What's in your body? A number of chemicals are becoming more worrisome.
Even as the chemical industry and manufacturers tell us we are safe, the evidence against several widely used chemicals keeps mounting.
In December, Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa P. Jackson gave testimony before the Senate committee on environment and public works. She said that while it's the EPA's job to ensure that chemicals used in products are safe, "under existing law, we cannot give that assurance."
Of the 80,000 chemicals used in the United States, the agency has been able to require testing on only about 200 and limited use of only five. "We've only been able to regulate a handful of chemicals, and we know very little about the rest," Jackson said.
Later that month, the agency announced a new "chemicals of concern" list and immediately added two - phthalates, used to make plastics flexible, and PBDEs, which are fire retardants.
Other high-profile targets include perfluorinated compounds, used to make nonstick cookware, and bisphenol A (BPA), found in hard plastics, baby bottles, sip cups and the linings of some food cans.
Those chemicals and more have all made their way into our bodies, according to an annual biomonitoring project by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Its fourth report, looking at 212 substances, said BPA was in 90 percent of the 2,400 people sampled.
There's a reason "toxic" chemicals are called that. Phthalates are suspected of disrupting the formation of male genitals. Animal tests suggest PBDEs can alter brain development and thyroid hormones. A recent study faulted them for reduced human fertility.
BPA has been linked to infertility, early-onset puberty and cancer - all in animal tests. A recent study of humans found it appears to cause erectile dysfunction in men.
PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), given in large amounts to lab animals, affected their development and reproduction and injured their livers.
In a report released last month, the nonprofit Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition concluded that giving the EPA more clout to regulate toxic chemicals and presumably restrict them would reduce chronic diseases enough to save $5 billion in annual health care costs.
What can you do?
PFOAs are easy. Avoid nonstick cookware, wrinkle-free clothing and stain repellents, says Elizabeth Salter Green, an endocrinologist and co-author of the book, "The Toxic Consumer: Living Healthy in a Hazardous World."
As for phthalates, it's getting easier to find plastic products touted as phthalate-free. Check the labels of cosmetics and personal-care products. Avoid plastics marked with a "3" in the recycling code on the bottom.
Some government officials are trying to address BPA. Some states have introduced legislation to prohibit the sale of baby bottles and other child-care items or toys that contain BPA.
The Food and Drug Administration has switched from saying BPA is safe to saying more research is needed.
Meanwhile, Marc Smolonsky, associate deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, recommends minimizing infant exposure.
A to-do list is available at www.hhs.gov/safety/bpa. It includes breastfeeding infants for 12 months, throwing away scratched baby bottles and not putting hot liquids into bottles that contain BPA.
Additionally, some suggest avoiding plastics with a "7" in the recycling code.
Perhaps the hardest of all these high-profile chemicals to avoid is PBDEs. Several kinds are in use.
Some are in the plastics used in electronics. Although you can wipe the surface of a computer and measure PBDEs on the cloth, the chemical is generally stable in plastics, says Sonya Lunder, senior analyst at the Environmental Working Group.
The nonprofit advocacy and research organization works for protection against toxic contaminants. Its tips for how to have a healthier home are at www.ewg.org/parentsgreenguide.
What Lunder is worried about are the PBDEs in foam. They were phased out in 2004, but they were used in long-lasting items - couches, mattresses, carpet padding and even breast-feeding pillows and child car seats.
Beware of older foam, Lunder says. If your couch is looking lumpy, it probably means the foam is breaking down. Consider getting rid of it.
If you find a groovy-looking chair at a yard sale, don't buy it intending to reupholster it.
Since PBDEs and other chemicals are often found in dust, use a vacuum fitted with a HEPA filter.
And don't understimate the benefit of washing your - and your children's - hands.
I told Lunder I'm getting up there - certainly past child-bearing age. I grew up in the Kool-Aid era. Aren't I full of chemicals anyway? Isn't there a point at which I can stop worrying about all this?
Lunder laughed and said it's never too late to worry about toxins. "You're not a done deal," she said. "We don't write off any age group."
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