You could be putting your health in danger every time you return home
A new post over at MSN.com examines the potential for exposing yourself or your family to various cancers. Not by your diet, nor smoking, but instead the very real cancer concerns inside your own home. MSN’s story reports on 15 common household items, including your tap water, nail polish, scented candles, and many more. For the purposes of this post, we’re going to focus on three items that are quite common, but many don’t consider when it comes to cancer risks. Let’s dive in.
Carpet
We walk on it, our pets walk on it, and our children play on it. In fact, carpet represents 51% of the “floor-covering market”. And yet many carpets are made of synthetic fibers and treated with compounds that actually release gases after they’re installed. This is known in the industry as “off-gas”. A study completed by The Center for Environmental Health tested 12 carpets from the 6 largest manufacturers and all 12 “tested positive for toxic substances linked to cancer, hormone disruption, respiratory disorders, and developmental health problems in children, among others.”
Instead of these chemically treated carpets, MSN recommends carpeting made of wool, jute, sisal, mohair, or organic cotton. You’ll want to stay away from any carpets created or treated with polypropylene, nylon, or acrylic.
Dry cleaning
Perchloroethylene aka PERC is the chemical used to ensure we look our best when heading into the office, or for a night out on the town. Unfortunately, PERC has been identified as a “neurotoxin, carcinogen, and environmental hazard” and it’s used by “up to 70%” of all dry cleaners. PERC has been linked to lymphoma, esophagus, kidney, and bladder cancer.
Instead of allowing dry cleaners to use harsh chemicals on the clothes we wear regularly, MSN suggests we look for “green” alternatives. And according to MSN, many “dry clean only “labels aren’t even accurate.
Granite countertops
They’re beautiful to look at, you can prepare your favorite foods on them, and they’re relatively easy to clean. And yet, granite countertops are another place in your home where cancer causing toxins such as Radon could be lurking. The color of your granite could provide insight into your potential exposure to radon as “red and pink granites had a 3.5 times higher radium content than black or grey granite” according to MSN.
The Environmental Protection Agency actually recommends you have your home tested for radon regardless of the color of your granite countertops.
Neither the list from ToxicFree Foundation nor MSN.com is complete, as there are always cancer risks in and around your home. However, we encourage you to visit MSN’s website to review the article in its entirety: https://bit.ly/2WRtqSj