9.2 Six Chemical Classes

Highly fluorinated chemicals (PFAS)

PFAS is a chemical that is found in our everyday products. They don't breakdown and can continue to accumulate throughout the years. When incorrectly disposed, PFAS can seep its way into waterways and soil, and eventually into our food and water. PFAS is linked to a variety of negative health outcomes, however the most interesting to me is that PFAS can make certain vaccines less effective. How is it legal for a chemical to be so readily used when it is so toxic to people and the environment? 

Antimicrobials

Antimicrobials are found in many of our soaps, and other everyday items. At first, antimicrobials seem like a necessity. However, according to the video antimicrobials can contribute to antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance is a real problem that more people need to fear. We haven't had a new antibiotic in years, yet resistance continues to grow. What does this mean for our future? 

Flame Retardants

In the video of flame retardants, there was an example of two chairs burning, even though one had flame retardant material, it was burning at the same rate as the one without flame retardant, but what's even more interesting is that the flame retardant chair was releasing more smoke. I also found it super interesting that flame retardants have been linked to hyperactivity and low IQs in children. This makes me think back to the Louisville Charter about waiting to act before banning a chemical. If there is a link why can't we just ban certain chemicals until we can prove that the chemical is not directly harmful to life? 

Bisphenols and Phlatates 

This group of chemicals is known as hormone disruptors and is commonly found in everyday products. I also learned how although a product can claim to be BPA free, it can contain a similar chemical known as bisphenol s or f. This video was a great reminder of how terrible plastics are, and how much I should avoid them, and especially how much babies should avoid them. 

Solvents

This video especially hit home for me because I love to clean, and I am a sucker for products that smell "clean". Every single spray/cleaning product I use has some type of fragrance, and sometimes I overdo it. Luckily, I recently considered signing up for a delivery service that specializes in clean, environmentally friendly products, and now that I know what to look for, I feel like I can make the right choice. 

Certain metals

I love sushi, so I'm glad that salmon is a class of fish with lower mercury rates. Also, I have used skin lightening products in the past and had no idea they could contain mercury.