Toxic Substance Reduction
Toxic substances are bad news for people, animals, and the environment. Did you know that the Bald Eagle was almost extinct because of a pesticide being used on farms? Luckily, the source was identified and the pesticide was banned from farming. I have to wonder about a pesticide being used on our farms that almost wiped out a complete species. An entire section of Peaceful Planet is dedicated to Organic Food.
Where else are toxic substances in your home? During my research for this website I learned that pesticides are the #1 carcinogen used around the home. This would include the bug-guy spraying around your home and the application of Grub-X on your lawn. Click here for Natural Alternatives for Bugs and Gardens.
Did you know that there are pesticides in some household cleansers? If a product says "anti-bacterial" or "disinfectant", the active ingredient kills bacteria and is listed as a pesticide by the EPA (that includes your handsoap). Following is a link to a 15 minute broadcast by a Canadian news station about toxic chemicals in our cleaning products. You may need to downlaod a player to view it. I downloaded RealPlayer.
According to an Eco-options brochure distributed by Home Depot, the average home can accumulate up to 100 pounds of household hazardous waste, and, the EPA estimates that indoor air pollutant levels may be two to five times higher than the pollutant levels outside.
Go ahead, pull those bottles out from under the sink, read the labels, and then look up the ingredients on the Environment Defense Fund's website. When I performed this task I felt sick to my stomache. Why am I exposing my young family to toxic chemicals? I found non-toxic alternatives and cleared out the poisons.
Are you worried about toxic chemicals in your cosmetics and sunscreens? Environmental Working Group has an on-line cosmetic safety database. I looked up the skin-brightening lotion that I purchased at an expensive department store (my friend made me do it). I found out the active ingredient was on the database's top ten WORST ingredients - Yikes!
Other Toxins in the Home
A friend of ours has his PhD in Environmental Management and works for the EPA in North Carolina. He has the inside scoop on a few household items. Here is his list of things NOT to do...
- Don't eat microwave popcorn - the chemical inside the bag that prevents sticking is highly toxic.
- Don't cook with teflon pans - the non-stick surface is toxic when it is damaged and gets in your food.
- Don't microwave food in plastic (ex. tupperware) containers - use glass. Again, the plastic can leach toxins into your food when heated
