In cleaning agents, carpets, paints, plastics, foods and cooking utensils, the chemical cocktail adding to our body-burden is nowhere more apparent than in our own homes. The CDC's chart is grossly inadequate. For example, formaldehyde (listed above) is a known carcinogen, but cancer is not listed in the health effects.
Everyday Pollution Solutions
Your Guide to Going Green
1. Use cast iron pans instead of nonstick. Read about Teflon health concerns.
2. To avoid chemicals leaching into food, go easy on processed, canned or fast foods and never microwave plastic. Read about Bisphenol A, a toxic food-can lining ingredient associated with birth defects.
3. Buy organic, or eat vegetables and fruit from the “Cleanest 12″ list. Find out more about the “Dirty Dozen.”
4. Pregnant women should use iodized salt to combat chemical interference from the thyroid. Read about rocket fuel’s effect on the thyroid.
5. Seal outdoor wooden structures. Order a test kit to find out if your wooden deck, picnic table, or playset is leaching arsenic.
6. Leave your shoes at the door. This cuts down on dust-bound pollutants in the home [and germs].
7. Avoid perfume, cologne and products with added fragrance. Search for personal care products that are fragrance-free, or check the products you’re already using.
8. Buy products with natural fibers, like cotton and wool, that are naturally fire resistant. Use our list of products and manufacturers to avoid the chemical flame retardant PBDE.
9. Eat low-mercury fish like tilapia & pollock, rather than high-mercury choices like tuna & swordfish. Check our Safe Fish List to see which fish to avoid and what’s safe to eat.
10. Filter your water for drinking and cooking. How does your tap water stack up? Search our tap water database to see what you’re drinking. [see also, "Chemical Contaminants: Bottled Water vs. Tap Water"]
11. Learn your personal body burden. Take a step-by-step tour of your home to learn the toxic truth about how household products contribute to your body burden of industrial chemicals.
Filed under: Current Health News, Food, Health & Wellness , chemicals, family, green, health, indoor, life, living, pollution, toxins
