10 dangerous everyday things in your home
Think your home is a safe haven? Think again. With all of the chemicals people use in their homes, it may be more polluted indoors than outdoors. Scientists have realized that chemicals found in a wide variety of the goods we use every day may be more toxic than previously thought.
Either by accident or faulty manufacturing, household consumer products injure an estimated 33.1 million people in the United States every year. You would not believe the dangerous things in your home - everything from air freshener to cosmetics. Where are these toxins coming from and what can we do about it? Read on to learn about 10 of the most common products that people are starting to think twice about bringing into their houses.
- Pesticides: In 2006, the American Association of Poison Control Centers received nearly 46,000 calls regarding children under 5 years old who had been exposed to potentially toxic levels of pesticides.
- Chemicals in Carpet: The glue and dyes used with carpeting are known to emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can be harmful to one's health in high concentrations.
- Baby Bottles and BPA: BPA has a structure very similar to estrogen and for that reason is referred to as a "hormone disruptor." As the name implies, hormone disruptors can interfere with the natural human hormones, especially for young children.
Full list at HowStuffWorks.com.
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