Even with the increase in public awareness campaigns and commercial advertising by product manufacturers over the past few years, millions of home owners are still not aware of how many toxic chemicals may be in their home right now.
“Since 1950 at least 70,000 new chemical compounds have been invented and dispersed into our environment. Only a fraction of these have been tested for human toxicity. We are, by default, conducting a massive clinical toxicology trial, and our children and their children are the experimental animals,” say Herbert L. Needleman, M.D. and Philip J. Landrigan, M.D., authors of Raising Children Toxic Free.
“Of these 70,000 chemical compounds, only 25% have been tested – and they were tested individually. Chemicals do not occur individually in our body, they occur in combinations. Tiny amounts of only 2 toxic chemicals at the same time are 1,000 times more dangerous than 1 of them alone,” according to The Center of Bio Environmental Research.
The surprising fact is how at risk we truly are inside our own homes. “The nation’s worst pollution is found inside our homes. A 15-year study has shown American homes can have chemical levels as much as 70 times higher than outside the home. According to the The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the number of chemicals used inside the home has more than doubled since 1950.”
It is important to note that the following is only a small glimpse of the products containing these chemicals. These include dishwashing detergents, household cleaners, disinfectants, furniture polish, air fresheners, fabric softeners, bleach products, mold/mildew cleaners and shampoos, just to name several of the more common ones in use today.
We become poisoned by ingestion, inhalation and absorption through the skin. “Some products release contaminants into the air right away; others do so gradually over a long period of time. Some stay in the air up to a year,” according to the American Lung Association.
All of this results in poor health and less vitality than we would normally have in a fresh, healthy environment. According to a State of Massachusetts Study (1989), “As much as 50% of all illness is due to poor indoor air quality.”
The red flags of this toxic crisis are staggering.
- 1 person in 3 has allergies severe enough to be treated by a doctor
- 1 in ten suffers from migraine headaches or high blood pressure
- 1 in five families have a member suffering from mental health concerns
- “As much as 70% of cancers are triggered by exposure to hazardous substances in our environment,” according to the Toxic Substances Strategy Committee.
- One in every 3 now get cancer. “Women who work in the home have a 55% higher death rate from cancer than women who work outside the home,” according to a 17-year EPA Study. Further results show that “Asthma rate has tripled in the last 20 years.”
- “Incidence of lung cancer has increased 364% despite the fact that smoking has declined in the general population,” according to The National Cancer Institute.
WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
“Damage to organs caused by environmental chemicals frequently cannot be repaired or corrected once the injury has occurred. PREVENTION, is therefore essential,” say Herbert L. Needleman, M.D. and Philip J. Landrigan, M.D., in their book Raising Children Toxic Free.
“Just by reducing (not eliminating) environmental carcinogens alone, we would save at least 50,000 lives taken annually by cancer,” said Dr. Lee Davis, former advisor to the Secretary of Health.
This data and more is what has consumers finally switching to healthier, safer cleaning and personal care products. “Green cleaning” is not a new concept. People have been making their own cleaners for years. Typically they have used ingredients such as vinegar or baking soda. This data and more is what has consumers finally switching to healthier, safer cleaning and personal care products. “Green cleaning” is not a new concept. People have been making their own cleaners for years. Typically they have used ingredients such as vinegar or baking soda. But in the last several years, everything from green streak free glass cleaner to green toilet bowl cleaner can be found on grocery and health food store shelves, on websites, and in mail order catalogs. Some well-known brands include ecover, Earth Friendly Products and Seventh Generation. All of these tend to be better than the home “recipes” as they typically clean much better and can sanitize. These cleaners are formulated with surfactants which can remove grease and oil, mildew and mold. If you are not having your products delivered to your door, you sometimes need to search for them or get them at a few different stores, but they are available. You may need to go to your local health food store.
It’s all about reducing as many toxins as you can. Prevention is the key.