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Pocono News Section
Conference Targets Dangerous Toxins
Conference Targets Dangerous Toxins - Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at 5:20PM EST
Danville, Montour County-
From cleaning supplies to perfumes, we’re exposed every day to chemicals that can make us sick.
A conference Tuesday outlined some of those dangers and how you can protect yourself.
Nearly 100 health care professionals gathered at Geisinger Medical Center to learn more about the hidden dangers in products we use on a daily basis.
Clinical Nurse Educator Renee Smith said, “You have things under your kitchen sink, in your bathroom, things in your shower that you use everyday that have chemicals in them that have never been tested for safety in humans.”
Experts suggest using natural or organic products.
But it’s not just cleaning and beauty supplies. We’re exposed to pesticides used by farmers and homeowners too.
Smith explained, “One of the things you can do is take your shoes off at the door. Change your clothes if you’ve been working with pesticides in your own yard. Try to find alternatives to pesticides in your home. Just keep them out.”
Educators are also seeking legislation to safeguard against pharmaceuticals leaking into our drinking water.
Experts we spoke with say these individual products contain very low levels of toxins. But when they accumulate, they can become more dangerous.
Studies have shown that exposure to toxins can lead to things like skin irritation, asthma, and other breathing problems.
Smith added, “In some of the severe circumstances with exposure to dangerous things over long periods of time, you can even develop certain cancers from those, so it runs the full gamut of health issues.”
Although Tuesday’s conference was geared toward health care professionals, they say all of us need to be cautious about the chemicals that invade our homes. | | |
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