Know what is in your environment

What do you think you may find in your home?  What potentially harmful elements exist in your favorite coffee cup, earrings, or child’s toy?  I’m not writing to scare anyone, that is not my objective as a person or as a business owner.  If anything, as a person and a business owner I simply what to provide information about your environment. 

“Know what is in your environment!”

Over the past two-years of providing XRF testing services to moms and dads, businesses and industries, I have almost become numb to our findings.  At first I was startled with the results, but as time progressed, the simple randomness of what I was finding has me realize this; we all have a variety of heavy metals in our homes, at daycare centers and schools, doctor’s offices and community centers, and are all most likely exposed to some degree or fashion.

Randomness of what we find, still amazes me, but no longer shocks me.  How in a world with such amazing technologies and desire to help others, prevent harm, keep children safe, do we still permit harmful metals in our consumer products? 

I’m definitely not saying that these harmful metals I find are causing any specific harm, but they are present in many different consumer products found in the typical home. 

As for what I’ve seen…

Lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury…and more.
 
Where have I seen these elements?

In just about every consumer product possible!  I’ve seen harmful metals in toys, ceramics, jewelry, plastics, housing/structure, soil and other substrates.

I have seen Lead in all types of ceramics, paints, children’s products, toys, jewelry, cutting boards, mattresses, infant’s products and many other consumables, soil, plastics and other substrates.  The highest levels (from our data) appear to be in the things we cook with, eat off of and wear.

I have see Cadmium in all types of ceramics, paints, children’s products, toys, jewelry, plastics and other substrates.  The highest levels (from our data) appear to be in the things we cook with, eat off of and wear.

I have seen Arsenic in some ceramics, children’s products, toys, plastics and other substrates.

I have seen mercury in some ceramics, children’s products, toys, plastics and other substrates.

I’m not saying that just because your child’s favorite toy or your favorite coffee cup has something potentially harmful in it that you or your child are going to be harmed.  I’m just stating what I’ve seen, and if you can reduce your exposure, and especially your child’s exposure to these potentially harmful metals and thus certain items/consumer products/housing (paint), this simple act of reduction in exposure can help to mitigate some potential harm.

Here is an example.  About a year ago, I was in a home providing our services.  The home owner asked me to test their dishes, the ones that they used every day.  They were beautiful, colorful, and in very good condition (there appeared to be no chips, cracks or blemishes in the glaze).  However, they also appeared to contain about 10 percent lead. 

The home owner was deeply concerned about this finding, wondered what to do, and also said that they could not get rid of the dishes, they were a family heirloom. 

My response, first let’s note that the condition of the glaze appears to be fine (the most critical factor according to a toxic elemental specialist I spoke with at the FDA).  Second, do you have other dishes you could use, I asked?  They said yes.  Can you make these dishes a display piece for your home I asked?   They said yes.  How about this, if you want to use these dishes, can you limit the use to birthday’s and special occasions (Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner)?  They said yes. 

Result of this knowledge, their potential exposure to lead from this set of dishware was reduced from 365 times per year to less than 10 times per year, a reduction of close to 40 times.

Besides the question of why are harmful metals in consumer products, the ones we eat off of, cook with, wear, our children play with, is for another blog.

Knowledge can lead to prevention! Prevention to mitigation!  Mitigation can improve lives!