Even if you carefully monitor what you eat, and pay close attention to the household products and items you purchase, your chance of being exposed to hazardous toxins is still quite high. Lead, arsenic, mercury, PCBs, flame retardants, and an array of other chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects and neurological diseases are well represented in most people’s bloodstream.

These dangerous chemicals and toxins are in the air you breathe, the water you drink, the food you eat and the products you use. Over the last 50 years, from 70,000 to 100,000 different chemicals have been introduced into the world‘s markets with about 1,500 new ones added each year.

Only now are governments beginning to examine the dangers posed to human health and world ecosystems.

Many western governments are finally initiating new chemical controls as part of the 2006 Strategic Approach to International Chemical Management agreement. Leading the way is the European Union, with a new program called REACH (Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) that requires industry to prove the safety of their chemicals and consumer products before they reach the market.

But with the sheer number of toxic chemicals on the market already – all without any major oversight or testing for safety until after the fact – it’s no wonder you’re not as healthy as you could be.

More Toxic Sources You May Not Have Considered

Although cutting your exposure to toxic materials down to zero would be a near impossible task, I believe you can significantly lower, and maintain your toxic load as low as possible, by being an informed and vigilant consumer.  

Unfortunately, many of the toxins that you’re exposed to are from your general environment, which you may have little or no control over. However, you can still make a positive impact on your health by avoiding some of the products that are infamously high in various toxins, and replacing them with healthier alternatives, such as:

Farm-raised salmon – High in PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). This industrial chemical has been banned in the United States for decades, yet is a persistent organic pollutant that"s still present in your environment. Its risks include cancer and impaired fetal brain development. Unfortunately, most farm-raised salmon, which accounts for most of the supply in the United States, are fed meals of ground-up fish that have absorbed PCBs in the environment, and for this reason should be avoided, especially if you are pregnant or nursing.

Commercial animal fats – High in dioxins. Dioxins are chemical compounds formed as a result of combustion processes such as commercial or municipal waste incineration and from burning fuels (like wood, coal or oil). These highly toxic compounds pollute our environment where they enter the food chain. Over 95 percent of your exposure to dioxins comes from eating commercial animal fats. Health risks include: cancer, reproductive and developmental disorders, skin rashes, skin discoloration, excessive body hair, mild liver damage. Grass-fed, organic meats are your healthiest option all around.

Tap water – High in disinfection byproducts (DBPs), chloroform, and fluoride. Chloroform and other DBPs are formed when chlorine is added to water. This is the most common form of water disinfection in the U.S. Unfortunately, chloroform can cause cancer, potential reproductive damage, birth defects, dizziness, fatigue, headache, liver and kidney damage.

Another byproduct of water chlorination is trihalomethanes (THMs), which are Cancer Group B carcinogens, meaning they’ve been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals. They’ve also been linked to reproductive problems in both animals and humans.

Fluoride is another serious danger silently lurking in most people’s tap water. Fluoride alters your endocrine function, especially in your thyroid, increases your risk of bone fractures, and can lower IQ.

Filtering the water in your home (including the water in your shower) with a reverse osmosis filter is your best option here.

Mattresses – High in PBDEs, antimony, and formaldehyde.  PBDEs, which have been banned in Canada, Europe and several states, build up in your body over time, and what you absorb or inhale does not go away. This is of great concern, since you spend as much as a third of your life in bed, on a potentially toxic mattress!

The health problems associated with PBDE exposure include brain and reproductive damage, decreased sperm quality, thyroid problems and even cancer at high levels. Boric acid, another agent found in many mattresses, is a toxic respiratory irritant used to kill roaches. Antimony, a metal that may be more toxic than mercury, and formaldehyde, which causes cancer, are both used in mattresses for flame retardant purposes.

A person sleeping on a chemically treated mattress will absorb 0.8 mg of antimony every night; an amount that is 27 times more than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says is safe. Five-year-old children, meanwhile, will absorb 0.5 mg of antimony every night, according to CPSC, which is 63 times more than the EPA’s safety limit.

Shopping for a safe mattress is not an easy task. Mattress manufacturers are not required to label or disclose which chemicals their mattresses contain. However, there are now a few manufacturers that make 100% wool, toxin-free mattresses. Another option that seems reliable is finding a mattress that uses a Kevlar, bullet-proof type of material in lieu of chemicals for fire-proofing. These are available in most big stores, and will help you to avoid some of the toxicity.

I recently purchased a Stearns and Foster mattress that has Kevlar fibers woven into the mattress covering. I am very happy with this mattress; it’s FAR more comfortable than a number of the organic mattresses I had purchased in the past.

Clothing – May contain formaldehyde. Clothing made of rayon, blended cotton, corduroy, wrinkle-resistant 100% cotton, and any synthetic blended polymer are likely to have been treated with formaldehyde resins, which is a “probable carcinogen.” You can be exposed to the chemical both via off-gassing and direct contact with your skin. As illustrated by recent lawsuits against lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret, undergarments containing formaldehyde can create nagging health problems.

Formaldehyde has been shown to cause cancer in animals, and may cause cancer in humans.  Other common adverse health effects include fatigue, skin rashes, and allergic reactions.

Is There Hope?

I realize it can get quite overwhelming, but as I stated earlier, I believe you CAN limit your exposure, and hence your risk of suffering any debilitating effects.

So, instead of feeling overtaken by the enormity and the pervasiveness of the problem, please focus on the things that you can control right now. That would include switching to non-toxic and natural alternatives for things that you use on your body, in your home and around your yard, to start.