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Thursday, April 29, 2010

plastic and toxins

Lately I've been considering my dependency on plastics and how that might have contributed to my son's developmental disabilities. This is a hard thing to consider, that our convenience-saturated lifestyle could be poisoning the next generation and subsequent generations to come. Time Magazine this past month of April had a very gripping and convicting look at plastics and other household hazards, and how they are so little regulated.

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1976909_1976908_1976938,00.html

The EPA can only regulate a chemical if it is proven harmful, whereas the FDA puts teh burden of proof on the pharmaceutical company to prove their product will not be harmful. The burden of proof for harm rests with the EPA, and the chemical manufacturers don't even have to be entirely forthcoming about their own findings.

so, what sort of chemicals can be harmful? Plastic drinking and eating utensils and packaging, shaving cream, cosmetics, carpeting, synthetic fibers, asbestos in toys (yes it is still used--it is not illegal) and in drywall, plastic baggies, wrap, and baby bottles, shampoos, and nearly every type of soap and cleaner. Plastics break down in microwaves, dishwashers, heat, water, scrubbing, etc. And enter our water supply and food. Teflon becomes airborne at high temps and wears off into our cooking. All of these have been linked to either reproductive anomalies or cancer in lab animals, and sometimes to neurological damage.

What can be done? switch to glass as often as possible for drinking, cooking, eating, storage, and use "green" chemicals for cleaning, such as vinegar, baking soda, and even bleach, rather than harsh chemical compounds. Air out your home when possible, and beware of preservatives in your foods. Cook fresh and from scratch as often as possible. Eat natural rather than synthetic, such as butter over margarine. Pray over your food. Mark 16 says you will eat deadly poisons and it shall not affect you. The fact is, no matter how conscientious you are, you can't eliminate all risk.

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