Hi-

I am ready to pluck that juice box out of my kid’s sticky little hands, no matter how big the juice-splosion.

It’s not about the sugar this time – oh, no – it's because of the arsenic! A Consumer Reports study just informed me that apple and grape juice constitute a significant source of dietary exposure to arsenic. [1]

What!? Arsenic in juice?! How could this be? You see, arsenic and mercury residues from power plant air pollution end up on our fruits (and in our juice), in our water ways, and in our fish. [2], [3]. Chemical plants produce toxic air pollution which infiltrates our air, our soil, our fruits and other foods, and our lungs. These toxins, in turn, end up in consumer products like the apple juice boxes that we give our kids.

Tell President Obama and the EPA to move forward with the Mercury and Air Toxics rule, to defend public health and protect children from toxic arsenic and mercury ASAP:

http://action.momsrising.org/sign/Arsenic_Juice_2011/?source=taf

Let's face it -- it would be pretty hard to get all the apple juice out of childhood, so it's important to get the arsenic out of our fruits (and juice!). It’s up to our leaders to do their duty to keep kids--and us all--safe.

Why should President Obama and the EPA move forward with the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) for power plants?

Mercury can harm children's developing brains, affecting memory, attention and skills. Other toxic metals such as arsenic, chromium and nickel can cause cancer.[3],[4]

If the EPA and the Administration move forward with this important rule it, it would reduce the amount of arsenic and mercury in our air and water. [5]

The new rule would prevent thousands of premature deaths and tens of thousands of heart attacks, bronchitis cases and asthma attacks. THE EPA estimates that "the value of the improvements to health alone total $59 billion to $140 billion in 2016. This means that for every dollar spent to reduce pollution from power plants, we get $5 to $13 in health benefits." [6]

*Don't forget to send your message in support of getting arsenic and mercury out of our air (and our juice)! Contact President Obama and the EPA today:

http://action.momsrising.org/sign/Arsenic_Juice_2011/?source=taf

And please pass this link along to your friends and family by forwarding this email or sharing this link on Facebook.

Together we are a powerful voice for children and families,

--Sarah, Gloria, Claire, Kristin, and the whole MomsRising.org team

P.S. Huge thanks to the Clean Air Defense Campaign for all the work they do on this issue!


[1] "Arsenic in your juice", Consumer Reports, January 2012 http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/01/arsenic-in-your-juice/index.htm

[2] Ibid

[3] "Know Where It Comes From," NRDC http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/sources.asp

[4] "Arsenic is a well-known environmental toxin and carcinogen."
"Arsenic Exposure Activates an Oncogenic Signaling Pathway; Leads to Increased Cancer Risk", Science Daily 2/2/10
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100223132010.htm

[5] "results confirm that children appear most at risk in the womb, where mercury seems to deform the brain’s fragile architecture and upset the maturation and migration of brain cells. But Grandjean also found that mercury could threaten children’s nervous systems well into adolescence." "Mercury on the Brain", Harvard Magazine 6/04
http://harvardmagazine.com/2004/05/mercury-on-the-brain.html

[6] EPA, Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) http://www.epa.gov/airquality/powerplanttoxics/