Sneaky Places At Home Hiding Toxic PFAS Forever Chemicals

By now you’ve heard about PFAS chemicals - the “forever chemicals” most notably associated with non-stick cookware. Its also with plastics pollution and endocrine dysfunction.

But PFAS can be found in many common household items and it is linked to many chronic diseases down the line.

If you have infants or toddlers at home, it's especially important to consider the chemicals that could be in your carpet. For example, rugs are a major source of PFAS exposure for little ones who are likely to put their hands in their mouths after touching the material. 

What are PFAS?

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, is a class of thousands of man-made substances that are common in everyday objects. Peer-reviewed studies have linked them to some cancers, decreased fertility, thyroid disease, and developmental delays, among other health issues.  linked to serious health issues like testicular and kidney cancer, liver damage, thyroid disease, and more, are also hiding out in some pretty surprising places in our everyday lives.

Thanks to their super-strong carbon–fluorine (C–F) bonds, PFAS are extremely stable, making them persistent and resistant to degradation.

PFAS last for decades without breaking down, earning them the "forever chemicals" nickname.

Sneaky places at home that hide PFAS

It may be impossible to completely avoid PFAS, but there are a few simple ways to reduce your exposure. By tackling some of the sneaky places they hide:

Wall paint: One study at Duke University last year found PFAS in six of 10 popular paint brands sampled. The study also determined that in some brands there was off-gassing of PFAS, which reduces the overall concentration of the chemical in the paint on the wall, but disperses it into the air, where it can be inhaled.

Food packaging: PFAS were developed in the 1940s to resist heat, grease, stains, and water. That means they've ended up in a lot of food packaging. That includes pizza boxes, microwave popcorn bags, some wrappers, and grease-resistant paper.

A 2019 study found that people had lower PFAS levels in their blood after eating at home, and higher levels after eating fast food or at restaurants.

Nonstick cookware: The coating used in nonstick cookware usually contains PFAS, and they can easily leach into your food at high heat and once the coating gets scratched.

In fact, overheating nonstick cookware at 570°F or higher leads to the release of harmful chemicals that can cause an illness called "Teflon flu," or polymer fume fever.

In makeup: Cosmetics that are smoothing, long-wear, or waterproof are the ones most likely to contain PFAS chemicals. Without it, your mascara would run. It's a good idea to read ingredient labels (look for any ingredients with ‘fluoro’ in the name).

The Green Science Policy Institute keeps a list of PFAS-free products, including cosmetics brands.

In dental floss: for years, dental floss brands have used PFAS chemicals, which is concerning since it’s a product that goes in our mouths! A 2019 study found that women who flossed with Oral-B Glide had higher levels of a specific PFAS chemical in their blood than women who didn’t use that particular floss. Make sure your floss is PFAS-free!

Soft contact lenses: a random sampling of 18 popular brands of soft lenses sent to an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-certified lab all tested positive for PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Menstrual care products: Mamavation and Environmental Health News conducted a study of PFAS in menstrual care products, including tampons, pads, sanitary napkins and period underwear, and found most of them contaminated to one degree or another with the forever chemicals.

Clothing and textiles: One of the ways fabrics become water resistant is by using PFAS chemicals! Jackets, raincoats, backpacks, and other outdoor gear are often treated with these chemicals.

These fabrics shed fibers that can travel through the house as dust, eventually getting ingested or inhaled.

These same chemicals are used in stain-resistant treatments for upholstered furniture, carpeting, and even curtains. There’s no easy way to know if your items have been treated, especially if they’re older. When it comes time to replace them, seek out brands that don’t use PFAS chemicals.

House dust: Those floaters in the air you see are made up of many things, including chemicals breaking down from various household products, including PFAS. One study found that certain PFAS chemicals were detected in 97-100% of samples! One straightforward solution is to keep your house as clean as possible. Use a water-damp cloth to remove dust (referred to as wet dusting), is a simple way to lower PFAS exposure in your home. lingers in the air and allows humans to breathe the chemicals into their lungs or ingest them. By cleaning regularly, along with opening windows to allow for airflow and ventilation, you can keep dust levels low in your home and reduce the amount of PFAS you swallow.

