7 Interesting Things to Know about Chemicals ...

By Neecey

For anyone interested in their health and/or the environment, there are definitely some important things to know about chemicals. The effects of chemicals and the toxins they contain are still hot potatoes of scientific research, especially regarding the effect they have on us, wildlife and the planet. It’s really hard to make a decision about which chemicals to steer clear of for leading a greener life, but with these things to know about chemicals, you’ll at least be better informed and more able to decide.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Please subscribe for your personalized newsletter:

1

Number of Commonly Used Chemicals

You’ll read on AWS plenty of advice about what chemicals to avoid in your skincare, hair and makeup products, but one of the interesting things to know about chemicals that makes it such a minefield when it comes to making the best choices, is that more than 84,000 chemicals are FDA approved for commercial use. Many of these chemicals are present in our beauty products, pharmaceuticals, plastics, food, fabrics, dyes, paints, cleaners, and more. With such a large number, and with so many having unpronounceable names, it’s no wonder we can stand at the beauty counter or hair care aisle scratching our heads!

2

Synthetic Chemicals Used in Cosmetics

A very important fact about synthetic chemicals is that they serve as important ingredients for manufacturing cosmetics and other personal care products. There are more than 10,500 ingredients used in the manufacturing of cosmetics. Some of these ingredients include degreasers, plasticizers, and surfactants. These ingredients are used in auto industry, paints, etc., but we use them on our faces and bodies.

3

Percentage of Approved Chemicals

You may imagine that just knowing there are 84000+ approved chemicals is bad enough. I think a bigger issue is that only 1% of these chemicals have been safety-tested. (Ref: edition.cnn.com) Unfortunately, it can take decades of us reporting adverse reactions and scientific evidence to back up the claims for a chemical to be deemed dangerous and be removed from the approved list.

4

Number of Chemicals in Personal Care Items

One of the most important facts about chemicals is that they are present in most of the personal care products unless you buy products that are guaranteed all-natural. A study showed that the average American uses 9 personal products a day and this exposes them to up to 126 different chemicals. (Ref: ewg.org) Think about it – if you shower, wear deodorant/anti-perspirant, cleanse, tone and moisturize your face, wash, condition and style your hair, wear makeup, nail polish, exfoliate and moisturize your body, and clean your teeth, that’s one heck of a load of chemicals – just for getting ready to leave the house. Throw extras like sun screen, lip balms, foot moisturizers and hand creams into the mix and the chemical pile just grows.

5

Chemicals in Food

There are a staggering 3,000+ chemicals on the FDA list of additives allowed in food. The list includes names which will be very familiar to you such as MSG (monosodium glutamate), trans fats and sodium nitrate. These together with lesser known ones such as potassium bromate are believed to have serious impacts on our health.

Famous Quotes

Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.

Bruce Lee
6

The Total Quantity of Pesticides Used in the U.S

One of the interesting but rather disturbing facts about chemicals is that in the U.S. alone, more than 5.1 billion pounds of pesticides are used every year. What most people are not fully aware of is that these pesticides are extremely toxic to the nervous system – they can affect hormones, cause brain damage, and lead to cancer. As most people cannot afford to eat organic produce, they have no other choice but to stay content with the food produced using toxic pesticides.

7

Water Systems Polluted with Chemicals

It is a known fact that different types of chemicals can affect the quality of drinking water, and the same is the case in the U.S., where more than 100 million people are using water from municipal water systems polluted with potentially dangerous chemicals. (Ref: ewg.org) Do you smell chlorine in the water that comes from your faucet? If that's the case, the chances are that the water you drink is contaminated with a family of chemicals called "Trihalomethanes," which can cause cancer. Of course, it is possible to resolve the issue to some extent by using good quality filters, but it's important to first take the issue seriously.

There are so many statistics that are stated as being facts about chemicals, but I guess we really don’t know what the truth of it is. For every bit of research that proves the negative, there will be a study refuting it and claiming the positives. I guess the only way is stay educated in order to be able to make informed decisions. Does the massive use of chemicals in our world bother you or do you just accept it as a fact of life?

Feedback Junction

Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge

The word chemicals can apply to so many things. I'm not sure what this is about.

@Stephanie Hayes, We don't mind you using us to promote your site but please stop spamming. 1 link only please or they will all be deleted leaving zero.

Sorry but these people in charge so to speak have no value or regard for our lives and maybe even there own. Humanity is only de-evolving as we know it. Hence why Iam a vegetarian with a conscious.

Related Topics

site:health.allwomenstalk.com 7 Things You Didnt Know about Working at Disney World ... 9 Important Facts about Fertility That You Should Know ... 7 Happy Facts to Make Your Day Better ... 7 Facts about the Nervous System and How It Works ... 7 Facts about Omega 3 Fatty Acids That Might Surprise You ... 7 Facts about Enzyme Supplements That You Must Know ... 7 Interesting Facts about Dreams ... 7 Interesting Facts about Ayurvedic Medicine ... 7 Common Myths You Probably Believe ...

Popular Now