In 2006, Environmental Defence released the results of a national scientific investigation that opened people’s eyes to the reality of toxic chemicals in our everyday lives. The first part of this article examined the findings of the Polluted Children, Toxic Nation report. In this installment, we will look at the average Canadian’s daily routine and locate some of the common sources of contamination.
Our Toxic Lives
There are many unregulated substances in wide use on the market that put the health of Canadians in jeopardy. Canadians come in contact, breathe and ingest many of these harmful toxins in our everyday lives. They enter our bodies through our food, air and water, as well as personal care products, cooking pots and pans, food wrap and containers, electronics, furniture, clothing and building materials.
As an example, let’s say you wake up in the morning, brush your teeth, take a shower and get dressed. You then head to the kitchen to make yourself some eggs for breakfast. As you are frying your eggs, you throw in some vegetables you have chopped up. After you eat your breakfast along with a glass of fruit juice, you head to your car and you drive off.
For the purposes of this article, I will assume this to be an average scenario for much of the Canadian population. Let us begin our analysis.
Your Bed
Your mattress may contain PBDEs, chemicals widely used as flame retardants which are known to cause cancer and suspected of disrupting hormones. Your mattress may also contain PFCs in order to make the mattress stain-resistant. PFCs are known carcinogens. If you use polycotton bed sheets or wrinkle-resistant sheets then you are exposing yourself to formaldehyde, a chemical known to cause cancer, respiratory problems, insomnia, asthma and several other illnesses. You sleep on your bed almost every night of your life. It is a large contributor of toxins into your body.
Your Hygiene
Time to brush your teeth. Brand-name toothpaste contains fluoride, which is supposed to be a good thing since manufacturers advertise the fact that their product contains it. But it is not a good thing. Recent studies have shown a connection to immune system disturbances, musculoskeletal harm, genetic damage, thyroid dysfunction and cancer. The water from your tap also contains fluoride. Tap water also has chlorine by-products as a result of the purification process. Chlorine by-products have many adverse health effects. One by-product, chloroform, is known to cause cancer.
Time to freshen up. The term “fragrance” found in the ingredient lists of many household items including perfumes, shampoos and deodorants, can indicate up to 4,000 different petroleum-based chemicals that can affect the central nervous system, trigger asthma and cause cancer. Phthalates, which are used to enhance fragrances, are suspected of disrupting hormones. The dusting or drying powder talc is known to cause cancer. Parabens, found in many products such as moisturizers, shaving gels and toothpaste are used as preservatives and are known to disrupt hormones and are suspected of causing cancer. Antiperspirants contain aluminium, a known neurotoxin. The list can go on.
The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported in the Third National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals (2005) that “by the time the average woman grabs her morning coffee, she has spritzed, sprayed and lathered with 126 different chemicals in nine different products.”
Your Clothes
After washing up, you get dressed. Depending on the material your clothes are made from, you may be exposing yourself to still more toxins. Synthetic clothing such as acrylic, nylon, polyester and vinyl, contain plastics and formaldehyde. Any label that reads permanent press, no iron, crease-resistant, wrinkle-resistant, shrink-proof or stretch-proof, is attached to fabric that also contains formaldehyde. Also, stain-repellent clothing can contain carcinogenic PFCs.
Your Cookware and Food
Your eggs are probably fried in a non-stick pan. Non-stick cookware and products such as Teflon are a major source of carcinogenic PFCs. The vegetables that you have handled and consumed contain a host of toxins. If fresh, the food items can have any combination of pesticides, heavy metals and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
Washing may reduce the amount of chemicals, but can never eliminate all of them. These substances cause every kind of health disturbance named in this article. If the food is from a can, food additives, preservatives and artificial sweeteners may be added that can cause many harmful health effects.
Your Plastic Containers
The plastic container, which holds your favourite fruit drink, may be leaching bisphenol A into your drink, a hormone disruptor and a carcinogen. Bisphenol A is found in many everyday products including polycarbonate plastic food and beverage containers, plastic food wrap and cans for food, such as cans of soup and baby bottles.
Your Car
Breakfast is done. You hop in your car and zoom off. The gasoline your car runs on contains the chemical additive MMT, a known neurotoxin. You breathe it in whenever you drive your car or are around other cars.
Additional products that contain PFCs: fast food wrapping, microwave popcorn bags, furniture, carpets, wind shield washer fluid and nail polish.
Additional products that contain PBDEs: furniture, carpets, curtains and electronics.
After a closer examination of our everyday habits and activities, we begin to see just how saturated we are with toxins. The above scenario does not reveal all of the sources of harmful chemicals in our lives, but it serves to relay a broader understanding of the issue.
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the less toxic, the better
This is the reality that we are living in today and we must face it without illusions. Feel free to read further into any detail discussed above and decide for yourself. I’m sure that most of you will come to the same conclusion that I have: something has to change.
Start working today to begin the process of removing some of the unnecessary toxins from your life. For more information on how to do this, see www.lesstoxicguide.ca. It will provide essential and extremely helpful information on how to reduce, and in some cases eliminate, your family’s exposure to poisonous chemicals. The next part of this series will discuss how to go about protecting yourself and your family.
For more information www.environmentaldefence.ca