Tap water: Communities located near military bases, such as Newburgh, New York, often find their water supplies contaminated with PFAS. The pollution can also affect local fish populations and the people who eat them.

PFAS levels in community tap water in Massachusetts reveals a trend of increasing contamination, with total fluorinated compounds exhibiting a 5- to 320-fold rise over 25 years.

People living near military bases are more vulnerable to water contamination. For example, it emerged through internal U.S. documents obtained by journalist Jon Mitchell for The Japan Times that accidental leaks of PFOS-containing fire extinguishing foam at Kadena Air Base may be linked to the contamination of drinking water on the island.

Cellphones / Fingerprint-resistant smartphone screens: PFAS are used in pretty much anything to make things more resistant to grease and water. The circuit boards, semiconductors, and insulated wiring that use PFAS, as well as the touch screen, which has PFAS coating to resist fingerprints.

What Are EMFs? 7 Things You Need to Know as a Mother

You probably hear about EMFs and its associated risks in the devices, content, and habits that we have, but what exactly does it mean? And what does it mean if you have children or are planning for a family?

In this article, you’ll learn what is EMFs and how they’re negatively affecting the health of children, in particular concerns around fertility, conception, birth and all through the crucial years of child development.

What are EMFs?

EMFs are invisible and completely beyond most people’s awareness. However, some people can actually feel them. Especially those that are manmade (non-native electromagnetic radiation).

The Electromagnetic Spectrum

The simplest way to understand how important EMFs are to our health – is by learning about the electromagnetic spectrum.

contains the entire range of all electromagnetic radiation. It also shows the field’s approximate frequency – which relates to its wavelength.

At the absolute lowest frequencies in the hertz range, we see the largest wavelengths. These are the size of several thousand miles! The lowest of frequency fields includes the Earth’s Schumann Resonance, which is also very healing for us when we are grounded in Nature to its energy.

The higher in frequency, the field gains more energy, and also reduces in wavelength. (That’s why wireless radiation is often called pulse radiation to describe its very high energy field.) In fact, at the frequency of Wi-Fi, your body is being exposed to 2.4 or 5 billion pulsations per second. Compare that to the natural Schumann Resonance, which has just 8 gentle cycles per second.

EMFs may be triggering your child’s hungries

In healthy participants and compared with no exposure, 50-minute cell phone exposure was associated with increased brain glucose metabolism in the region closest to the antenna. Link to the study: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/645813

Light can cause breast cancer

75 studies and articles showing effects of EMFs and the initiation and promotion of breast cancer.

https://emfrefugee.blogspot.com/2019/06/emfs-and-breast-cancer.html?m=1

2008 – Austria – Cell Phone Towers and CancerA study by Austrian Dr. Gerd Oberfeld (EMFacts 2008) showed a 23-fold increase in breast cancer and a 121-fold increase in brain tumors for those who lived with 200 meters of a cell phone base station for five years or longer! http://www.verwaltung.steiermark.at/cms/ziel/21212/DE/

EMFs may be harming your chances of conception

There’s enough compelling evidence to show how higher levels of exposure can reduce sperm quality in men.

It can also increase miscarriage risk in women. Two miscarriage studies, conducted by Kaiser Permanente and funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, are particularly interesting because they're some of the only ones to date that actually measured EMF exposure in subjects using a magnetic field monitoring device.

"We took [913 pregnant women] and asked them to wear the monitor for the duration of their pregnancy. Studies right now aren't using the meters because most of them are focusing on cancer. [But] Cancer can take 20 years to develop—you can't measure your exposure from 20 years ago, so in those cases, you just ask how much the person uses their cell phone." — eproductive epidemiologist De-Kun Li, MD, PhD, the principle investigator on both studies (one published in 2002, one published in 2017).

Singapore breast cancer statistics

What does your bedtime routine have to do with your breast cancer risk?

