Top Three Sources of Toxic Exposures:Traffic, Personal Care and Plastic Products

By Dr. Mercola

Three recent studies confirm that pollution from traffic increases your risk of heart disease, atherosclerosis and heart attack.

Chemicals found in personal care products such as deodorants, lotions and conditioners, are detectable in Chicago’s air at “alarming” levels. The chemicals in question, cyclic siloxanes, are known to be toxic to aquatic life.

A recent analysis found nine toxic metals in 32 lipsticks and lip glosses tested, including: lead, cadmium, chromium and aluminum. According to the researchers, some metals were detected at high enough levels to “raise potential health concerns,” and although no name brands were identified, they advised the public to “treat these results as applicable to all lipsticks”.

Health and environmental groups are launching a national campaign aimed at 10 major retailers, urging them to discontinue the sale of products containing potentially toxic materials and develop a plan to phase out the use of the listed chemicals within the next 12 months.

A typical American comes in regular contact with some 6,000 chemicals and an untold number of potentially toxic substances on a less frequent basis. Many of them have never been fully tested for safety. To protect your health, it’s important to take steps toward decreasing your chemical exposure