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For decades now scientists and environmental experts have been studying pollution in land, air and water. Now we're documenting the industrial chemicals that are building up in our bodies. We inhale them, swallow them in contaminated food or water, or in some cases, absorb them through skin from our personal care products and cosmetics. The term " body burden " refers to the total amount of these chemicals that are present in the human body at a given point in time.
The bodies of nearly all Americans are contaminated with a sunscreen chemical that has been linked to allergies, hormone disruption and cell damage, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). A companion study from the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine found the same chemical was linked to low birth weight in baby girls whose mothers are exposed during pregnancy. The chemical, oxybenzone, is widely used in sunscreens, however, Environmental Working Group's (EWG) analysis of ingredient labels found companies also using the toxic chemical in at least 567 other personal care products, including lip balm, lipstick, moisturizers and fragrance for women.
Your personal practices can make a difference in your LEVEL of exposure, not just to endocrine disruptors but to other toxins that humans are spewing out into the environment. These steps, in particular can help:
- Buy organic food as much as possible. If cost is an issue, focus on the produce that will make the most difference, along with milk if you have young children
- Eat less meat products if you can, especially fatty meats and butter, as many toxic chemicals are picked up by animals and stored in their fat (and ours)
- Restrict or eliminate certain fish from your diet, including ahi or bigeye tuna, tilefish, swordfish, shark, king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy and fish caught in any waters that are subject to a mercury advisory. See http://www.nrdc.org
- Reduce your use of cosmetics and fragrances and buy less toxic brands
- Use natural cleaners within your home http://www.seventhgeneration.com/
- Do not use chemical pesticides around your house, on your pets or on your lawn http://www.planetnatural.com/site/index.html
At the same time as you take these steps in your own life, keep in mind that the real solutions to body burden, like other forms of pollution, are societal not individual. Without government regulation, safety from chemicals is a losing battle. We won’t get into the problems that our chemical mess is causing the other living creatures that share this planet with us - needless to say the news is downright scary, especially with respect to fish.
Useful links for personal care
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