-

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women anywhere you're from. In Singapore,

Researchers looked at how short wavelength visible light in the blue region emitted from digital screens TANKS this crucial process.

also examined different levels of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) such as cellular phones (29-40), mobile base stations(41, 42), Wi-Fi routers

We have shown that both the blue light and RF-EMFs generated by mobile phones are linked to the disruption of the circadian rhythm in people who use their phones at night.

women who carry mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2, or women with family history of breast cancer should avoid using their smartphones, tablets and laptops at night.

Why bother with a sleep sanctuary if any will do?

Protecting your sleep/wake cycle is paramount to prevent cancer. Melatonin, the hormone dominant at night, is your ANTI-CANCER hormone. "has been shown to produce strong anti-cancer actions and also promotes sleep."

All mice were kept in the light for 12 hours each day. One group of three mice was in the dark the other 12 hours, which helped them produce high levels of endogenous melatonin. Another group spent 12 hours in light followed by 12 hours in dim light at night, which suppresses their nocturnal melatonin production. The dim light was 0.2 lux, which is less than a night-light or a display light from a cell phone

And the number disruptive to your

Women are more sensitive to melatonin disruptions.

BOTH the blue light and RF-EMFs generated by mobile phones are linked to the disruption of the circadian rhythm in people who use their phones at night.

Your breastmilk can be changed by your light enviroment

Human breast milk is more than a meal – it’s also a clock, providing time-of-day information to infants.

https://theconversation.com/human-breast-milk-may-help-babies-tell-time-via-circadian-signals-from-mom-118492?fbclid=IwAR2kplJ4RVUugLqqc7poMbCmZGYCnZvcxwDFXzmE_URmkbTS4ExjArOIZjo

Children are especially susceptible

Children are more vulnerable than adults to the effects of EMF (electromagnetic frequencies or fields) for a number of reasons, and most are submerged in an electrosmog soup all day, every day. What are the risks?

In 2016, the National Toxicology Program released the results from the largest cell phone study ever performed on the link between nonionizing radiation and cancer. Rats exposed to the frequency of radiation emitted by cell phones developed two kinds of tumors: gliomas in the brain and schwannomas in the heart. These results align with several observational studies finding links to the same types of tumors in humans - plus acoustic neuromas and meningiomas.

• Sleep deprivation

• Low energy, “brain fog”, mommy brain

• Mood issues, such as anxiety, depression, aggression and impulsivity

• Increased stress

• Affect sleep/wake cycles in babies through breastfeeding

• Developmental issues (especially in young kids)

• Dry-eye disease

• Decreased hand-eye coordination

• Reduced ability to form social connections and relationships

• Reduced executive function

In 2010, Powe et al. reported that among 25 Boston-area women,  mothers of sons produced ~25% higher energy density in milk than mothers of daughters. More recently, Fujita and colleagues (2012) revealed sex-biases in the milk fat concentration among 72 women in rural Kenya. On average, mothers of sons produced significantly higher fat concentrations in milk.

Children are also sensitive to their environment

Some people are "exquisitely sensitive" to places where EMFs are present. Some literally cannot be in certain places because of the Wi-Fi there—they end up with fatigue and headaches and ringing in the ears and a sense of brain fog to the extent that it may affect thinking and speech patterns.

I had a glimpse of this as a child that worsened as a teenager until it hit a peak when I was working fulltime. It took me until I was into my 30s to understand where all these symptoms were coming from.

The thing is, at that time I had no idea what was going and kept going, kept struggling despite the bouts of malaise that would hit me. It takes time for children to learn how to express their bodily aches in calm ways for our adult ways; before then, it often manifests as temper tantrums, general fatigue and “laziness”, and spectrum-type disorders.

