http://www.onearth.org/node/2301The Secret Danger of Everyday Things by Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie
For two days, Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie confined themselves to a small room and did what on the face of it seem like some unremarkable things. They showered, shampooed, and shaved. They ate tuna sandwiches and canned food reheated in plastic containers. They sat on a couch and played Guitar Hero on a carpet treated with stain repellent.
Those are things that many of us might do on any given day -- but unlike the rest of us, Smith and Lourie closely monitored their blood and urine the whole time for seven toxic chemicals. Even though they made a conscious effort to avoid some of these chemicals before their experiment, after two days of "normal" activity, they found drastically elevated levels of toxics in their bodies.
"Pollution is now so pervasive that it's become a marinade in which we all bathe every day," they write in Slow Death by Rubber Duck. "Pollution is actually inside us all. It's seeped into our bodies. And in many cases, once in, it's impossible to get out."
:snip:
In the United States, some 82,000-odd chemicals are in use, appearing in our food, toys, air, water, clothing, furniture, electronics -- just about everywhere. Only 200 of these chemicals have ever been tested for toxicity, and only five have ever been banned under the Toxic Substances Control Act, the nation's main law for regulating commercial chemicals. Even asbestos, a known cancer-causing agent, can still be used legally in insulation, dry-wall, and other homebuilding materials.
More at the link ---