| Do
you realise that by simply sitting on your sofa, watching
TV and eating an apple you are exposing yourself to a dose
of toxic chemicals? That carefully wrapping food in cling
film or brushing your teeth can be hazardous?
Recent research by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) into
chemicals in the home has turned up disturbing results as
to the levels of contamination in the blood found in everyone
from grandparents to unborn babies.
The cause is the ubiquitous use of man-made chemicals in everyday
items. Of most concern are those chemicals which persist in
the environment for many years, such as DDT, or are hormone
disrupting and may cause defects, or those which build up
in our bodies and can be passed on to future generations.
The umbilical cords of new born babies have been found to
contain as many as 14 chemicals.
In the home, carpets, furniture, electrical goods, cosmetics,
cleaning agents and food all contain chemicals hazardous to
us.
WWF suggests that we can at least reduce this level of exposure
by taking some simple steps, A, B and C, Avoid, Buy and Change.
| any
plastics
marked with a triangle containing the numbers 3 or
7, as both these types contain chemicals which can
leach into the food inside. Of particular concern
are canned foods lined with those plastics and babies’
bottles.
triclosan
is commonly used in cleaning and anti-bacterial products
such as soaps, sponges, washing-up cloths and disinfectants
as well as toothpaste.
pthalates
are found in many cosmetics and toiletries, disguised
by the use of the word parfum.
dioxins
are used in the bleaching of paper products such as
toilet tissue, sanitary products and paper towels.
volatile
organic chemicals
(VOCs) can be carcinogenic or cause asthma and are used
in synthetic carpets and upholstery. Stain repellents,
flame retardants and dry cleaning solvents all emit
chemicals into the home. |
The WWF suggests various tactics to reduce these levels:
-
buying organic, fresh, frozen or dried food rather than
tinned
-
using natural fibres such as wool, cotton, jute, cork or
wood when replacing carpets and furnishings
-
opening windows instead of using air fresheners
-
using unbleached toilet paper and fragrance-free toiletries
or those made from natural ingredients
-
using water based paints or those with a label stating a
low VOC content
-
avoiding anti-bacterial cleaners containing triclosan
-
gardening organically
- changing
cars as infrequently as possible (that ‘new car smell’
is given off by the chemicals used in its manufacture.)
The European Union has proposed new legislation to
limit the use of certain chemicals in manufacturing and has
introduced the EU Ecolabel. This is an award given to those
products which have met high environmental standards and can
be found on a range of household items.
The WWF website (www.wwf.org.uk) has a section on
safer shopping and suggests alternatives to buy to reduce
the chemical mix which we daily ingest.
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