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| There could be chemicals locked away in here and you would never know it. |
“Don’t
play on the grass for the next few days, kids! Make sure you leave your shoes
outside before coming into the house!” These were common words from my dad
during the warmer months when he was sprinkling fertilizer on the front and
backyard lawn. A sign taped to the front door advising us to take our shoes off
before entering the house always accompanied these words. As a child, I viewed
this as an annoyance and was mad that I could not play outside with the dirt
and bugs. In addition, I thought that as long as I followed these simple rules
when it was fertilizing season, I was safe from these toxins. These rules
placed a barrier between humans and chemicals that were supposed to stay
outside, well, because why wouldn’t they?
As
I grew older, I was told to throw away any non-stick pans that were scratched
because chemicals would be released. Don’t put plastics in the microwave. Don’t
leave water bottles in your car because the heat will release chemicals from
the bottle. Look for BPA-free labels when purchasing a reusable water bottle. I
followed these directions but didn’t really know exactly what these chemicals
were, how they affected humans, why they were even in these materials in the
first place, and where the EPA was in all of this. Isn’t it their job to make
sure that any chemicals used are safe? I didn’t realize until very recently
that humans and chemicals are interconnected to a degree that is quite
unsettling.
The
chemical I found most interesting is BPA or Bisphenol A. First synthesized in 1891,
it is an artificial estrogen that is primarily used in the creation of epoxy
resins because it holds materials together well. It is in the linings of metal food containers, aluminum water bottles,
plastics that are labeled #7, fax paper, CD’s and other items. It has been
detected in rivers, soil, household dust, and even in amniotic fluid
surrounding babies. One study found BPA in 95% of 400 American adults. For many
years, exposure to this chemical has been associated with cancer, insulin
resistance and birth defects. Tests beginning in the 1930’s showed that high
doses are toxic to rodents and a very interesting discovery is that low-doses
given to mice produced worse effects than those mice exposed to high doses. You
may be wondering why such a harmful chemical is even allowed in products
because I certainly was. Interestingly enough, industrial chemicals are
regulated by the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, which doesn’t require
that they be tested or proven safe before being used. Instead, it is the EPA’s
job to show that a chemical is unsafe before it can regulate or ban that
chemical. However, the bar is set so high that the EPA can essentially never
meet these standards. According to “Cleaning
House,” a session in the Northwest Earth Institute’s course book, “Congress’s
original rationale for giving pass to industrial chemicals like BPA is that
they weren’t designed to be biologically active or get into our body in the
same way pesticides or drugs would, and wouldn’t pose the same risks.” This
sounds like a fantastic rationale to me.
The
next time I get my blood taken, I will wonder how many trace amounts of
chemicals, including Bisphenol A (BPA) and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC)
will end up in that sample. I will wonder how much BPA is in the supermarket
when I go shopping, looking at the many aisles of canned products. It is
alarming to learn that a biomonitoring report in 2009 detected more than two
hundred environmental toxins in the cord blood of newborn babies. Is there any escape
from these chemicals that are supposed to stay outside and removed from our
daily lives?
Aside
from this doom and gloom from products that are very much a part of our
routine, my eyes have been opened to the realization that we have more control
than we think. The first step is to understand these chemicals, the products
that contain them and how to limit our exposure to them. Simple lifestyle
switches such as keeping a clean house to remove exposure, obtaining a
stainless steel reusable bottle instead of plastic or aluminum, buying fresh,
frozen, dried food or items packaged in glass jars rather than plastic and
avoiding personal care products that list “fragrance” as an ingredient are all
ways to take your health into your own hands. Furthermore, a motivating
alternative to current commercial synthetic chemistry is green chemistry. This
approach focuses on preventing chemical pollution by designing products that do
not contain them in the first place. It sounds like a no-brainer right? I’ve
learned that we can apply this principal to own lives. Avoid products that
expose us to harmful chemicals so the likelihood of being affected by them is
minimal. It’s not my family’s fault for fertilizing our lawn with substances
that have the potential to cause harm. The important lesson to learn is that
knowledge of these substances must spread so you no longer have to place a
“Fertilizer Down: Stay Off Grass” sign on the door.
- Liana M. Agrios
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