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Toxins In Your Home
Toxins In Your Home
Janice Hughes Source: Share Guide Holistic Magazine
The average American is exposed to hundreds of toxic chemicals every day. Many of us realize this
and take steps to protect ourselves: we eat organic food, drink filtered water, avoid prescription
drugs, and use air filters in our homes. But there are a lot of hidden contaminants that you may
have never heard of--so here's a list of some of the most insidious and/or less publicized toxic
chemicals. This list is not presented in any specific order, and is by no means comprehensive;
unfortunately that would take up an entire magazine or website of its own.
Perfluorinated Chemicals (PFOs)
PFOs are used to manufacture Teflon (the coating on your non-stick pans). They are also in
stain-resistant coatings for furniture, carpets, and clothing and are a breakdown product of
chemicals used to coat food packaging, including fast food like McDonald's. PFOs are broadly toxic.
They don't break down in the environment, and are considered to be persistent over geologic time
scales. They nearly universally pollute human blood and have a half-life in the body of more than
four years.
Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs)
BFRs (also known as PBDEs) are routinely added to consumer products to reduce fire-related
injury and property damage. These chemicals have been linked to thyroid hormone disruption,
permanent learning and memory impairment, behavioral changes, hearing deficits, delayed puberty
onset, fetal malformations, and possibly cancer. The San Francisco Bay Area is considered a
hotspot for exposure to bromine-based chemicals. These chemicals can be found in the bodies of
people and animals more than 20 years after exposure.
Dry Cleaning Chemicals
Over 95% of dry cleaners use the toxic chemical and probable carcinogen perchloroethylene (Perc)
as the primary cleaning solvent. Short-term exposure can cause dizziness, fatigue, headaches,
sweating, incoordination, and unconsciousness. Long-term exposure can cause liver and kidney
damage. Once you bring dry-cleaned clothes home, they continue to off-gas Perc into the air, so if
you must dry clean your clothes air them out before putting them away.
Plastic Softeners (Phthalates)
Polyvinyl-choloride plastic softeners (phthalates) are added to plastics to make them soft and
maleable. They are ubiquitous--in shower curtains, children's toys, shampoo bottles, raincoats, and
even perfumes (to help them adhere to the skin). These industrial chemicals are linked to birth
defects in the male reproductive system and can damage hormonal development in children. They
can also can damage the liver, kidneys, and lungs. The presence of phthalates is of primary
concern in toys, as children are much more vulnerable to toxic exposure. The European Union has
banned the use of phthalates in children's toys. Although not yet banned in the U.S., the good news
is that Toys "R" Us has banned them from all products sold in their stores.
Toxic Cosmetics & Personal Care Products
There are hundreds of cosmetics and bodycare products in your supermarket and even your
natural food store that contain known or possible carcinogens, mutagens, and reproductive toxins.
According to the Environmental Working Group, 60% of the products they tested contained
endocrine disruptors, and a third had ingredients suspected of being carcinogenic. The European
Union has much stronger requirements than the U.S. and you may be surprised to know that
cosmetics and bodycare are not subject to FDA authority. According to The Environmental Working
Group, cosmetics and personal care products may be the main routes of exposure for Americans to
many harmful chemicals.
Of major concern are sunscreen (contaminated with the toxic chemical oxybenzone); nailpolish
(contaminated with the chemical dibutyl phthalate or DBP, which has been linked to cancer); and
many soaps and shampoos (containing the carcinogenic petrochemical ethylene oxide, which
produces 1,4-Dioxane, a very toxic contaminant).
The chemical 1,4-Dioxane is especially disturbing because this toxin has been found in several
brands of supposedly "organic" bodycare--not USDA Certified Organic but products claiming to be
at least 70% organic and thus allowed to use the word "Organic" in their name. This includes
several products made by Nature's Gate, Jason, Kiss My Face, Giovanni and Desert Essence and
others. There is currently a lawsuit in process filed by Dr. Bronner's and the Organic Consumers
Association (OCA) in an attempt to get this chemical removed, or at the very least change the
labeling, so that consumers are not fooled into thinking a product is organic and safe when it's not.
Leaching Plastic Water Bottles
Water sold in plastic bottles may be contaminated with Bisphenol A (BPA), a xenoestrogen
chemical. This includes hard plastic lexan bottles made with polycarbonate plastics and identified by
the #7 recycling symbol and many plastic baby bottles and drinking cups. If you taste plastic, you
are drinking it, so get a different bottle. The type of plastic bottle in which water is sold is normally a
#1, and is only recommended for one time use--so do not refill it. (The #2 HDPE high density
polyethylene, #4 LDPE low density polyethylene, or #5 PP polypropylene water bottles are fine, so
read what it says on the bottom of the bottle.)
