Gianna Caserta
Click2Houston
Original story here
HOUSTON – Concerned consumers held signs and chanted outside a Family Dollar on Lawndale Street Wednesday urging the store and others like it to stop selling products, they say are riddled with toxic chemicals.
“This is one of them. This is a plastic mat that you place inside of your tub so that you don’t slip, and these contain phthalates above the level of concern that people should be aware of, phthalates that are known to be hormone disrupters,” said Deyadira Trevino of Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services.
A study released in February indicated chain dollar stores like Family Dollar, Dollar General, Dollar Tree and 99-Cents Only are selling products made of chemicals known to cause cancer, diabetes and other serious illnesses.
Protesters are upset the stores haven’t taken the products off the shelves, and customers agree.
“Find what is best for the community,” said Shaka.
The report said 81 percent of the products tested contain at least one chemical above levels of concern. It also says retailers like Walmart and Target have set standards that limit these chemicals in their products but dollar stores do not.
“We know Target and Walmart have already pulled out products that are unsafe for us, so we know that if they have done it, then 99-Cents Only and Family Dollar can do the same thing,” said Trevino.
Tags: safer chemicals
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