PPeople will go to great lengths to move towards a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. Change where and how they buy their clothes, reduce meat and dairy consumption, and replace car trips with walking trips. I’ve done all that, but I’ve taken it further.
Six months ago, I had my blood tested for 100 different persistent organic pollutants, or POPs, chemicals like pesticides and flame retardants that build up inside us and stick around for longer than we’d like. Scientists at a specialist laboratory in Norway found traces of chemicals that were withdrawn from the market decades ago, including low levels of a metabolite of the infamous pesticide DDT, along with worrying levels of some of the lesser-known “forever chemicals” known as PFAS. (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a class of chemicals that includes products such as Teflon). The most surprising thing is that my blood contained relatively high levels of a chemical called oxychlordane which comes from a pesticide known as chlordane that was banned by the EU in 1981, just a year after I was born, so the exposure probably went to through the uterus. What struck me the most is that some of these highly dangerous chemicals last for more than a lifetime.
And so began my mission to find out how we can best protect ourselves, and the next generation, from these legacy pollutants.
Perhaps because toxic chemical contamination is not so obvious, it is often overlooked. So while public awareness of single-use plastic waste has skyrocketed in recent years (all those plastic bottles, straws, and bags are tangible symptoms of our throwaway mindset and overconsumption), there’s much more to the story. .
So, in an attempt to reduce my chemical footprint and that of my family, I refreshed the science and distilled the latest research into simple, practical advice. Ultimately, it’s time to connect the dots and make this invisible world that much more visible.
Avoid green washing
Don’t be fooled by clever marketing campaigns that pretend to convince us that we need the latest in eco. No product can be better than one that is less toxic. If a label makes sustainability claims, look for evidence: Download a shopping app like Giki, which lets you scan supermarket products to see how sustainable they are.
Beware of unregulated language like “natural,” “green,” “nature-inspired,” and be wary of products that claim to be “chemical-free” (there’s no such thing: everything is a chemical and not every chemicals are bad) or “free of”. Look for brands that are completely transparent about their supply chains and the ingredients they use instead of being distracted by mentions of things they don’t include.
Get rid of the disinfectant
Think before you flush anything down the toilet or down the drain: Most cleaning product bottles that contain bleach have a picture of a dead fish on the back, and for good reason. They poison aquatic wildlife, but they also act as irritants to us. Excessive use of bleach leads to antimicrobial resistance, and in most cases, mild cleaners like baking soda or vinegar mixed with lemon juice, plus a little effort, will do the job good. Our homes are not sterile places – save the disinfectants for medical settings and be on the lookout for an emerging trend of probiotic cleaning products that fight germs by encouraging healthy bacteria.
bust the dust
Tips to clean more dust may not be a tip you want to follow, but it’s really about dusting more specifically. Adults inadvertently ingest about 20 mg of powder per day. Children and pets even more so. But many toxic chemicals released from products in our home accumulate in dust, from fragrances to PFAS, so it’s important to clean regularly with a damp cloth—no polish required.
Instead of focusing your efforts on window sills and shelves, be sure to clean electronic devices like your Wi-Fi router, DVD player, and game consoles, as flame retardants can turn into dust that settles. deposit on these items.
Forget the fragrance
Our homes should not smell of overwhelming scents like pineapples or sea spray. Air fresheners are a concentrated source of indoor air pollutants that can exacerbate conditions like asthma. Scented detergent residues also remain on clothing and bedding. While not all synthetic fragrances are harmful, their many ingredients are often not fully listed and we may not be sufficiently informed about what they contain.
P is for persistent
From lined school pants with Teflon gussets at the knees to nonstick cookware, food packaging, and smudge-proof mascara, PFAS chemicals are added to so many everyday products. These super stable chemicals last forever, in our bodies and in the environment. Many of them are endocrine disruptors, meaning they disrupt our hormonal system, and some may be carcinogenic.
Things that claim to be waterproof, stain-resistant, wrinkle-resistant, or grease-repellent probably contain PFAS. If you’re not sure, there’s a smart test you can take called an accounts test. To do this, a small amount of olive oil is dropped on a surface. If the oil repels in a bead shape, it most likely contains PFAS chemicals.
You can then decide: do the purported benefits of the product outweigh the potentially toxic cost? If you’re not satisfied, make a conscious effort to look for PFAS-free alternatives.
toxic by design
Pesticide residues remain on our fruits and vegetables, inside loaves of bread, non-organic cotton bedding, and even non-organic tampons. These agricultural chemicals, which are sprayed on crops to kill insects, weeds, and fungi, are found in every room of the house. Try to simplify your exposure by switching to organic foods for the foods you eat mostly. There’s a really helpful guide to how UK supermarkets are doing this by the Pesticide Action Network (PAN). It ranks British supermarkets according to their use of pesticides. Perhaps underscoring the adage that you get what you pay for, M&S and Waitrose come out on top, but even these two have a ways to go.
breathe easy
The buildup of indoor air pollutants and volatile organic compounds or VOCs (things like formaldehyde and benzene) can be avoided simply by opening a window. Ventilate well if you’re building an open fire (renewable electric heating is cleaner) and use an extractor fan while cooking if you have one. Back hoops are preferable if you have a range hood to capture more contaminants. At night, body heat increases the temperature of our beds, so they can “off-gas” or release more VOCs from conventional polyurethane mattresses, so ventilate your bedroom, or better yet, invest in a mattress topper made of natural materials.
buy second hand
That VOC emission occurs in a lot of furniture and medium-density fiberboard (MDF), even more so when they’re new, so look for vintage bargains, especially if you’re decorating a kid’s room. If you buy a new one, unwrap it and let it air out for a few days before you install it. If you are installing shelves or other accessories, use screws instead of glue and adhesive. And if you’re recycling, use low-VOC paints and varnishes. Buy second-hand clothing and textiles – they will contain drastically reduced pesticide residues, if any, and you will save yourself the need to make more new items.
detox your diet
A high toxic load puts more pressure on our body’s natural detoxification mechanisms, mainly the liver and kidneys, just like smoking or drinking. So eat plenty of antioxidants, which help neutralize free radicals that are produced after exposure to toxins and can damage DNA and lead to degenerative diseases. So lots of green leafy vegetables, nuts and berries – organic if possible!
Anne turns is the author of Go Toxic Free: Easy and Sustainable Ways to Reduce Chemical Pollution (published by Michael O’Mara about January 20)