Brain development in children

A child’s hippocampus and hypothalamus absorb 1.6 to 3.1 more MWR than an adult’s, and his cerebellum absorbs 2.5 times more[6][7]

Resources and references:

1. [6] Christ, Andreas, Marie-Christine Gosselin, Maria Christopoulou, Sven Kühn, and Niels Kuster. "Age-dependent Tissue-specific Exposure of Cell Phone Users." Physics in Medicine and Biology55, no. 7 (2010): 1767-783. doi:10.1088/0031-9155/55/7/001

2. [7] Gandhi, Om P., L. Lloyd Morgan, Alvaro Augusto De Salles, Yueh-Ying Han, Ronald B. Herberman, and Devra Lee Davis. "Exposure Limits: The Underestimation of Absorbed Cell Phone Radiation, Especially in Children." Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine31, no. 1 (2011): 34-51. doi:10.3109/15368378.2011.622827.

3. the Agency has issued opinions on the health effects of 5G deployment, high-voltage lines, body scanners and light-emitting diodes.

4. READ MORE about the link between night time light exposure and breast cancer here ((Melaniechua.com)).

5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5811748/?fbclid=IwAR3nAtsjrYTSCzDy5S7ayvcRmEgs4QZNyTBkhe6qoLEgTTkAyaWC7wOue0U#!po=1.51515

6. https://m.medicalxpress.com/news/2019-03-breast-cancer-likelier-bone-nighttime.html?fbclid=IwAR114v839lOxffTGnuuWVPfsVcMWaRf9fntJsxIi0NW7f-Shm_en3-OLE9M

What Makes a Safe Light Bulb – The Definitive Guide

Have you ever thought about whether your light bulbs are safe or giving off EMF radiation?

Newer light bulbs that have been developed to be more energy efficient, are actually some of the worst offenders.

Lighting are a big part of indoor spaces, and probably one of the biggest investments you can when you are renovate or making a brand new home. It takes time, energy, and money to decide exactly how you light up your indoor space — and it creates the light environment that you’re going to live in day after day.

Because you turn these on at night, extending your “daylight” hours, the type of light bulb you choose to fit your home in determines the quality of your environment.

Brief history of light bulbs

Thomas Edison is credited with inventing the first light bulb in 1878. They relied on the heat generated by a tungsten wire contained in a glass bulb and were called incandescent light bulbs. They are simple, and also generated heat, which can be useful in cooler climates.

As energy-efficiency considerations arose, however, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognised that energy efficient alternatives needed to be made readily available and become the new standard for Americans. It, along with other governments, looked for ways to reduce energy use en masse.

The aim was to accelerate America’s shift from inefficient, dated lighting products to innovative, high-performance products that can save American consumers and business owners money.[r]

On 3 August 2011, the DOE officially announced Philips Electronics North America as the first winner of the L Prize competition with an LED replacement for the 60-watt incandescent bulb.

The $10 million U.S. government prize marked the first government-sponsored technology competition designed to challenge lighting manufacturers to develop high-quality, ultra-efficient solid-state lighting products to replace the common light bulb with energy-saving lighting alternatives.

Philips turned out to be the only official entrant in the competition and the LED bulb retails at $40, far more than people are used to paying for a light bulb. Government support would be crucial to help the LED be competitive in the market. [r]

So this was a big deal. With the backing of government policies and commitment by other governments in the world, traditional light bulbs began to be replaced by a new technology — the light-emitting diode, or LED.

The LED light bulb

the increasingly popular LED bulbs. LED or Light-Emitting Diode bulbs rely on (you guessed it) a diode to produce light. The diode controls the direction of the energy flow. They are illuminated solely by the movement of electrons within a semiconductor material.

An LED contains blue light, a driver, and a fluorescent sheet that covers the blue light by extending the wavelengths producing a more yellowish or orange light. In this way, it is similar to a type of fluorescent light; it can fool your brain into thinking it is a more natural light but does not protect you from the dangers of blue light exposure, especially at night.

There are two primary dangers when it comes to LED light bulbs:

• Exposure to blue light

• Creation of drty electricity (a form of negative EMF) and electromagnetic radiation

The health impact of LEDs

However, research around the health impact of a new lighting technology emerged.

blue light from sources like your phone, laptop, and LED bulbs suppresses melatonin production, the hormone responsible for regulating quality sleep and wakefulness.

Blue light can also induce headaches and migraines, worsening any pain symptoms that you have. It results in eye pain and fatigue, which was commonly called in the 1980s and 1990s as “computer vision syndrome”.

