Living in a Toxic World
In our quest for something that's always bigger, better, faster, and more convenient, we've created ourselves a monster. That monster is planet earth, our toxic home. The cars we drive, the appliances we use, and even the toys our children play on are polluting the environment.
And don't forget about the toxins that are in the air you breathe, the chemicals found in the water you drink and bathe in or the pesticides and herbicides found in many of the fruits and vegetables you feed to your family every single day.
You're subjected to toxins nearly everywhere you turn and it starts even before you're born.
In a recent study commissioned by the Environmental Working Group on the umbilical cord blood of newborns, an average of 200 different industrial chemicals, pollutants and pesticides was found. This included mercury, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins, furans, pesticides, and chemicals from flame retardants, PCBs, industrial lubricants, plastics, Teflon, Scotchgard, industrial bleaches, electrical insulators, coal-fired power plants, vehicle emissions, and wood preservatives.
In fact, of the 287 chemicals detected, 180 are known to cause health complications in humans or animals, 217 are known to be toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 are known to cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests. WOW!
Now that you've entered this toxic world and taken your first breath (the first of 5,000 gallons of air you'll breathe in each day), you can be absolutely sure it will include some more toxins. According to the Environmental Protection Agency , U.S. facilities released 4.7 billion pounds of toxins into the atmosphere in 2002, and it estimates fine-particle pollution causes an estimated 20,000 premature deaths in the U.S. each year.
Check out these air pollution facts:
- Women who live in areas with greater air pollution have a higher susceptibility of developing and dying from coronary heart disease (CHD)
- Coal-fired plants emissions are the single largest source of mercury air pollution, accounting for roughly 40 percent of all mercury emissions nationwide and are believed responsible for 20,000 premature deaths a year.
- In 2003, the Centers for Disease Control found that roughly 10 percent of American women carry mercury concentrations at levels considered to put a fetus at risk for neurological damage.
- Approximately 160 million Americans are breathing unhealthy air.
The water you drink, bathe in and wash with isn't much better.
According to one study conducted by the University of Michigan, one ton of oil is spilled for every million tons transported. This same water is pumped back into our water supply, which experts like the Environmental Working Group believe have contaminated the tap water in 42 states with more than 140 unregulated chemicals.
Contaminated water isn't the only problem. Outbreaks of waterborne disease are on the increase. In fact, an estimated 7 million people become sick and more than 1,000 die in the U.S. each year from waterborne microbes.
Check out these water pollution facts:
- Fifty million gallons of water, fine particles of dust, soot, arsenic, mercury, lead and other pollutants from an ash settling basin was dumped into the Delaware River last August.
- Chlorinated chemicals in drinking water are linked to increased risk of breast cancer.
- Sewage treatment plant workers are at much higher risk of respiratory illness, skin rashes, headaches & body aches.
And, as if concerns regarding drinking and breathing weren't enough, you also have to be careful with the produce, meats and fish you eat.
Herbicides and pesticides-used to keep bugs off crops, inhibit weed growth, and protect your lawn are taking their toll on your health. For starters, environmental chemicals have a wide range of effects on immune system function, ranging from a decrease in your body's ability to fight infections and tumors to increased allergies and autoimmunity.
Although neurotoxic in nature, these compounds can also cause dermatological, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, respiratory, musculoskeletal, and cardiological problems. Hormones like zeranol, which has been used to fatten up cattle more quickly has been shown to exacerbate breast health concerns.
Check out these related facts:
- Mercury in rivers is so pervasive that 47 states now have posted advisories, either statewide or for specific waters, instructing people to limit their intake of freshwater fish.
- Exposure to high levels of mercury can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs and immune systems of humans.
- In a study performed by the Soil Association, 84 percent of fruits and vegetables given to school children contained one pesticide, 65 percent of the samples contained two or more pesticides.
But the toxins you'll probably find most surprising are those found right in your own home -a place where most of us think we're safe.
For starters, many of the products that improve the look and scent of your homes like household-cleaning products have been linked to ADHD and other learning and behavioral disorders . Even the new carpet in your home might be making you sick because of the glue used to put it down. The glue contains the harmful ingredient benzene and the neurotoxin xylene - one of the unhealthiest chemical combinations you can be exposed to.
Faulty appliances can emit ozone, which affects lung health; and carbon monoxide, which is lethal at high concentrations. And mold, bacteria and other biological contaminants can cause or exacerbate asthma, allergies and infections.
Are you wondering how you might be able to remove this build up of pollutants and harmful chemicals in your body before it's too late?
Learn about zeolite - it may be your only hope.
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