February 9th, 2008 @ 6:48 pm
I was just searching through the Environmental Working Group’s website that I spend way too much time on, and found this great list of 10 Everyday Pollution Solutions. These are quick things to change in your everyday habits that are easy and beneficial. If you want to find out more for any of them, go to http://www.ewg.org/solutions, or click on the individual links.
1. Use cast iron pans instead of nonstick. Read about Teflon health concerns.
2. To avoid chemicals leaching into food, go easy on processed, canned or fast foods and never microwave plastic. Read about Bisphenol A, a toxic food-can lining ingredient associated with birth defects.
3. Buy organic, or eat vegetables and fruit from the “Cleanest 12″ list. Find out more about the “Dirty Dozen.”
4. Use iodized salt to combat chemical interference from the thyroid. Read about rocket fuel’s effect on the thyroid.
5. Seal outdoor wooden structures. Order a test kit to find out if your wooden deck, picnic table, or playset is leaching arsenic.
6. Leave your shoes at the door. This cuts down on dust-bound pollutants in the home.
7. Avoid perfume, cologne and products with added fragrance. Search for personal care products that are fragrance-free, or check the products you’re already using.
8. Buy products with natural fibers, like cotton and wool, that are naturally fire resistant. Use our list of products and manufacturers to avoid the chemical flame retardant PBDE.
9. Eat low-mercury fish like tilapia & pollock, rather than high-mercury choices like tuna & swordfish. Check our Safe Fish List to see which fish to avoid and what’s safe to eat.
10. Filter your water for drinking and cooking. How does your tap water stack up? Search our tap water database to see what you’re drinking.
