We come in contact with chemicals throughout so much of our day—lots of them are chemicals we don't even really think about. And now a new study has shown that some of those chemicals might actually be linked to breast cancer.


According to new research from Silent Spring Institute and the Harvard School of Public Health, 17 different groups of "everyday" chemicals may be cause for particular concern. The researchers looked at chemicals that were linked to mammary tumors found in animals, then compared them with data that's been done for humans.

The chemicals in question? Those found in exhaust from vehicles, paint removers, flame retardants (often used on mattresses, rugs, and furniture), stain-resistant fabrics and textiles, byproducts of drinking water, as well as benzene and butadiene—chemicals that are formed by combustion (such as smoke from tobacco, charred food, and gasoline).

There's still a lot of research to be done in order to determine a specific cause-and-effect between breast cancer and exposure to the chemicals. Until then, the authors of the study devised a list of tips that can help cut down your chances of being exposed to the chemicals.

1: Don't idle your car. Use electric lawnmowers, leaf blowers, and weed whackers in place of gas-powered models. (This can help reduce your exposure to gas fumes and exhaust from other types of fuel combustion.)

2: When you cook, turn on a ventilation fan. Also avoid eating food that's burned or charred.

3: If you're buying furniture, stay away from the kind that's made with polyurethane foam (you can also ask if the store sells products made with foam that isn't treated with flame retardants).

4: Don't buy stain-resistant furniture, fabrics, or rugs.

5: When dry-cleaning your clothes, find a shop that doesn't use perchloroethylene (PERC) or other solvents. Instead, ask for "wet cleaning."
6: Purify your own water with a solid carbon block drinking water filter.

7: Minimize outside chemicals when you enter your house by taking off your shoes when you come home, vacuum with a HEPA filter, and clean floors and surfaces with wet rags and mops.

Are there any chemicals that you actively avoid? What do you think about this new research?

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