There are countless clinical studies that support the harmful effects of blue light especially for people who prone to headaches or migraine attacks. Researchers have suggested that there is a specific neural pathway from the eyes to the brain—separate from how vision is transmitted—that ultimately causes blue light wavelengths to worsen headache pain and other symptoms.

Some researchers suggest it is the specific wavelength, in and around 480nm, that leads to high discomfort. It creates a pain perception and even enhanced spreading of headache pain across the brain.

Finally, blue light from LEDs can damage your retina.

If you want to learn much more about blue light toxicity, check out these articles:

• Are you living in junk light?

• Study shows light at night increases your risk of type 2 diabetes

• Blue light can cause precocious puberty

CFL Light Bulbs

As mentioned, LEDs are similar to CFL or Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs.

These are even more dangerous, probably the least safe light bulb on the market today. This is because the CFL use an electric current driven through a tube typically containing mercury vapor.

ALL fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury vapor, which emits a lot of UV rays when hit with an electric current. Increased absorption of such UV radiation from CFLs has been linked to a variety of health effects and skin disorders.

One key study showing this direct cause is from 2012 study. Researchers from the State University of New York at Stony Brook showed in a paper that tiny defects in the bulbs can let through UV light that can damage skin cells and lead to cancer. Not one CFL bulb they studied did not have any cracks or defects in the phospor coatings. This meant the bulbs emitted very significant levels of UVC and UVA.

The energy efficient compact fluorescent lights that are commercially available generate radio frequency radiation and ultraviolet radiation, they contain mercury—a known neurotoxin, and they are making some people ill. Instead of promoting these light bulbs governments around the world should be insisting that manufacturers produce light bulbs that are electromagnetically clean and contain no toxic chemicals. — Dr Magda Havas, an expert of EMF radiation, www.weepinitiative.org/LINKEDDOCS/scientific/08_Havas_CFL_SCENIHR.pdf

Last but not least, CFLS produce dirty electricity in your whole-house circuits. Just like LED bulbs, the circuits are not equipped to handle the demand of CFLs, which leads to dirty electricity. This dirty electricity builds up in the wiring of our home flooding it with EMF radiation.

Many people still purchase CFL bulbs for the same reason of energy efficiency and cost. CFL bulbs can provide the same amount of lumens as incandescent light bulbs, using about one quarter of the energy.

incandescent light bulb

To appreciate the difference in lighting, let’s go back to understand what was traditionally used.

60-watt incandescent light bulb is one of the most widely used types of light bulbs by consumers, representing approximately 50% of the domestic incandescent light bulb market.

Although incandescents may not be the most energy-efficient, the safest available lightbulb is the traditional incandescent.

halogen light bulbs

A halogen light bulb is a type of incandescent lamp which uses a halogen gas in order to increase both light output and rated life. These are popular for its moderately high efficiency, quality of light, and high rated life compared to regular incandescent lamps.

How Can You choose the safest light bulb?

Light bulbs are not as innocuous as you might think.

If you have to be indoors and needing light, you don’t want to remain the in dark and shun all lighting sources, including light bulbs, because that can have physical and emotional consequences too.

So what are your options? Try this quick checklist to choose the safest and best light bulb you can and minimize the damaging effects of bad lighting:

• Buy and use traditional incandescent or halogen bulbs. These use traditional heat source to produce a natural warm glow of light.

• If you choose LEDs, choose a warmer-coloured LED bulb. LED-makers are realising the health impacts of too-blue LEDs and racing to come up with warmer-looking alternatives.

• If you have LEDs at home, install them in low-traffic zones. This means you reduce your exposure to toxic LED light, such as walkways, instead of overhead in bedrooms or where you work.

• In high-traffic zones and for light-sensitive tasks (such as sleep), use incandescent or halogen light bulbs. They may not be the most energy efficient, but they will help to reduce the amount of EMF radiation emitted in the spaces that you occupy.     

• Try "blue blocker" or blue-light filtering glasses, but don’t settle for cheap knock offs. TheraSpecs are a great brand, particularly if you already have migraine or another light-sensitive condition.

