Since the 1970s more than 78,000 chemicals have been approved for commercial use. Only 1,000 have been formally examined and considered for their carcinogenic potential - and of those the World Health Organisation consider 120 as ‘known’ carcinogens, 81 as probable carcinogens and 299 as possible carcinogens (i).
We know little about the other thousands of chemicals. What is the impact of each of those chemicals on one another? Do some change our internal biology that could lead to the onset of diseases? What is the accumulative effect?
The average adult uses 9 personal care products a day with 126 unique chemical ingredients (ii)! One in five adults are exposed to all the top seven carcinogenic impurities found in personal care products including formaldehyde. Women are hit harder with an average of 168 chemicals every day.
Indeed many everyday products could be a concern - and their seem to be regular media stories raising concerns; in 2016 Johnson and Johnson’s baby powder and other talc products for feminine hygiene were determined by a Missouri state court to cause ovarian cancer (update 6/9/22; Talc is to be withdrawn - see here). Last year 75 hand sanitiser brands were recalled in the States as they contained toxic ingredients. We've also just seen last month dozens of Pantene and Herbal Essences dry shampoo sprays recalled for a cancer-causing chemical (see here).
There are many examples of papers pointing to the impact of chemicals that are widely being used. A PubMed paper for example, from November 2020 looking at hand sanitisers notes that "it has been observed that overuse of alcohol based hand sanitizer results antimicrobial resistance, which can put more burdens on already struggling healthcare professionals. Repeated exposure of disinfectant, antibiotics or other genotoxic chemicals to microbes tends them to get mutations through natural process that make them resistant to survive from repeated use of hand sanitizer".
I remember a ground-breaking study in 2004 that still shocks; the Environmental Working Group commissioned five laboratories to examine the umbilical cord blood from ten babies and found more than 200 chemicals in each newborn. They report that they would have found more if they had tested for more.
In a blog back in June 2009 a blood test came back suggesting that my cancer may have been caused by a chemical found in moth-proofing carpets, air-fresheners and toilet bowl blocks - see that blog here. As I note then it is possible that that played a role in my cancer but I think it is far more complex than that.
It is easy to become paralysed by the overwhelming number of possible toxins in our environment. However we can become informed and thoughtful consumers. The list of chemicals is likely to grow and we are unlikely to know what impact many of them will have on ourselves. Many of us have adopted a precautionary principle so that until a chemical has been found to be harmless we will try not to use it. One example of this is if a product has the word ‘fragrance’ it may well have endocrine disrupters in it - so we just don’t use it.Toxins role in Cancer?
Professors Rosalie David and Michael Zimmerman looked at cancer prevalence by reviewing the remains of Egyptian mummies and data gathered since then. They concluded that “Cancer certainly existed in antiquity…but the rarity of that diagnosis in the tens of thousands of skeletal remains and thousands of mummies that have been examined supports our view that most cancers in our modern populations are due to man-made factors”.
There is increasing evidence for the impact of environmental factors on cancer. In a Nature article in Jan 2016 it was estimated 70-90% of cancers are caused by diet, lifestyle and environmental factors. While a Pubmed article (iv) by Schneiderman found 80% of cancer is related to the environment. Cohen and Jefferies in their great book ‘Anti-Cancer Living’, say research shows diet and sedentary behaviour in the US is around 30-35%, tobacco 30% worldwide, viral infections 15%, radiation up to 10%, alcohol 3.5%, but they acknowledge that environmental toxins are too hard to estimate.
Our homes and lives are certainly full of chemicals - and it is true that some of those will have an impact on our health. It is also true that we can’t realistically avoid them all but we can limit exposure.
Nutrition
There are varying reports about the possible impact of pesticides in our food. Amazingly we can lower pesticide levels in washed produce by 80% by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and veg (most years these include apples, potatoes, tomatoes and strawberries). While the Journal of Environmental Research found 7 days on an organic diet led to dialkyl phosphate pesticide (DAP) levels dropping by 89% in urinary secretion. DAPs make up 70 to 80% of organophosphate pesticides.
There are also concerns regarding other foods including some processed foods, dairy, meat and more. This is a topic for another blog.
Of course what you eat can also help detox - foods like beets, lemon, chlorella, spirulina, broccoli sprouts, milk thistle and more - but again that is another blog.
Wigwammer thoughts
In the Wigwam group people shared various thoughts and ideas. To give a taste here are some of them; vinegar for cleaning, glass storage for food (as opposed to plastic) but also to avoid tinned food that has BPA liners, replacing toilet bleach with bicarbonate of soda, purifying water, getting an infrared sauna, being aware of Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs), mercury in food and fillings, some medications and treatments/screenings, radon, asbestos and more.
