The Hidden Toxins
I have to come clean and say that the idea for this journal post actually came from a movie that we watched about a week ago and if you have not already seen it I think it is well worth looking into. The movie is called Dark Waters and is based on a true story that occurred here in the U.S. and follows an attorney who is in a VERY long legal battle against DuPont (one of the largest chemical manufacturers) over the harmful impacts that their Teflon chemical was having on residents of a small town. I wanted to better understand the depth of human exposure to carcinogens after the movie and started to dig into research on how many products these PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) chemicals are used in. While I did understand that limiting PFOA exposure is important and was avidly making consumer decisions to do so I did not realize just how dangerous small exposures to these specific chemicals are and all the places that they are hiding within our daily home use products. Thus leading to this journal to share what I have learned so far and encourage you to continue to do research on your own.
What is PFOAS/PFAS?
According to the American Cancer Society “Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are part of a large group of lab-made chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Some of these chemicals have been in commercial use since the 1940s”. These lab-manufactured chemicals were widely produced in the United States with very little regulation for 50+ years. It was originally developed in the DuPont lab in 1946 to manufacture none other than teflon which is still used today as a non stick coating on cookware. According to the Environmental Working Group “Decades of heavy use have resulted in contamination of water, soil and the blood of people and animals. PFAS are incredibly persistent, never breaking down in the environment and remaining in our bodies for years”. This means that the only method of protection we have against these chemicals is to educate ourselves on the products that contain them and making informed consumer decisions to avoid them. Many would argue that these long chain chemicals have been phased out since they are only referring to structures that contain 8 long chain carbon atoms, but the EPA and FDA have so recklessly allowed for the usage of what they refer to as short chain chemicals that contain 6 carbon atoms. This is despite the studies that have come out that link these 6 chain chemicals to the same health concerns that are associated with exposure to 8 chain chemicals. All this to say, the lawsuit covered in the movie caused a lot of heat over the chemical and they were forced to make some changes , but the profit margin is too high on these products to stop production completely. Thus we are left with an allowable chemical replacement that is just as dangerous. Not to mention, that the long chain chemicals do not break down in our environment and we are still being exposed to the damaging impacts of the years of production in the country.
What are the Health Concerns?
I try really hard not to put out things that I feel insight fear or seem overwhelming but in this case I believe it is appropriate that people are informed about just how serious this chemical is . In addition, it was horrifying to me that we have these studies published and peer reviewed for years and still there has been no changes in how items are allowed on the shelf or in the protection of the water and soil to ensure this doesn’t happen again. All of the information I am about to share is published on the EPA website .
Current peer-reviewed scientific studies have shown that exposure to certain levels of PFAS may lead to:
Reproductive effects such as decreased fertility or increased high blood pressure in pregnant women (preeclampsia).
Developmental effects or delays in children, including low birth weight, accelerated puberty, bone variations, or behavioral changes.
Increased risk of some cancers, including prostate, kidney, and testicular cancers.
Reduced ability of the body’s immune system to fight infections, including reduced vaccine response.
Interference with the body’s natural hormones.
Increased cholesterol levels and/or risk of obesity.
Adults
Some people have higher exposures to PFAS than others because of their occupations or where they live. For example:
Industrial workers who are involved in making or processing PFAS or PFAS-containing materials, or people who live or recreate near PFAS-producing facilities, may have greater exposure to PFAS.
Pregnant and lactating women tend to drink more water per pound of body weight than the average person and as a result they may have higher PFAS exposure compared to other people if it is present in their drinking water.
Children
Because children are still developing, they may be more sensitive to the harmful effects of chemicals such as PFAS. They can also be exposed more than adults because:
Children drink more water, eat more food, and breathe more air per pound of body weight than adults, which can increase their exposure to PFAS.
Young children crawl on floors and put things in their mouths which leads to a higher risk of exposure to PFAS in carpets, household dust, toys, and cleaning products.
Breast milk from mothers with PFAS in their blood and formula made with water containing PFAS can expose infants to PFAS, and it may also be possible for children to be exposed in utero during pregnancy
What are these Chemicals used in ?
According to the EPA EWG and the Social Science Health and Environmental Health Research Institute track PFAS contamination reported by federal and state authorities. As of July 2019, our tracking map shows that PFAS contaminates public drinking water systems serving 19 million people in 49 states.
