There are simple steps families can take to reduce exposure to many of the environmental toxins that can affect children's health. Read labels, don't use pesticides and eat organic whenever possible
Avoid these ingredients
Phthalates: Not listed on labels, but may appear as "fragrance" or "parfum." Phthalates are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that can damage children's brain development.Triclosan: Commonly found in antibacterial products.Chemicals ending in "eth" and PEG: in personal-care productsParabens: Found in personal-care products, including shampoos and lotionsFormaldehyde: Also DMDM hydantoin, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea1,4-dioxane: Not on labels; may be listed as sodium laureth sulfate, ceteareth, polyethylene glycol/PEGPFOA: Found in non-stick pans and stain-resistant fabricsBisphenol A (BPA) and BPS: Not listed on labels. Found in cans, hard plastic baby bottles, sippy cups, receipts and thermal paper.PVC and vinyl: Found in soft plastics (toys, inflatable toys, shower curtains) and flooring.
How to protect your family from toxins
• Avoid handling cash-register receipts. (wash your hands asap- no antibacterial goop) Thermal paper generally contains BPA, which transfers easily to the skin.• Don't use plug-in fragrances at home. If you're driving a new car, open the windows to let in fresh air (the new-car smell is produced by phthalates).• Use sunscreen with limited ingredients and without oxybenzone, which mimics estrogen and can disrupt normal hormone function.• Avoid plastics whenever possible, especially those labeled Nos. 3, 6 and 7. Never heat plastic containers in the microwave, dishwasher or even in the sun. Heat can cause endocrine-disrupting chemicals to leach into food and drinks • Store your food in glass. "It's a small thing, but it works," said the Children's Environmental Health Center's "That minimizes exposure to phthalates and bisphenol A."• Beware of brominated flame retardants, which can be found in furniture and electronics.• Don't use pesticides.( no lawn spray- no toxins on your veggies)• Eat fresh foods, avoid processed foods and go organic whenever possible. Landrigan and his wife, Mary, have a small garden behind their Mamaroneck home, where they grow most of the vegetables they eat all summer. (How many years have I suggested to readers to grow your own veggies, as possible for your living circumstances)• Use steel or cast-iron cookware, rather than non-stick.(no non stick in my home)• Avoid stain-resistant materials, and don't spray items to make them stain-resistant.• Choose household cleaning products that don't have warnings that say "caution," "danger," "corrosive" or "caustic." Pick products that list ingredients and use essential oils for scent. (I am using vinegar with soap quite a lot in my home, to reduce the chemical burden, but, there is still room for improvement)• Avoid lead (check for lead paint if you're moving into a house built before 1975). Lead-painted trains, dolls and lunchboxes imported from other countries, are also a major health threat to children. "I tell my grandkids, 'Buy unpainted wooden toys,' " said Landrigan. "Wood is better than plastic."• Eat fish, but be careful to avoid those high in mercury.
The article specified only methylmercury- But ethylmercury used in vaccines is also an EDC- So, I cannot differentiate in such a superficial manner Also- Clean your water as best you can. Even so called treated (city/municipal) water is full of EDC's A simple charcoal filter might help a bit- You can go for reverse osmosis- Or something like the Berkey water system? Requiring no electricity and operates with filters and gravity. We have just got a Berkey for ourselves and I can attest to the fact the water tastes a heck of a lot better! I will be putting up a post which describes how ineffective, large, medium or small, city waste water facilities are in cleaning these chemicals out of your drinking/cooking/bathing water - So additional filtering is a must. The follow up post -