Feb 19, 2020
From shampoo to carpeting to baby bottles, chemicals are prevalent in our everyday items. Author Rick Smith discusses accompanying concerns such as:
Co-author of Slow Death by Rubber Duck: The
Secret Danger of Everyday Things and director of
Canada's Broadbent Institute, environmentalist
Rick Smith describes the research he and co-author Bruce Lourie
underwent to see common results of living in close quarters with
chemicals. The prevalence of chemicals such as BPA in eating
containers raised alarms and he wondered about the health effects
of pollution on our bodies from such chemicals.
He tells how he and his co-author experimented on themselves over 10 years with their own blood and urine samples. They would establish a baseline first, and then, for example, cook with plastic and retest themselves to see if there was an increase in chemical levels. In most cases, the answer was yes.
Mr. Smith details various other household products to be aware of, from shampoo to cosmetics to paint. He explains the danger and prevalence of phthalates and discusses how it can work as a hormonal disruptor in our body. Finally, he offers good news about the results of consumer pressure and tells the listener about safe alternatives for many of these products.