An inspection uncovers an array of chemical toxins in every room — but you can get rid of them
Taking stock of a toxic house
There’s no place like home, where you can kick off your shoes, run through the grass and take a dip in your pool. But what happens if your lawn was just treated, your pool is chlorinated and the sunscreen you just slathered on is not paraben free?
“In order to live a healthy life, we must consider not only what we put in our bodies but what surrounds them,” said Therese Forton-Barnes, an environmentally conscious wife and stepmother of two. “There are chemical toxins lurking all around.”
Homemaking is not what it used to be. Gone are the days when our grandmothers used homemade cleaning supplies, ate home-cooked meals and hung the wash to air dry. How did we become so chemically dependent? More importantly, is it harming our families?
“Everyone fears chronic disease,” said James Olson, professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University at Buffalo. “You want to avoid it at all costs, yet environmental issues are possible contributing factors. There are chemicals in almost everything, and every day we’re exposed to them. Whether it’s taking a dose of aspirin or sitting by someone who smokes, chemicals are not necessarily all bad.”
In order to find out just how toxic our homes have become, we accompanied Forton-Barnes on a house analysis, a service she provides for friends upon request where everyday items — storage containers, pots, pans, toiletries, bedding — are scrutinized for toxic properties. Forton-Barnes is not a scientist, but her extensive knowledge of sustainable living along with 15 years of organic health research has given her a keen understanding about environmental issues.
Homemaker and stay-at-home mother of five Patti Lawley opened her doors to us for the experiment. Said Forton-Barnes: “Do not freak out with all this information. Take it one step at a time, otherwise you will be overwhelmed. It is all about being aware of your surroundings.”
Kitchen
The Lawley home rings with the sounds of five children ages 10 and under. Lawley has a handle on healthy living — limiting sugar, pushing fruit and vegetables, avoiding processed food. Still, when three people close to her — including a 4-year-old child diagnosed with leukemia — were told within weeks they had cancer, Lawley began to worry.
“That’s terrible,” she recalled thinking. “I thought, something is going on here. What are we doing wrong? It’s not one product. I’m putting everything on my children: sunscreen, lotion, soap. Am I using the wrong pans to cook? We pretty much eat healthy — fruits, hummus, tabouli, crackle breads.”
Forton-Barnes crusades against the use of high-fructose corn syrup. “It’s in bread, crackers, cereal, sweet pickles, honey mustard, syrup, waffles,” she said.
According to online magazine OrganicStyle. com: “The body digests HFCS differently than it does sugar. It’s processed in the liver rather than in the stomach, increasing the liver’s release of fat cells (triglycerides). High blood triglyceride levels increase your risk of heart disease.”
The organic chocolate milk in the fridge wins praise, as does the organic green grapes, some of which are the size of Brussels sprouts. Paul Newman salad dressing? Good, as is Lawley’s natural sweetener Stevia. Fructose-bearing yogurt? Don’t even go there. Ditto for the frozen fruit bar sweetened with Sorbitol, and white coffee filters because they are bleached with chlorine. Maple syrup? Not unless it’s natural.
Berries may be sprayed with pesticides, Forton-Barnes pointed out. “Buy organic versions when possible, including poultry. If you can’t, remove the skin.”
As for meat? Again, aim for organic or grass-fed, she recommended. Find out if the animals the meat came from were raised without antibiotics, hormones, genetic engineering and irradiation. Remember they are eating pesticide- sprayed crops.
“If you can’t go all organic, start with milk, cheese and dairy,” Forton-Barnes suggested. “Everyone thinks organic is too expensive, that they can’t convert. Baloney! Take it one step at a time.”
Pots, pans and containers
For the most part, Lawley’s cookware (mostly stainless steel) receives a thumb’s up from Forton-Barnes, whose dislike for nonstick surfaces (think Teflon) is obvious.
“If the Teflon lining is scratched, throw away the pan,” she said. “It can be used safely under 500 degrees if it is not peeling. Stainless steel is safest, just like our parents used. The ultimate best is iron, but people like Teflon because they can clean it. Its purpose was to make our lives easier and unfortunately, it’s making them more toxic.”
The chemical used in making Teflon is also used in food wrap as well as stain-resistant fabric coatings, according to online magazine The Green Guide. In addition, the chemical (perfluorooctanoic acid) does not break down easily, staying within the bloodstream.
There is also a warning about plastic containers — you know, the ones we take to work that hold our leftover lasagna and can be easily popped into a microwave. Plastic, especially vinyl PVC (#3) can release toxins into food and water when heated, experts say.
“Never heat in plastic,” Forton- Barnes recommended. “Don’t store acidic foods in plastic, either. If they are scratched or worn, discard them.”
And by all means, look on the bottoms of your plastic storage containers for a recycling number, usually in a triangle, that indicates toxicity levels. Plastic containers with numbers 3, 6 or 7 are capable of leaching toxic chemicals. If they carry numbers 1, 2, 4 or 5, they are “somewhat safe,” according to Forton- Barnes, who added: “If there is no number, I would toss them.”
The gold standard for food storage is glass or ceramic containers that can be used for years and years safely, microwaved and dishwasher cleaned.
Cleaning supplies
Cleaning and laundry supplies, meanwhile, are constantly coming into contact with our skin, and for that reason, Forton-Barnes suggests monitoring them with diligence.
“You don’t need 30 different cleaning supplies,” said Forton-Barnes. “You could clean really with just vinegar and water, but everyone won’t do that. You need a simple generic cleaner.”
For her dishwasher, Lawley scored points for choosing a high-performance automatic washing gel with lavender oil that was free of chlorine and phosphates.
As for chlorine, a dip in your pool often means a brush with the sanitizing chemical. While there are alternatives (including salt) and while Olson admitted that chlorine is an acute irritant, he, too, uses it for his pool.
“The body has a threshold,” Olson explained. “Open up the big five-gallon container of chlorine tablets and take a whiff. You’ll get a huge dose. It will knock you over. That’s a one-time acute exposure.
“Your natural defense mechanism pushes you out of the way,” Olson said.
Bathroom
You are entering the land of paraben, another known carcinogen, according to Forton-Barnes, present in many baby products as well as in deodorants. Parabens can be found in shampoos, moisturizers, shaving gels, cleansing gels, lubricants, spray tanning solutions and toothpaste.
“Look for paraben-free products with anything that touches the skin including sunscreen,” she suggested. Here, you’re putting on sunscreen lotion, regular lotion all day long. Lotion should never be a color. Dyes are not good. All lotions should be white with natural fragrance.”
The “Herbal Armor” insect repellent that is DEET-free and found in the organic section of your supermarket is a good family choice.
Bedroom
What lies beneath you is all-important, since we spend a quarter of our lives in bed. That’s why the polyurethane, flame retardants, dyes, formaldehyde and other chemicals used to make mattresses may lead to health problems. For the past 30 years, according to OrganicStyle. com, flame retardant chemicals known as polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) have been added to polyurethane foam found in most upholstered furniture as well as in other household goods.
While Ikea’s furniture is PBDE-free, wool-filled mattresses present another alternative. Less pricey are organic cotton flannel mattress pads ( www.lifekind.com ). “We need to take a careful look at what we’re adding to consumer products,” Olson acknowledged. “Review them on a regular basis. As we study these agents more we may find certain ones should not be used indiscriminately.”
“The home is an enclosed atmosphere with not a lot of air exchange,” Olson added. “The less chemicals you are exposed to the better.”
