Thousands of chemicals are sent to the market every year without much testing being previously done on their potential harm to human health.

In the European Union alone, for instance, we are talking about just 500 chemicals in a sea of more than 100 000 currently in use [1]. Worldwide, the scenario is not that different. Many of us are already aware of the need to read food, personal care and cosmetic labels to make better choices for ourselves and our families. But what about construction materials and other household items? Are we properly screening those as well?

In the modern world, stats say we spend, on average, up 90% of our time within close walls [2], making exposure to the wrong chemicals potentially prolonged and recurrent. But before you get discouraged by the numbers, hear me out: chemicals can be organized in classes, meaning that from similar compositions, we can expect similar outcomes as well as potential hazards. By just learning about the ones scientific experts agree we should definitely avoid to the best of our ability [3], we can already reduce our exposure to thousands of chemicals of concern, limiting by a large margin the chemical burden of our homes (and families)!

1. PFAS

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known by PFAS, are very convenient. A carpet that claims to have satin-repellent properties? Or a sofa cover that affirms to be waterproof? There were probably PFAS or similar chemicals added to those. Indoors, they are also commonly found in non-stick cookware, carpet cleaning products, adhesives, sealants and a myriad of furnishings.

On top of being highly persistent, unbreakable and pollutant to the environment, PFOA — one of the most well studied chemicals within this class — is strongly linked to kidney and testicular cancer, elevated cholesterol, decreased fertility, thyroid problems and decreased immune response to vaccines in children [4].

Even though there are currently no “safer” replacements in the market, with the same exact properties, there are many tricks one can implement to reduce the harm of these nasty chemicals:

• Steer away from textiles and carpeting that advertise water-, oil- and stain-repellence properties (if you have kids or pets, go for darker, easier-to-wash fabrics instead or protect those with chunkier pieces of furniture);
• Exclude products with “perfluor-”, “polyfluor-”, and “PTFE” or “PFOA free” on the label (they either use PFAS of any sort or regrettable, equally harmful substitutions to those);
• Prefer cast iron, glass, or ceramic cookware to Teflon.

2. ANTIMICROBIALS

At first glance, antimicrobials sound harmless, even maybe helpful. After all, they are intended to kill and inhibit the growth of microbes. Good, no? The problem is that, according to research, these chemicals besides having very limited efficiency compared to just traditional soap and water, may increase our collective resistance to antibiotics or disinfectants and on top of it even cause some other collateral damaging impacts on human health.

Triclosan, a known antimicrobial, now being phased out worldwide, is, for example, a hormone disruptor associated with developmental and reproductive effects as well as an allergy trigger. Quats, a more recent addition to the class, are associated with asthma, skin irritation and other adverse respiratory, nervous system and immunological issues. Plus, they bio-accumulate in our ecosystems, disrupting them [5].

Antimicrobials are often found in personal care products, hand soaps, exercise mats, food storage containers, kitchenware, paints and even countertops and some flooring solutions. To make sure you keep antimicrobials away from your home and family, you can:

• Steer away from products advertised as “antimicrobial”, “antibacterial”, “antiviral” or “anti-odor” (just properly wash textiles and surfaces with traditional soap and water instead);
• Select products without triclosan, triclocarban, quats (often ending with -onium chloride) or nanometals in their ingredient label;
• Opt for just plain hand soap to wash hands, instead of other options with nondescriptive labels (traditional Marseille or Aleppo soap tend to be great options).