PFAS can be present in our water, soil, air, and food as well as in materials found in our homes or workplaces, including:
Drinking water – in public drinking water systems and private drinking water wells.
Soil and water at or near waste sites - at landfills, disposal sites, and hazardous waste sites such as those that fall under the federal Superfund and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act programs.
Fire extinguishing foam - in aqueous film-forming foams (or AFFFs) used to extinguish flammable liquid-based fires. Such foams are used in training and emergency response events at airports, shipyards, military bases, firefighting training facilities, chemical plants, and refineries.
Manufacturing or chemical production facilities that produce or use PFAS – for example at chrome plating, electronics, and certain textile and paper manufacturers.
Food – for example in fish caught from water contaminated by PFAS and dairy products from livestock exposed to PFAS.
Food packaging – for example in grease-resistant paper, fast food containers/wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, pizza boxes, and candy wrappers.
Household products and dust – for example in stain and water-repellent used on carpets, upholstery, clothing, and other fabrics; cleaning products; paints, varnishes, and sealants.
Personal care products – for example in certain shampoo, dental floss, and cosmetics.
Biosolids – for example fertilizer from wastewater treatment plants that is used on agricultural lands can affect ground and surface water and animals that graze on the land.
Non Stick Cookware- Cookware that has a teflon coating that repels water and prevents surface sticking.
What are my Alternatives?
The first is understanding that not all of this is something we can control. While that may feel scary and defeating it is ultimately true, however, there are a lot of elements we have completely consumer control over and in those areas we SHOULD know how to protect ourselves and our families from any unnecessary exposure because the only way to minimize the health risks is to minimize exposure.
Water Filtration- We are huge believers in the Berkey water filters that are 100% gravity fed and stainless steel. They do not have to be plumbed into your lines, no microplastics like the Brita, and it is large enough we can use it for our coffee and other kitchen needs (with 2 people of course). These are 100% an investment but for us we have been very happy, and the peer reviewed studies on these filters show just how well they work. We also have filtered shower heads in all of our showers in the house, we love to use these.
Cookware- Around 2.5 years ago we got rid of any non stick pan and do not even own one. We use stainless steel cookware or cast iron only! Stainless steel can be a learning curve but is one well worth it. We have the 12 piece Cuisinart MultiClad Pro set and love it. Even after heavy usage it still looks new, and was a good price point for value when it came to cookware. Our cast iron on the other hand is an investment piece that full disclosure we received as a gift at Christmas, but is easily my most used item in the kitchen. We have Smithey Ironware cast iron skillets in 3 sizes. If I only had to pick one I would start with the 10”. They’re beautiful, hold heat, and I can appreciate just how well they are made. However, I have a LONG LOVED lodge skillet that does the job and has been part of my kitchen for years. The price point on this is great (amazon even has it on sale for less than $17 right now). Here is the link https://amzn.to/4c0SrCM.
Food- We use glass containers to store our food in over plastic and really do not eat much takeout for multiple reasons. The best way to avoid some of this is to simply know your food sources! Buy fish that are from places you feel are safe and the same with meat and produce. Understanding where your food comes from and what it is eating is the easiest way to make informed decisions on this.
Personal Care- My personal care routine is going to be a full blog post on its own here soon! For toothpaste we use Hello and really like it! Of course our soap is the Birchwood Farms goat milk soap. Shampoo has been a tough transition over time but one of my favorites has been the Grown Alchemist brand shampoo.
Clothing and Textiles- What I am learning is that this is particularly important in children’s clothing! For adults, this is used in gore tex rain repellent which if you are like me makes you sad because these jackets are great. However, the brand Marmot has come out with public statements that they will not manufacture any clothing with PFOAs or PFAS in them. For children, these chemicals seem to be in everything. The goal is to make it easy on parents as children have accidents but what it does is increase exposure from birth. Carseats are lined with it, crib sheets, sleeper onesies, diapers have it in them, and it is even used in a ton of baby personal care products. I will do a full post on baby products soon, but here are some brands that have great baby lines without these chemicals. Pipette Baby, Parasol diapers (Coterie is great too), Carters - they have an organic line that passes all my requirements, Nuna for carseat and strollers, Burts Bee’s is great for the most part I still read labels here.
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