• Use "night mode" or similar apps that are native settings on your phone and your computer. This can warm the lighting on your device and make it easier on the eyes.

• Turn your phone or computer off at least 2-3 hours before you go to bed.

• Change your light bulbs to warmer tones and colors. Opt for more natural light if possible and avoid/remove fluorescents, if appropriate.

• Give your eyes a break. Look away from your screen at least once every 20 minutes to let your eyes reset. And don’t forget to blink!

• If you must work under an LED, position your desk so that you are next to an open window (at least a crack) and your body can receive full-spectrum light energy. And you can take eye breaks looking out an open window. This is a building biology hack!

References:

1. https://cleantechnica.com/2011/08/04/philips-wins-prestigious-department-of-energy-l-prize/

2. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/110803-philips-led-light-bulb-wins-l-prize

3. Tiny defects in CFL light bulbs can let through UV light that can damage skin cells and lead to cancer. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1751-1097.2012.01192.x
   

Study: Toxic chemical exposure during pregnancy linked to serious health issues by elementary school

A study adds to the body of research showing that the mother’s exposure to toxins affects her child’s health well into the growing years. This study is one of the most comprehensive endeavors delving into early-life environmental origins of metabolic risk, further bolstering prior toxicological and epidemiological evidence in this area

Link to study: Prenatal Exposure to Chemical Mixtures and Metabolic Syndrome Risk in Children, jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.12040

the study

The researchers looked at 1134 mother-child pairs from 6 European countries (France, Greece, Lithuania, Norway, Spain, and the UK), and their prenatal exposures to common endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) mixtures. The mean age of the mothers at the birth of their child was 30.7 years, and they were recuited into the study April 1, 2003, and January 30, 2009.

These common toxic chemicals included “metals, organochlorine pesticides, polybrominated diphenyl ethers [that’s PBDEs, or flame retardants], and perfluoroalkyl substances”.

They then measured the children born to the mothers at 6 to 11 years of age. They focused on markers of metabolic syndrome, which combines measurements of blood sugars, lipids such as cholesterol, the existence of fat tissue and the impact on the heart.

We almost always consider health risks from single chemicals, one at a time, as if we are exposed to just one chemical at a time. Here the research team shows that children’s risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes later in life can be driven by the complex mixtures of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the body at any moment and it highlights the particular risk of chemical exposures during pregnancy. —Jane Houlihan, the national director of science and health for Healthy Babies Bright Futures

what the researchers found

They found that the exposure to toxins were associated with increased metabolic syndrome risk score and altered proinflammatory proteins, amino acids, and glycerophospholipid levels in childhood.

The childrens’ comprehensive tests had elevated levels of metabolic syndrome at ages 6 to 11. Metabolic syndrome can include obesity, elevated blood pressure, and abnormally high cholesterol and insulin resistance, which is a precursor to type 2 diabetes.

Within the group of children exposed to the highest levels of chemicals, 62% were overweight or obese, compared with 16% of children within the low-risk group.

Moreover, the levels of blood insulin and triglycerides, as well as systolic and diastolic blood pressure, were significantly higher in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group.

Pregnancy and childhood are especially important times to limit exposure to chemicals as the brain and body are in key stages of development. Sign up for a free guide to common pollutants AT HOME that you can reduce now.

11 Baby and Infant Products And Their Common Toxins

Some products come with the territory when you’re expecting a new baby, others are entirely optional but have hidden toxins that you need to be aware of. The list of toxins to avoid is ever-growing and the marketplace a mind field of potential hidden toxicities. Marketing does not always help as it may obscure more than offer helpful information.

Ultimately, this leaves the responsibility to you, mums and dads, to know the ingredients and materials behind your products — what's good for you and baby and what is not.

