Written by Naomi Imatome-Yun.
Odds are that you are guilty of one of these toxic habits that many of us do daily…
We all know the world around us and our homes are filled with chemicals and toxins, and we are glad to add to the voices reporting and shedding light on these important health issues. For parents and caregivers, all the news stories and headlines are scary because children are more susceptible to environmental toxins than adults.
“Pound for pound of body weight, children drink more water, eat more food, and breathe more air than adults.”
We’re happy to see a lot of news and stories about the benefits of organic food, the dangers of plastic and canned food, and the warnings about the chemicals in our personal care products and home cleaning products. But we highlighted these four toxic things in our infographic because we don’t hear as much about them, and also because some parents still use them everyday. And remember, even though children are more at risk than adults because of their rapid development, these four things are not good for grown-ups either.
1. Neosporin and other Triple Antibiotic Ointments
Most American first aid kits come with Neosporin or another triple antibiotic ointment. It’s the most popular topical antibacterial ointment in America. But it’s very rarely used overseas, which is why experts have linked it to the spread of a lethal strain of MRSA bacteria called USA300 (Staph, originated in N. America).
What to Do Instead:
Don’t slather triple antibiotic ointment on every cut and scrape. Instead, wash with soap and water and/or a silver oxide ointment.
2. Hand Sanitizer
Hand sanitizers and antibacterial soaps often contain triclosan, which builds up in the body and is an endocrine disruptor linked to cancer. Long-term use can also lead to bacterial resistance.
What to Do Instead:
Wash with soap and hot water.
3. Receipts
If your store or ATM receipt is made of thermal paper (most are), then it is rubbing off bisphenol A, or BPA, onto your skin. BPA is a hormone-disruptor that has been linked to higher risks of many types of cancer and reproductive abnormalities.
What to Do Instead:
Put your receipts in their own bag, not in your wallet. Decline receipts or get email receipts if possible. Don’t ever let your kids play with receipts. Always wash your hands after handling receipts.
4. Shoes
An EPA study found that dangerous pesticides can be tracked into homes on shoes. Some experts think that ‘track-in’ level of pesticides may be more than the level from eating non-organic produce. Since young children spend so much time down on the floor, their exposure is high.
What to Do Instead:
Consider having a shoe-free household or put rugs or carpet in entryways and clean them often. Research has shown that carpets at outer doorways do help to limit pesticide track-in.
Bonus:
This Green Divas Health & Beauty podcast provides more ways to be less polluted…
LISTEN:
You can listen to the latest Green Divas Radio Show—and other green and healthy living podcasts—daily on GDGDRadio.com (or get the GDGD Radio app)!
Sources:
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/04/neosporin-otc-drugs-avoid.html
http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20110914/study-antibiotic-ointments-may-spread-of-mrsa
http://www.honeycolony.com/simply-transformative/3rd-rock-rashblock/
http://time.com/96112/why-im-breaking-up-with-hand-sanitizer/
http://safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=718
http://health.ucsd.edu/news/releases/Pages/2014-11-17-dirty-side-of-soap.aspx
http://www.honeycolony.com/article/is-this-common-ingredient-throwing-off-your-hormones/
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/18477/20141022/do-your-receipts-contain-bpa-in-dangerous-amounts.htm
http://www.lohud.com/story/news/health/2014/10/23/toxic-receipts-bpa/17740875/
http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/10/28/haiken-another-reason-go-paperless-every-receipt-you-touch-toxic
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/03/the-health-risk-of-bpa-in-receipts/index.htm
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/please-remove-shoes-before-entering.html#ixzz3OY6Nes3w
http://healthychild.org/easy-steps/take-off-your-shoes-at-the-door/
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/04/990427045111.htm
http://www.honeycolony.com/article/pesticide-exposure-increases-incidence-autism-children/
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~Asst. Ed. Green Diva Christine.
