Are These 7 Hidden Chemicals in Your Home Secretly Undermining Your Health?
Sharing is caring! (Unless, of course, you’re sharing microplastics at the family dinner table—or serving up a side of BPA with those leftovers. Yum?) Well, maybe not quite the party favor we had in mind. Have you ever paused to wonder how many sneaky chemicals are hiding out in your daily routine—lurking in your water bottle, your makeup bag, and yes, even in that shiny new nonstick pan you just bought? Turns out, the world has become a game of chemical hide-and-seek, and most of us are losing.
But don’t panic yet—knowledge is power, and there’s actually quite a bit you can do (trust me, I’ve been digging through these health reports with the same passion I bring to SEO hacks). From enduring “greenwashed” marketing claims to deciphering mysterious-sounding ingredient lists, being a smart shopper has, frankly, never been more important—or complex. Whether you’re worried about what’s in your baby’s food, your favorite lipstick, or lurking in your tap water, the truth is: you’re not alone. The good news? Regulatory agencies are finally stepping up, and you can, too.
So—ready for a tour of the seven most common chemicals that might be sabotaging your health right under your nose? Spoiler: after this, you’ll never look at fast-food wrappers or old paint chips the same way. LEARN MORE
7 chemicals found in everyday products that might be harming your health
Microplastics in single-use water bottles, phthalates in nail polish, and BPA in canned food containers—it’s hard to avoid questionable chemicals in today’s world.
With so many potential dangers in everyday objects, consumers may feel rightfully overwhelmed. And it certainly doesn’t help that some companies have chosen to tout their supposedly environmentally safe products and processes, even as other parts of their business harm the environment—a practice called “greenwashing.” It takes a careful and detailed consumer to avoid the worst offenders, but the price is worth paying given the potential risks to one’s health.
Chemical exposure through food, consumer products, and the environment affects people at every life stage. Babies and toddlers are vulnerable to the effects of heavy metals, such as mercury and lead, as the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform noted in 2021. The committee found that well-known companies such as Gerber and Nurture, used ingredients with significant amounts of lead while in production. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, can affect fertility and increase cancer risk. Microplastics can accelerate aging. A study from the University of California, Berkeley found that exposure to benzene and trichloroethylene, two common environmental toxins, can accelerate the biological aging process.
Fortunately, it’s not just consumers taking individual action to curb these chemicals. Federal agencies are also taking action. The Environmental Protection Agency, for example, set limits for the first time in April 2024 on the amount of PFAS considered safe in drinking water. These forever chemicals never break down and stay in the environment and body forever. The agency believes these rules will reduce PFAS exposure for 100 million people, prevent thousands of deaths in the coming years, and reduce the incidence of serious illness.
QMedic compiled a list of chemicals in food, water, and consumer goods, their health risks, and how to avoid them, using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and studies from journals like Nature.
Microplastics
Microplastics are small plastic particles—100 nanometers to 5 mm in length—that leach out from plastic materials such as bottles and food packaging. Chemicals in these particles are sometimes called endocrine-disrupting chemicals because they interfere with the endocrine system, which manages the hormones that control critical bodily functions. This interference may result in a higher risk of developing conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and infertility.
The best ways to reduce exposure to microplastics are to eat less red meat (because microplastics tend to build up in animals we eat); substitute plastic water bottles and utensils for those made of glass, metal, or bamboo; and microwave food in glass or ceramic containers, because heat makes plastic containers release harmful chemicals.
BPA
Bisphenol A, or BPA, can typically be found in plastics and is used to produce shatterproof windows, water bottles, and even water supply pipes. Its ubiquity is why BPAs are so worrisome.
A study conducted by the CDC found that BPA can be found in 93% of more than 2,000 urine samples of those 6 years and older. These chemicals could act like hormones and thus disrupt puberty and ovulation, leading to infertility. Some evidence suggests that it can also contribute to Type 2 diabetes by affecting insulin resistance. Exposure to the chemical before or after birth may also lead to an increased incidence of asthma.