To cut to the chase, here is a list of the MOST COMMON baby products that you may not know are frequently full of toxins. For all of these products, you can choose better alternatives that are actually safe and support your baby’s biological development.

baby monitors

It would be difficult to actually study the effects of electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure from baby monitors on babies (not to mention the ethics of such a study), but we can infer a lot from the thousands of studies that look at how wireless radiation from cell phones affects children. Moreover, baby monitors tend to be used close to the baby (at least within the same room) and during sleep, which is a critical period of rest and growth for the baby.

If you need a baby monitor, check out this low-EMF baby monitors guide.

Infant car seats

Is your infant car seat treated with flame retardants? Many common baby products such as baby bedding, pillows, mats, and even car seat may be treated with toxic flame retardants, depending on the country of production (that governs regulations). The only way around this is to choose one NOT treated with chemicals and to seek 100% natural materials in your baby bedding.

Plastic baby bottles

Made out of plastic baby bottles, sippy cups, plastic feeding containers contain plasticisers that disrupt hormones. These are the big four (in)famous Phthalates, Bisphenol A (BPA), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polystyrene

Even after BPA was banned (only for some products, by the way — check out this article for more details) in 2012, its “BPA-free” alternatives (BPS, BPE, BPF, etc.) are just as toxic and harmful. Even low doses of endocrine disruptors can still have an effect.

In order to totally avoid BPA and its alternatives, it’s best to choose products that are not made of plastic, such as stainless steel, hospital-grade silicone, and glass.

Luckily, nowadays many sturdy glass alternatives are available. I used the glass Natural Start baby bottles from Tommee Tippee, and it was such a breeze to clean and scrub glass vs soft plastic too.

Fragrances

Things can get a bit messy especially during the postpartum to early years, and we might rely on our powerful sense of smell for a soothing reminder of calmer things. However, you want to strictly avoid artificial fragrances! Fragrances can contain synthetic chemicals that are derived from harmful sources like coal and petroleum, which can cause skin, respiratory, and even neurological issues. They also contain pthalates are harmful as they are linked to developmental disorders, respiratory issues, and fertility issues

Hand sanitisers

Triclosan is an antimicrobial ingredient often found in hand sanitizers and antibacterial soap) and it has been linked to such a significant impact on the thyroid and reproductive hormones that it’s banned in several countries.

Sunscreen lotion

These common skincare products often contain parabens and phthalates that are harmful, endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

Talcum powder

While talcum powder itself, as a smoothing agent, is generally safe; it is made from talc, a mineral made up mainly of the elements magnesium, silicon, and oxygen. However, it has the potential to be contaminated with asbestos, which is a known carcinogen and instigator of lung disease.

Baby Shampoo

There are more formulations for baby that any parent can keep track of. Look beyond ““gentle” and “pure” to find out the ingredients. One common ingredient, Formaldehyde some baby shampoos, and body washes. Many preservatives actually release formaldehyde (they’re called formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (FRPs)). are used in many personal care products. (Yes, the same found in particleboards that causes lung issues.)

Short-term exposure to formaldehyde may cause watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes, nose and throat and skin irritation. Formaldehyde and the formaldehyde-releasing preservative, quaternium-15, are significant sensitizers and causal agents of contact dermatitis in children. Even trace amounts are a concern as it is enough to sensitive the body.

Wood-composite furniture

While new “ultra low-emitting” formaldehyde (ULEF) and no-added formaldehyde (NAF) resins were developed, it is a concern especially if youhave just finished a renovation and/or bought new furniture. Formaldehyde is normally present at low levels (less than 0.03 parts per million) in both indoor and outdoor air. It can be many times that usual amount within homes due to the choice of materials and pool ventilation.

new furniture

Likewise, a lot of the materials we use to coat furniture contain solvents, and also other materials to seal them in, that can be harmful. One example can be formaldehyde, this is a chemical that’s used in furniture polishes and stains. Off-gassing can last long after your furniture loses its new shine.

It’s not a good idea for the postpartum phase if you’re going to be ensconced with baby in a small space, breathing in these fumes.

References & resources

1. Weatherly LM, Gosse JA. Triclosan exposure, transformation, and human health effects. J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev. 2017;20(8):447‐469. doi:10.1080/10937404.2017.1399306

EMF Exposure and Your Testicals, Testosterone, and Male Fertility

EMFs and Your Testicles

One of the most vulnerable organs to the RF-EMR is the testes.