Phew - you can see why this could be totally overwhelming and lead to panic.....but also crucial to remember the impact of stress! Over four years since my diagnosis and I am still learning and still trying to reduce the impact of chemicals on my immune system.
Previous Forum looked at Environmental Toxins
Leyla Mouddan, a Digestive Health educator and previously President of Association of Naturopathic Practitioners looked at a very basic framework for the everyday changes that increase immunity, exploring how our homes could be poisoning us - and what we can do about it - to access you need to sign up (free) to get access: https://www.wigwam.org.uk/podcast-and-videos
Air quality
There are over 36,000 premature deaths in the UK linked with air pollution (v) - more than from obesity or alcohol. The UK Government has breached EU limits on air quality and been found guilty twice in court. Cancer Research UK estimate 3,600 cases of cancer due to air pollution (vi).
One of the more common pollutants is benzene; it is known to cause cancer and is found in many products and places including cigarettes, glues, solvents, paints, pesticides, airports and petrol stations. Since learning this I’ve been far more careful now to avoid breathing in fumes when I fill up with petrol!
Update 11.08.22: "Researchers say they have cracked how air pollution leads to cancer, in a discovery that completely transforms our understanding of how tumours arise" - see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-62797777
Outside air is one thing but inside our homes and work places can also be polluted and in many cases can be more polluted than outside.
Indoor Air Pollution
This list is some from the one by Tony Davies from one of the Wigwam groups;
Leyla Mouddan, a Digestive Health educator and previously President of Association of Naturopathic Practitioners looked at a very basic framework for the everyday changes that increase immunity, exploring how our homes could be poisoning us - and what we can do about it - to access you need to sign up (free) to get access: https://www.wigwam.org.uk/podcast-and-videos
Air quality
There are over 36,000 premature deaths in the UK linked with air pollution (v) - more than from obesity or alcohol. The UK Government has breached EU limits on air quality and been found guilty twice in court. Cancer Research UK estimate 3,600 cases of cancer due to air pollution (vi).
One of the more common pollutants is benzene; it is known to cause cancer and is found in many products and places including cigarettes, glues, solvents, paints, pesticides, airports and petrol stations. Since learning this I’ve been far more careful now to avoid breathing in fumes when I fill up with petrol!
Update 11.08.22: "Researchers say they have cracked how air pollution leads to cancer, in a discovery that completely transforms our understanding of how tumours arise" - see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-62797777
Outside air is one thing but inside our homes and work places can also be polluted and in many cases can be more polluted than outside.
Indoor Air Pollution
This list is some from the one by Tony Davies from one of the Wigwam groups;
There is no safe level of tobacco consumption, a major cause of cancer, do not allow it indoors.
Open windows to air the home for a few minutes daily, do NOT use ‘air fresheners’ that can contain toxic chemicals eg: volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (respiratory irritants), benzene, formaldehyde, toluene, m,p-xylene, phthalates, and more.
The British Lung Foundation advise NOT to burn scented candles and incense in a confined space as they let off VOCs and other pollutants eg formaldehydes (linked to cancer);
Many plants produce a lot of oxygen and some remove toxins from the air - spider plants have been shown to remove formaldehydes and other toxins – all good to have in the bedroom. One of the Wigwam group sent this re houseplants that help clean air: “according to NASA Snake plants are one of the best houseplants for absorbing airborne toxins, including formaldehyde, nitrogen oxide, benzene, xylene and trichloroethylene. There are many websites with lists of plants that are good - here’s one: https://www.cancerdefeated.com/are-your-houseplants-%E2%80%A8really-purifying-your-air/ “
Keep humidity below 55% (hygrometers to measure this are cheap and readily available) to minimise chance of mould growth eg Aspergillus (black) which affects lungs and breathing - not something you want if going through chemo or have any form of lung problems. If mould does start to grow chlorine based bleach is itself a Xenoestrogen and thus carcinogenic and only kills spores on non-porous surfaces. Use vinegar, tea tree oil, hydrogen peroxide and then baking soda.
Try to avoid drying clothes on radiators, a significant source of humidity. Best practice is to dry them outside, otherwise use a tumble drier that vents or collects moisture.
A lot of this seems to be common sense but I think we can too easily get seduced into seeing chemicals as an easy answer.
Notes
(i) ‘Anti Cancer Living’ by Dr Lorenzo Cohen and Alison Jefferies (2018)(ii) www.ewg.org(iii) https://www.nature.com/articles/nrc2914-c3(iv) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/642654/(v) https://friendsoftheearth.uk/clean-air(vi) https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/air-pollution-radon-gas-and-cancer/how-can-air-pollution-cause-cancer and see BBC report: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-2456444
