Do you know where the heavy metals may be within the home environment? They are actually pretty common in places we may not consider.
Let´s take a look at some common ones. Let me know if you have made changes to any of these over the past few years.
Carpets & Rugs: carpet can contain alarmingly high levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, and several other chemicals. Carpets are particularly good at trapping the dirt and toxins brought in on your shoes. Vacuuming doesn’t necessarily help since it brings particles from deep in the carpet and circulates it into the air in your home.
To reduce toxins, remove shoes on entering the home and opt for wood or tile flooring.
Many people don’t realise this, but indoor pollution in our homes is often worse than the air you breathe outside. You can find air filters with a dual system – A HEPA filter for larger airborne particles like dust, pollen and pet hair, and a smaller filtration system such as charcoal for chemicals, smoke and other microscopic airborne pollutants. If you suffer with allergies, this would be a priority in the home.
Cookware: A lot of cookware is produced from aluminium as it is light in weight.
However, there is a big downsize to cooking with aluminium: If the protective coating gets any scratches on its surface, this will allow aluminum to leach into your food, especially when using acidic foods such tomatoes.
I recommend replacing cookware with good quality ceramic, glass and cast-iron options. Chemicals in a non-stick coating can also attach to the food you eat, adding to your toxin intake.
You can get great glass baking trays from Pyrex on Amazon and if you want to invest in non-toxic cookware that will last you a lifetime.
Aluminium foil when cooking can dramatically increase the amount of aluminum in foods by up to 378 percent!
Drinking water contains microplastics, pesticides to prescription drugs, and even heavy metals. TFA, an unregulated PFAS, have been detected in tap water and bottled water throughout Europe, according to analyses by the PAN Europe network.
You can read more here:
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/water/drinking-water_en
I think the Berkey water filter is very reliable and not as expensive as some others: https://berkey-waterfilters.fr/en
Glazed ceramics:
It has been found that glazed surface of mugs leached lead, cadmium, nickel, and cobalt. Is your tea cup glazed? Consider changing it if you drink from a glazed cup every day.
Furniture: furniture is made using protective finishes, dyes, fabrics, and fire retardants containing heavy metals.
This includes your sofa, mattress, computer chair, dining room table, and so on. So, every time you come into contact with your furniture,
some of the compounds used to make your furniture break down over time, releasing toxins in the air. Where possible, seek out furniture free of flame retardants and choose an organic mattress
Eliminating BPA from your life. BPA in bottles and food packaging can seep into the food and drink, meaning you consume them, but they can also be inhaled or absorbed through your skin. Your liver metabolises BPAs, adding to your toxic burden, and these chemicals also belong to a family known as endocrine disrupting chemicals and will imbalance your hormones. It´s found in wrapping of our food, bottling our conditioner, encasing our phone. One commonly used shatterproof plastic (PC #7) can contain bisphenol-A, commonly called BPA, and flexible vinyl (PVC #3) contains phthalates.
Hygiene & Make up products: as you know, try to use only natural products, as unfortunately most cosmetics, grooming products, toiletries, and skin care are packed with chemical substances – many of which have the potential to be allergens or toxins. Lipsticks often contain concerning levels of lead, cadmium, and aluminum and deodorant is a concern due to its aluminum content.
Some decorative jewellery is also a concern, with testing showing that many types have high levels of the heavy metal cadmium.
Laundry: Check your laundry detergent. The vast number of harsh chemicals in most cleaning products, from bleach to antibacterial spray, is staggering.
