Avoiding harmful chemicals

There are various artificial and harmful chemicals used in all sorts of products we use or consume, whether its the food we eat, the homes we live in, or in cosmetics. I have read a special report by the Guardian called Chemical World which looks at such chemicals in these products, including the problems they can cause and question marks over their long term safety, and also recommends completely natural alternatives.

Chemical World is a series of articles was published back in 2004, but is still relevant today and will continue to be relevant in the future. We should be worried about chemicals and avoid them because some may have no safe dosage, and while many more may be harmless individually in tiny quantities, as they accumulate, react, and combine they could become toxic and even carcinogenic (cancer causing), and the long term effects of others may not yet be known.

Part one has a series of articles looking at health, beauty, and grooming, and in particular the chemicals one gets exposed to when using conventional cosmetic products, but also when swimming or visiting the health club.

Afterwards part two looks at food and drink, in particular why we need to avoid artificial additives (artificial flavours, colours, and preservatives), hydrogenated vegetable oils, and pesticide laden foods, confirms why we need to avoid processed foods and why organic, seasonal, and locally produced food is the ideal choice, and says which non-organic foods are also good due to being low in pesticides.

And finally part three looks at chemicals in the home, such as in common household dust, and in household cleaning products, and garden pesticides (which should be avoided).

In all three parts, tips are given to avoid chemicals in cosmetics and health, in food, and in home products, as well as a list of recommended products and suppliers in all three cases. Furthermore we really need better labelling of ingredients on products to help us make an informed choice. As well as this, harmful additives including hydrogenated vegetable oil should be banned everywhere, and pesticides should ideally be banned where possible.

To summarise, the Chemical World series examines the multitude of chemicals in the world around us, in the cosmetic products we use, when we go swimming or to the health club, in certain types of food, and in various home and garden products. As well as this, it shows the risks of long term exposure to these chemicals which might be harmless individually or in tiny dosages, tips to avoid the chemicals and gives recommended products. I would highly recommend reading this series.

Further reading

• Guardian Special Report: Chemical World
• Part 1: Health and Beauty
• Part 2: Food and Drink
• Part 3: Toxins in the home
  

Tips for eliminating harmful chemicals

• In cosmetics, and if going swimming
  
• In food and drink
• In the home and the garden
• Chemical free garden
  

Resources

• Natural products
• Food suppliers
  
• Farmers markets, community food, and other useful links
• Home and garden products