BPA can leach from the above mentioned plasic bottles and is a known endocrine disruptor,
disturbing the hormonal messaging in our bodies. Synthetic xenoestrogens are linked to breast
cancer and uterine cancer in women, decreased testosterone levels in men, and are particularly
devastating to babies and young children. BPA has even been linked to insulin resistance and type
2 diabetes.
Toxic Household Cleaners
There are many, many toxic chemicals in cleaners--in bathroom disinfectants, car waxes, window
cleaners, furniture polish, drain cleaners, oven cleaners, and dish detergent. Many of these
products contain chlorine in a dry form that is highly concentrated. It irritates the skin, the eyes, and
the respiratory system, and is the #1 cause of child poisonings, according to poison control centers.
Some cleaners contain hydrochloric acid, a highly corrosive irritant to both skin and eyes that can
damage your kidneys and liver.
Furniture polish and car waxes contain petroleum distillates, chemicals that can cause skin and lung
cancer; entry into the lungs may cause fatal pulmonary edema. Carpet cleaners may contain
perchlorethylene, a known carcinogen, and ammonium hydroxide, a corrosive that's damaging to
eyes, skin and respiratory passages.
Bathroom cleaners often contain sodium hypochlorite, a corrosive that irritates or burns skin and
eyes, and causes fluid in the lungs, which can lead to coma or death. They also contain
formaldehyde, a highly toxic known carcinogen. Drain cleaners can contain trichloroethane, an eye
and skin irritant and nervous system depressant; it can also damage your liver and kidneys.
Although some of the chemicals mentioned in this article are hard to avoid, it is not difficult to make
your own cleaners. If you are not keen to do this, you can purchase green and nontoxic cleaners at
many local stores. They may cost a little more money, but it's surely worth it!
References: Environmental Working Group (ewg.org); Exposed by Mark Schapiro ©2007, Chelsea
Green Publishing; Environmental Health Perspectives (ehponline.org); Grinning Planet
(grinningplanet.com) and Consumer Law Page (consumerlawpage.com).
Janice Hughes Source: Share Guide Holistic Magazine
The average American is exposed to hundreds of toxic chemicals every day. Many of us realize this
and take steps to protect ourselves: we eat organic food, drink filtered water, avoid prescription
drugs, and use air filters in our homes. But there are a lot of hidden contaminants that you may
have never heard of--so here's a list of some of the most insidious and/or less publicized toxic
chemicals. This list is not presented in any specific order, and is by no means comprehensive;
unfortunately that would take up an entire magazine or website of its own.
Perfluorinated Chemicals (PFOs)
PFOs are used to manufacture Teflon (the coating on your non-stick pans). They are also in
stain-resistant coatings for furniture, carpets, and clothing and are a breakdown product of
chemicals used to coat food packaging, including fast food like McDonald's. PFOs are broadly toxic.
They don't break down in the environment, and are considered to be persistent over geologic time
scales. They nearly universally pollute human blood and have a half-life in the body of more than
four years.
Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs)
BFRs (also known as PBDEs) are routinely added to consumer products to reduce fire-related
injury and property damage. These chemicals have been linked to thyroid hormone disruption,
permanent learning and memory impairment, behavioral changes, hearing deficits, delayed puberty
onset, fetal malformations, and possibly cancer. The San Francisco Bay Area is considered a
hotspot for exposure to bromine-based chemicals. These chemicals can be found in the bodies of
people and animals more than 20 years after exposure.
Dry Cleaning Chemicals
Over 95% of dry cleaners use the toxic chemical and probable carcinogen perchloroethylene (Perc)
as the primary cleaning solvent. Short-term exposure can cause dizziness, fatigue, headaches,
sweating, incoordination, and unconsciousness. Long-term exposure can cause liver and kidney
damage. Once you bring dry-cleaned clothes home, they continue to off-gas Perc into the air, so if
you must dry clean your clothes air them out before putting them away.
