Common Chemicals in Homes Prove Hazardous to Health
These things are everywhere, and science is beginning to reveal how bad they are for us
Despite your healthy eating, exercising, and getting good sleep, you may unknowingly coexist with harmful chemicals that undo all that careful living.
Phthalates are a family of chemicals known as plasticizers, used to make plastics last longer. They are found in hundreds of everyday household products like soaps, shampoos, nail polish, perfume, shower curtains, hairsprays, and even the capsule surrounding ingestible medicine. Phthalates are not only in the containers that can leach into what’s inside, but are often used as fragrances or thickeners, added directly into the product.
But phthalates are no run-of-the-mill contaminant. These ubiquitous chemicals have been linked to all kinds of health problems, and 99% of adults and children have been exposed, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Phthalates are particularly troublesome because they are not chemically bound to the plastics they reside in. They move around over time and contaminate indoor dust and air, which settles on and inserts itself into nearly everything, including your food.
