Let's talk toxicants

PFAS, Phthalates, and Bisphenol A are useful; this is why it is so hard to get rid of them. But it is time to put our health before our convenience.

This is the first post written specifically for my next book, tentatively titled The New Manual of the Dwelling. I explained earlier that I would be putting these behind a paywall: “It is going to be my main project for the next year and because it will eventually be a book; I do not want it out in the wild for everyone to see. I have also had so many subscribers supporting me financially already, and I want to thank them with something special.” I will still do at least two posts per week that are not behind the paywall. If you are interested in the content but cannot afford to pay for yet another subscription, let me know.

I am looking forward to your comments and other thoughts; perhaps we can build this book together.

Let’s talk about toxicants. That’s the proper name for synthetic, man-made toxic chemicals, which differ from toxins, which are produced by plants, animals, and bacteria. As Max Liboiron explains,^⁠1 they work differently:

Toxins like haemotoxins in snakes destroy red blood cells. Necrotoxins like those produced in bacteria destroy cells in tissues. While there are many types of toxins, they tend to work by destroying or disrupting regular cell activity. Toxicants, on the other hand, often make things work different than they normally would. Carcinogens like asbestos make cells multiply differently and cause cancer. Endocrine disrupting compounds like Bisphenol A interact with the hormone system and can cause early puberty, heart disease, infertility, and obesity (UNEP 2012). Rather than breaking or destroying bodily processes, many toxicants make them work differently, often to detrimental effect.

There are only so many rattlesnakes around, but in our modern synthetic age, we are swimming in toxicants. Some of the worst, like dioxins, mercury and PCBs, have been controlled or almost eliminated, but many others are still common and are found in our homes, including Bisphenol A, phthalates, brominated flame retardants, and the toxicant du jour, PFAS. Unlike rattlesnake toxins that affect the victim rather quickly, some of these toxicants take years to have an effect. Many in industry and chemistry deny that they have any toxic effect at all.