Plastic Softeners (Phthalates)
Polyvinyl-choloride plastic softeners (phthalates) are added to plastics to make them soft and
maleable. They are ubiquitous--in shower curtains, children's toys, shampoo bottles, raincoats, and
even perfumes (to help them adhere to the skin). These industrial chemicals are linked to birth
defects in the male reproductive system and can damage hormonal development in children. They
can also can damage the liver, kidneys, and lungs. The presence of phthalates is of primary
concern in toys, as children are much more vulnerable to toxic exposure. The European Union has
banned the use of phthalates in children's toys. Although not yet banned in the U.S., the good news
is that Toys "R" Us has banned them from all products sold in their stores.
Toxic Cosmetics & Personal Care Products
There are hundreds of cosmetics and bodycare products in your supermarket and even your
natural food store that contain known or possible carcinogens, mutagens, and reproductive toxins.
According to the Environmental Working Group, 60% of the products they tested contained
endocrine disruptors, and a third had ingredients suspected of being carcinogenic. The European
Union has much stronger requirements than the U.S. and you may be surprised to know that
cosmetics and bodycare are not subject to FDA authority. According to The Environmental Working
Group, cosmetics and personal care products may be the main routes of exposure for Americans to
many harmful chemicals.
Of major concern are sunscreen (contaminated with the toxic chemical oxybenzone); nailpolish
(contaminated with the chemical dibutyl phthalate or DBP, which has been linked to cancer); and
many soaps and shampoos (containing the carcinogenic petrochemical ethylene oxide, which
produces 1,4-Dioxane, a very toxic contaminant).
The chemical 1,4-Dioxane is especially disturbing because this toxin has been found in several
brands of supposedly "organic" bodycare--not USDA Certified Organic but products claiming to be
at least 70% organic and thus allowed to use the word "Organic" in their name. This includes
several products made by Nature's Gate, Jason, Kiss My Face, Giovanni and Desert Essence and
others. There is currently a lawsuit in process filed by Dr. Bronner's and the Organic Consumers
Association (OCA) in an attempt to get this chemical removed, or at the very least change the
labeling, so that consumers are not fooled into thinking a product is organic and safe when it's not.
Leaching Plastic Water Bottles
Water sold in plastic bottles may be contaminated with Bisphenol A (BPA), a xenoestrogen
chemical. This includes hard plastic lexan bottles made with polycarbonate plastics and identified by
the #7 recycling symbol and many plastic baby bottles and drinking cups. If you taste plastic, you
are drinking it, so get a different bottle. The type of plastic bottle in which water is sold is normally a
#1, and is only recommended for one time use--so do not refill it. (The #2 HDPE high density
polyethylene, #4 LDPE low density polyethylene, or #5 PP polypropylene water bottles are fine, so
read what it says on the bottom of the bottle.)
BPA can leach from the above mentioned plasic bottles and is a known endocrine disruptor,
disturbing the hormonal messaging in our bodies. Synthetic xenoestrogens are linked to breast
cancer and uterine cancer in women, decreased testosterone levels in men, and are particularly
devastating to babies and young children. BPA has even been linked to insulin resistance and type
2 diabetes.
Toxic Household Cleaners
There are many, many toxic chemicals in cleaners--in bathroom disinfectants, car waxes, window
cleaners, furniture polish, drain cleaners, oven cleaners, and dish detergent. Many of these
products contain chlorine in a dry form that is highly concentrated. It irritates the skin, the eyes, and
the respiratory system, and is the #1 cause of child poisonings, according to poison control centers.
Some cleaners contain hydrochloric acid, a highly corrosive irritant to both skin and eyes that can
damage your kidneys and liver.
Furniture polish and car waxes contain petroleum distillates, chemicals that can cause skin and lung
cancer; entry into the lungs may cause fatal pulmonary edema. Carpet cleaners may contain
perchlorethylene, a known carcinogen, and ammonium hydroxide, a corrosive that's damaging to
eyes, skin and respiratory passages.
Bathroom cleaners often contain sodium hypochlorite, a corrosive that irritates or burns skin and
eyes, and causes fluid in the lungs, which can lead to coma or death. They also contain
formaldehyde, a highly toxic known carcinogen. Drain cleaners can contain trichloroethane, an eye
and skin irritant and nervous system depressant; it can also damage your liver and kidneys.
Although some of the chemicals mentioned in this article are hard to avoid, it is not difficult to make
your own cleaners. If you are not keen to do this, you can purchase green and nontoxic cleaners at
many local stores. They may cost a little more money, but it's surely worth it!
References: Environmental Working Group (ewg.org); Exposed by Mark Schapiro ©2007, Chelsea
Green Publishing; Environmental Health Perspectives (ehponline.org); Grinning Planet
(grinningplanet.com) and Consumer Law Page (consumerlawpage.com).