Protecting yourself against Environmental Pollutants

There are number of things we can do to protect ourselves against the worst effects of environmental chemicals. The day-to-day choices we make can determine how much chemicals we accumulate in our bodies and the impact this has on our children and hence future generations. The water we drink, the food we eat and our everyday actions and routines can determine how aspects of our chemically contaminated environment impact on us.

 

 

Steps towards limiting chemical exposure

• Choose your foods wisely. Learn about how your foods are grown, bred and manufactured.

• Be careful of fish. Though a brilliant source of protein, fish is too susceptible to chemical contamination. Certain bodies of water are so polluted that it is essential to know where your fish is caught. Fish contaminated with hormone-disrupting chemicals like dioxin, PCB’s and DDT should be avoided at all costs. This advice is especially relevant to pregnant women, who are carrying developing fetuses that are extremely sensitive to the effects of these chemicals.
• Avoid animal fat as much as possible. Fat-soluble chemicals accumulate as they move up the food chain in the fat deposits of animals. A 1994, U.S Environmental Protection Agency report found that meats and cheeses are a major source of dioxin exposure.
• Try and eat a diet in rich in vegetables, grains and fruits. It helps you in short term reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease, but will also help your children and grandchildren by also reducing the risk of prenatal hormone disruption.
• Buy organically grown fruit and vegetables if available. Avoid buying pesticide treated food whenever possible.
• Avoid contact between plastic and the foods you are going to eat. Don’t microwave your food in plastic containers. Some plastics leach out some hormone-disrupting chemicals and it is difficult to know which ones do this, so be wary of how your food interacts with plastic.

 

Actions you can take to prevent environmental chemical exposure

• Wash your hands as often as possible. If you have small children wash their hands frequently.

Many synthetic chemicals are volatile and when vaporized they float around and often settle on indoor surfaces such as furniture, tables, doors, clothes etc… basically they settle on indoor surfaces where they can be easily picked up by people passing through.

• Always be vigilant of pesticides. Don’t assume that if it is safe and can therefore be used indiscriminately. If it is designed to damage any living organism, be it animal or plant, it could potentially still be harmful to humans. Don’t use pesticides in the house or garden unless you absolutely need to. Recent research in the United States has discovered that greater quantities of pesticides are used per acre in the suburbs than on agricultural land.

Studies have shown that household that use pesticides have higher rates of cancer in children and dogs.