The chemical industry has been conducting a huge experiment with people’s health for at least a century, and although the effects and legal consequences for companies – due to subsequent evidence of corporate irresponsibility as well as scientific evidence of health damage – arrive years late, the damage for many has already been done and is irreversible.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has monitored more than 151 potentially harmful chemicals for several years, many of which are already lodged in our bones, muscles, blood and fat. What is good for the chemical industries is not necessarily good for humans – and we can be sure that they will do everything possible to cover up the dangers and divert attention. Find out about some of the seemingly innocuous substances that could greatly harm your health (even as you read these lines) without you knowing it.
1. Lead
Today, paint companies promote the fact that their products do not contain this metal as a competitive advantage – but less than a century ago, lead was a material used in all kinds of products, from paint to toys (think of the classic “little soldier” of lead”), furniture and carpentry in general. Workers who worked in pigment plants, batteries, and lead mines suffered terribly after being exposed to airborne lead dust within their work environments.
But during the 1950s, the lead industry did everything it could to cover up this information. They published false reports about the health effects of lead, including claiming that it was safe to use in paint, gasoline, plumbing tools, toys, baseballs, and fishing tackle. Today, many old houses painted with lead continue to silently poison their inhabitants.
In 1971 the United States Congress passed a law to limit the use of lead in the paint industry, and in 1978 the use of this material was banned in all consumer paints. Since 1980, lead began to be eliminated from commercial gasoline, although it is still used in jet fuel.
2. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
The name may not be very familiar to you, but this carcinogenic substance (along with its cousins, chlorinated hydrocarbons, including DDT and other pesticides) were in common use between the 1950s and 1970s. Although they are banned today due to their carcinogenic effects, they were used in office stationery, adhesives, paints and electrical equipment. People who were exposed to them still carry them on their bodies.
3. Formaldehyde
A chemical used by funeral homes as a preservative for bodies is also used as a fungicide, germicide and disinfectant, in addition to being an integral part of the medium-density fibers and melamine resins used in office and home furniture. Over time, the material evaporates, disseminating an invisible, odorless and highly toxic vapor. The National Cancer Center and the National Institutes of Health of the United States recommend that consumers of this type of furniture (which includes dressers, desks, bookcases and others) ask about the formaldehyde content in the products they purchase.
4. Flame retardant materials (fire retardants)
Chemical coatings to prevent fires on sofas, chairs, rugs, curtains, baby products and other household goods seemed like a good idea in the early 1970s when they were introduced to the market. But over the years, scientists have discovered that commonly used flame retardants such as polybrominated biphenyls and diphenyl ethers have a number of undesirable health consequences, including (but not limited to) thyroid problems, memory and learning problems. , low IQ as well as delayed physical and cognitive development in children.
5. Teflon
A kitchen material without which our pots and pans would require the use of cooking oils is also potentially harmful. Perfluorooctanic acid, the nonstick cooktop coating that makes household goods heat-resistant, stays with us, as well as the food we cook on them; According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Scientific Advisory Committee, Teflon “may be carcinogenic to humans.”
The list could go on for a long time. Outside of living with paranoia due to the potential harmful effects that our everyday products could have on our health and that of our families, greater awareness of our rights as consumers becomes essential: demanding that companies and governments detect and put out circulation of chemical products and materials potentially harmful to health is an urgent task.