of cloistered canaries are forever vigilant of toxic chemicals. Their lives depend  upon it, being so biologically fragile. Well, the human species is equally fragile when it comes to toxicity.

In recent times, there have been some recent clarion callers briefly discussed below:

–The “Medical News Today,” on June 12, 2023, reported that the artificial sweetener, Splenda, may cause DNA damage and cancer. The culprit chemical is sucralose-acetate and is considered a genotoxic (i.e., it harms genetic information within cells). Remember that we are referring to the artificiality of synthetics, which is hard for human biology to negotiate without the fear of chronic inflammation of the cellular tissues.

–A new law in New York bans certain laundry detergents that contain high levels of 1,4-dioxane, which is known to cause cancer. It is a synthetic used to stabilize chlorinated solvents. On January 1, 2024, the new allowably 1,4 dioxane will be reduced to 1ppm (part per million) The current allowable dosage is 2ppm.

–“The Keck School of Medicine of the University of South Carolina discovered that being exposed to a mixture of synthetic chemicals commonly present in the environment affects multiple crucial biological processes in both children and young adults. These processes include the metabolism of fats and amino acids. The disruption of these biological processes increases the likelihood of various diseases, including developmental disorders, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, and several forms of cancer,” according to “SciTechDaily” on April 24, 2023. In addition, this article pointed out that “[f]orever chemicals, also known as PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances), are a group of synthetic chemicals that have been widely used in various industries due to their unique properties, such as resistance to heat, oil, and water. However, PFAS have been found to have a persistent and toxic effect on the environment and human health.”

Caveat emptor—let the buyer beware. Do the homework before buying. It will save you $$$$ and your health.

For additional information on chemical sensitivities (a form of chemical injury on a spectrum), query Google or visit MaskedCanaries. Check out the blog “An Unexplained Illness“.