This is due to the fact that testicular tissues are more susceptible to oxidative stress due to a high rate of cell division and mitochondrial oxygen consumption.

The biological effects of RF-EMR from wireless devices can be categorized as thermal and non-thermal.

First of all, it gets hot in there.

As it cannot effectively dissipate excess heat, testes are also susceptible to thermal effects from wireless radiation. The heat comes from how close your device is to your body.

Heat is also created when you are on the mobile phone conversing for extended periods of time, especially in POOR connectivity areas. This is because your phone emits at greater power to try to stay connected.

Researchers have found at least two ways that wireless radiation harms the sperm. As the cell proliferate, replication errors occur, resulting in DNA fragmentation in the sperm. Moreover, the cell needs to consume more increased oxygen, which increases the level of oxidative phosphorylation by-products (free radicals) in the mitochondria.

RF-EMR have been observed to cause:

• aberrations in the testes

• testicular tissue atrophy

• decreased testosterone levels,

• and a subsequent deterioration in sperm quality,

• including decreased motility in sperm

Thus you can see the concern about electro-pollution, especially from wireless technology and its impact on male reproductive function.

Established health impacts of RF-EMR

Now, the testes isn’t only for fun and reproduction. It is an important organ that generates your body’s supply of male hormones.

Taking care of your testicles is also protecting your personal hormonal balance.

When you’re hormonally out of balance, it is impossible to feel any kind of good in life.

Here are some negative effects of non-native EMFs on human health:

1. Increased Risk of Cancer

Studies show a link between long-term exposure to non-native EMFs and an increased risk of certain types of cancer, such as leukemia and brain tumors.

2. Disruption of Sleep Patterns

Non-native EMFs, particularly those emitted by electronic devices like smartphones and Wi-Fi routers, are associated with sleep disturbances. Exposure to these EMFs before bedtime interfere with the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep, leading to difficulties falling asleep or disrupted sleep patterns.

3. Impact on Fertility

Studies indicate that non-native EMFs have a negative impact on fertility. Prolonged exposure to EMFs from sources like laptops, cell phones, and wireless devices reduce sperm quality, motility, and viability.

4. Neurological Effects

There is evidence that non-native EMFs may have neurological effects, including increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

5. Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS)

Some individuals experience symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, and dizziness when exposed to non-native EMFs. This greatly reduces quality of life and their productivity and vitality at work and in their personal relationships.

Electromagnetic soup of pollution

It’s difficult to avoid the use of mobile phones and it has become an essential part of our daily lives in this modern era. Our phones have gone from simple communication tool to a wireless device with multiple functions to feed literally every aspect of life, such as internet browsing, gaming, video on demand, video conferencing, mobile TV, GPS navigation, and many more. The thing is, wireless tech is, well, wireless. It requires connection to a WiFi point. This means continuous communication from your phone to the antennas in the area.

Wireless radiation is also incredible energy, and 5G - even shorter wavelengths, higher energy - means it will be in our pockets by reproductive organs, by our brain, every street. This is how abnormalities can be caused as the energy messes up cell function and proliferation. It's important to understand by dabbling with these tech, we are dabbling with our health. If we're serious about protecting ourselves from ALL energy weapons, we have to change our habits with our wireless tech devices. E.g. NO airpods. No putting your laptop right on your testes, etc.

Avoiding long-term and excessive use of mobile phone is one way to reduce the detrimental effect of RF-EMR.

Other methods including choosing EMF-proof clothing to protect your most vulnerable organs.

Read the science, watch the videos, and sign up here to eliminate the single most common source of wireless radiation.

References:

• https://doi.org/10.4314%2Faja.v7i1.169488

• Asghari A, Khaki AA, Rajabzadeh A, Khaki A. A review on Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and the reproductive system. Electron Physician. 2016 Jul 25;8(7):2655-62. doi: 10.19082/2655. PMID: 27648194; PMCID: PMC5014506.