Making a Healthier Home
Cast Toxins From Your Living Space
by: CAROL DUNES
Take a look around your home. Do you know what’s in
your household goods and products? Some chemicals
can harm your health if too much gets into your body.
Becoming aware of potentially harmful substances and
clearing them out can help keep you and your family
healthy.
Andrew Rooney, a toxicology and risk expert at NIH.
Possible toxic substances can be found in building
materials, cookware, cleaning products, shower
curtains, furniture, carpet, and other common items.
Sometimes it’s obvious when a chemical is hazardous.
You may get a rash from spilling a household cleaner on
your skin. Or you may start coughing when you breathe
in irritating fumes. To avoid known health risks, be sure
to read the instructions carefully on your household
products, and follow any safety precautions.
Some toxic chemicals cause no immediate or clear
your body, the more likely you’ll have health problems.
Lead can cause high blood pressure, fertility problems,
muscle and joint pain, and memory and concentration
problems. As a result, lead is no longer allowed in
paints, gasoline, and cans used for food. But lead can
still be found in lead-based paint used in older homes,
household dust, and drinking water pumped through
leaded pipes.
in the air and dust in the home, where they can enter
public health expert at George Washington University.
that are commonly found in indoor dust. Many of the
When endocrine disruptors get into your body, they can
mimic or block the natural hormones your body makes.
Evidence suggests that endocrine disrupters might
reduce fertility, raise the risk for some cancers, or cause
other harms. These chemicals may pose their greatest
health risks when people are exposed in the womb or
guiding development of the body’s organs and brain.
2018. February - 27 - vervemagazines.com
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