Photo credit: erix
Newsweek Magazine recently published an article on how to avoid household toxins. Nena Baker, author of The Body Toxic: How the Hazardous Chemistry of Everyday Things Threatens Our Health and Well-being
the EPA and the Environmental Working Group, has listed nine ways you can avoid household toxins:
1. Filter your water. In addition to what the article suggests, staying away from plastic bottled water is beneficial to the Earth and body.
2. Know whats in your grooming products. The Cosmetics Database website is highly recommended when researching common ingredients in personal care products.
3. Don’t Eat Microwave Popcorn. “The inside of a microwave popcorn bag is usually coated with a perfluorinated chemical (PFC) called a fluorotelomer that can break down to form perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Designed to prevent oil from seeping through the bag, PFOA can migrate into the food when heated. It has been linked to cancer and birth defects in animals and preliminary epidemiological studies suggest that a pregnant woman’s exposure to PFOA may reduce her baby’s birth weight….”
4. Don’t Get Stain-Protective Treatment. This recommendation is talking about the “extras” or add ons you can get when you buy furniture, clothes and shoes.
5. Limit Use of Canned Food and Plastic Containers. Speaks about the risk of Bisphenol-A (BPA) that is not only found in plastic containers, but also used to line the inside of canned foods as well (Previous post: Plastics and its health risks)
6. Use PBDE-Free Electronics. Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDE) is in the same family flame redardants. They are mostly found in TVs and computer monitores. “…is stirred into the equipment’s plastic and can heat up over time, causing the material to break away and settle into the dust. Many manufactures have stopped using PBDEs for electronics, but not all have….” The Environmental Working Group has a list of PBDE-free electronics.
7. Don ‘ t Use Paint Made With Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). Fortunately, VOC-free paints can be found at most paint and home improvement stores now. (See links below for resources)
8. Patronize a Perc-Free Dry Cleaner. “Perchloroethylene (perc) is also a VOC and is most commonly used in dry cleaning. The EPA identifies perc as a known human toxin and “a precursor to ground-level ozone (smog).” It usually enters the body through inhalation and remains stored in fat tissue….”
9. Dust and Vacuum Weekly. “Baker says that toxins like PBDE can settle into the dust in your house, so to be extra safe, it’s best to keep your house clean through regular dusting and vacuuming.”
Read the full article here: Newsweek – October 1, 2008
The Body Toxic: How the Hazardous Chemistry of Everyday Things Threatens Our Health and Well-being
I didn’t know that about microwave popcorn. I wonder if it’s true for the organic varieties.
I don’t know…. I always drink tap water. Is it really that bad?
It seems like everything will kill us now days. It is good to be health conscious, but if we become paranoid, the fear will rob us of our quality of life.
@Vered I dont know if organic popcorn uses the same materials or not, but I usually air pop my popcorn. It tastes better.
@Jeff I totally agree. I know I don’t follow everything to the letter. With the exception of chemicals I am allergic to, I am not perfect – It’s almost impossible to do everything all the time. If I forget my water bottle, I sometimes end up buying plastic. It’s better than dehydrating! My (and many other people out there) goal is to keep people informed.
@Beth – I still drink my tap water sometimes (especially in the bathroom), but try to limit it. It depends on the quality of the tap water where you life. I just found this from a search http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/home-garden/kitchen/water-filters/water-testing-kits-9-06/overview/0609_water-test-kits_ov.htm
I’m not sure how good it is, but ill try doing more research on it.
Great ideas. I guess there is always somethings we can do to improve.
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i love your posts, very handy
Interesting list. I’ll, uh, get on that dusting and vacuuming right now.
Microwave popcorn, who knew?
Excellent post. I really like some of your products. I think that working towards being safer is always a work in progress. We learn something new everyday. I realized recently how my great grandma used baking soda and vinegar and then my grandma used bleach and harsh chemicals. The jump in generations from natural to toxins. Hmm?
We recently got rid of our microwave and all I can say is good riddance!
Looking back on it, there’s really nothing it did for us that a small toaster oven can’t do better. Knowing now that all that microwave popcorn wasn’t the healthiest (duh?) of foods just reinforces our decision.
@Adam – We got rid of the microwave too (after it broke!) and never got another one. You’re right, a toaster oven is much better.
@Sommer – My grandmother (83) is the queen of using bleach, but my great grandmother used vinegar mostly. Interesting how that works!
@Lindsay – Vacuuming is a never ending job with us. It seems like dust and hair (ours)
accumulates faster than we can get rid of it.
@Fridge @Daniel @Johanna- Thanks!
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