1. Food is one way chemicals get into our bodies. Residues of pesticides remain on the vegetables, fruit and other things we eat. Of the tens of thousands of pesticides that are used worldwide, only a few hundred have been tested for their effect on human health. The prevailing notion in health circles is that the doses are usually too low to be harmful to people, but scientists have linked pesticides to cancer, brain damage, kidney ailments, skin problems, asthma, hair loss, weight loss, Attention-deficit disorder, dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, low sperm counts—the list goes on. But many dispute the connections After all, how exactly do you prove a causal link between a common product and a common ailment?
2. Air. Scientists believe that even in the most polluted cities, the air inside our homes, offices and schools is less healthy than the air outdoors. That was the conclusion of a report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. House dust contains a lot of harmful chemicals that apparently “leak” from computers, printers, furniture, curtains, carpeting and many other products. A recent study led by Carl-Gustaf Bornehag of Sweden’s University of Karlstad established a connection between the dust in our homes and allergies, asthma and eczema among children.
3. Water also transports a great many toxins: fluoride, alkylphenols and phthalates, for instance, can all be present in our drinking water.
