How Are We Exposed to Dangerous Chemicals?

Many chemicals have been linked to serious health issues.

Human biomonitoring studies show that many environmental contaminants, including known and potential carcinogens, are finding their way into people’s bodies. The sources of these contaminants are wide-ranging:

• Pesticides: conventional pesticides used in agriculture, industry, home, and garden, as well as chlorine and other disinfectants, and wood preservatives.
• Industrial chemicals, wastes, and waste byproducts from mining facilities, smelting operations, chemical manufacturing and processing plants, petrochemical plants, and medical and municipal waste facilities. Such facilities release billions of pounds of chemicals into the environment every year.
• Chemicals in consumer products, including building materials, furniture, and food packaging materials, and cosmetics.
• Pollution from coal-fired power plants, automobile exhaust, and other sources.

Exposure is not hard to find, once you know where it comes from. Environmental air pollution and auto exhaust are challenging to avoid, but there are many other sources that we have complete control over.  Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR.org)