Transcript
Speaker: We'll finish up this module by taking a brief look at some of the most common pollutants in household products.
Speaker: There are many chemicals that are polluting our homes. We'll finish up this module by taking a brief look at a few of the most common pollutants in household products. First on the list are phthalates. So these are one of the most widespread toxic chemicals in our environment at the moment.
Speaker: They're basically used to make plastics soft and pliable and they're even added to many cosmetic and beauty products. So our exposure is from food air and skin contact with these products. Some of the most common sources of exposure are PVC plastics, children's toys, plastic bags and food packaging, as I mentioned cosmetics, insecticides and insect repellents and certain building
Speaker: and certain building materials and detergents have them. The thing about phthalates is that they are antiandrogenic chemicals that can cause reproductive damage and alter sexual development in children. They disrupt the metabolism of the hormone testosterone, which is of course very important for the development of boys. And phthalates can even interfere with thyroid hormone regulation.
Speaker: PVC floors are one of the most common sources of airborne thalate dust. One study found that children who lived in homes with PVC floors had higher rates of autism than those that lived in homes with wood flooring. Furthermore, another group of researchers found that mothers of autistic children who had higher likelihood of exposure to canned foods, plastics, old electronics, microwavable food and printed fabrics
Speaker: Furthermore, another group of researchers found that mothers of autistic children had higher likelihood of exposure to canned foods and plastics and old electronics and microwavable food than mothers of typically developing children. These products are sources of exposure to not just phthalates, but also toxins such as BPA and flame retardants. Other studies have found higher levels of phthalates in the urine of autistic children
Speaker: than in their peers, as well as reduced capacity to detoxify these compounds. I think you can see that phthalates, the danger of phthalates is it's real and it's very present in our current lifestyle with all these plastics that we use.
Speaker: So this is why in the module on cleaning up your child's environment, one of the biggest, a big focus will be to reduce as much as possible use of plastics. Continuing with Bisphenol A or BPA, this is another chemical that's used in plastic manufacture. It's actually used to harden plastics.
Speaker: And it's another hormonal disruptor that can cause oxidative stress and can damage the mitochondria. Some studies have found that BPA levels are higher in autistic children than they're typically developing peers. Researchers who found BPA in the urine of autistic children at 15 times higher than the neurotypicals controls at
Speaker: Researchers who found BPA in the urine of autistic children at 15 times higher than the neurotypical controls concluded that there was an association between BPA exposure and autism. Here's a quote from a paper, the majority of children are exposed to bisphenol A through the use of plastic bottles and pacifiers.
Speaker: So can you imagine what a crime it is to manufacture these products with BPA? And I know maybe 20 years ago, we didn't know that BPA is this damaging, but for any manufacturers out there that are continuing to use BPA in their products with what we know now about these chemicals, it is an absolute crime against humanity, unfortunately.
Speaker: BPA has been found in many consumer products, so hard plastics. BPA is found in a lot of consumer products, so hard plastics, plastic bottles, cups, containers, children's toys, and even in some food packaging. So again, this underscores the importance
Speaker: of minimizing your use of plastics and replacing things like plastic toys, containers that you store food in, and again, we'll discuss that in a later module in more depth. Fire retardant chemicals such as PBDEs are used in a lot of products, so car seats, furniture, beds, children's toys and clothing like pajamas, carpet curtains,
Speaker: textiles of all sorts, household appliances, electrical wiring.
Speaker: I guess the intention on the side of the manufacturers is good to prevent fires, but what we must do is rethink at least some of the products that we buy that we have control over because PBDEs and other similar flame retardant chemicals are toxic to our cells at tiny concentrations.
Speaker: They can cause damage to our mitochondria, oxidative stress, they can cause cells to die, and they can even cross the blood -brain barrier and accumulate in our tissues in the body.
