Toxins at Home: How to Minimize Your Exposure

A new study is adding to the controversy swirling around the use of antibacterial compounds in everyday products. A team of scientists led by Arizona State University Biodesign Institute researchers has found that many pregnant women and their fetuses are being exposed to the substances via household products. Environmental health experts in general are concerned because studies in laboratory animals have shown that antibacterial compounds are linked to the disruption of hormone function.

Optimal health relies on a properly functioning endocrine system, which aids in the regulation of metabolism, growth, sleep and mood. Hormone disruptors (also referred to as endocrine disruptors) hamper the body’s endocrine system and can potentially impair developmental and reproductive systems in humans and animals. A 2013 report titled State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, by the United Nations Environment Program and World Health Organization, noted that exposure to endocrine disruptors could potentially "contribute to the development of non-descended testes in young males, breast cancer in women, prostate cancer in men, developmental effects on the nervous system in children, attention deficit/hyperactivity in children and thyroid cancer."

“We looked at the exposure of pregnant women and their fetuses to triclosan and triclocarban, two of the most commonly used germ-killers in soaps and other everyday products,” said Benny Pycke, an Arizona State University research scientist and co-author of the new study, in a press statement. “We found triclosan in all of the urine samples from the pregnant women that we screened. We also detected it in about half of the umbilical cord blood samples we took, which means it transfers to fetuses. Triclocarban was also in many of the samples.”

The team is presenting its findings this week at the 248th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in San Francisco.

The study comes on the heels of new questions surrounding the FDA's 1997 approval process of Colgate Total toothpaste, which contains triclosan. Documents were released to the public recently after a Freedom of Information Act request led to a lawsuit. And one recent study of triclosan found that it may promote cancer progression in breast cancer cells.

Steering clear of potential harmful toxins in our modern world is tricky but Nneka Leiba, deputy director of research at the Environmental Working Group advises consumers not to become overwhelmed. “Don’t try and overhaul your life all at once,” she told Yahoo Health. Instead, Leiba recommends that people focus on one category — such as cosmetics or food — at a time. “After you make adjustments move on to the next category,” she added.

Check out this short list to help you sort through some common toxins and get started. For a more complete look at common toxins all around us, visit the Environmental Working Group’s website.