POPs, VOCs, and PFAS… Oh My!
I first heard about VOCs when paint brands started offering low-VOC options. Apparently these things (VOCs) are no beuno and you don’t want to be breathing them in. But so are a lot of other things we’re told to avoid, like phthalates .
My friend, Dr. Jade Teta, has also written about POPs or persistent organic pollutants. He mentions them briefly in this article: The 5 Laws of Metabolism.
As a person who’s not a chemist, I’m not even sure what exactly all these chemicals do, aside from potentially being endocrine disruptors. But as a person with eyes, it sure does seem like every generation is getting more and more metabolically messed up. Obesity is higher than ever, and you have to wonder if there’s more to it than just excess calorie intake.
Nobody tracked their macros in the 60s and 70s, yet most of the population was lean back then.
So all these chemical things (“toxins?”) are hard to escape, and I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not giving up makeup or hair dye even if they contain weird chemicals. Those are nonnegotiable. But I am going to be picky about where my weird chemical exposure comes from.
I’ll choose cosmetics over Glade plug-ins and candy-scented laundry detergent any day. If I’m aware of my exposure in certain areas, then I can mitigate it elsewhere.
But it’s interesting to see where people stand on this. So…
An Informal Poll For Anyone Who Sees This
What are your thoughts about VOCs, microplastics, phthalates, parabens, and other things we’re told to avoid? Do you:
A. Do your best to avoid them completely
B. Limit them, mindfully
C. Use, inhale, and wear whatever you want because chemicals-shmemicals
Drop your answer below if you’re feeling social.
There’s a stark contrast between what people do and it’s kind of fun to notice. Some have gone full-hippie and don’t even use shampoo, deodorant, or aluminum foil… nor do they buy clothing made with non-organic fabric.
On the other end of the spectrum are those who drench their laundry, bodies, homes, and car interiors with artificial scents, then eat out of plastic containers they’ve microwaved a thousand times with zero care in the world. I envy them.
And Then There’s THIS
(IKEA, January 2021, our only masked selfie)
Researchers examined the TVOCs (toxic volatile organic compounds) in masks. Here’s the study. Even the best ones are full of these things, and you breathe them in when this material is right in front of your mouth and nose.
This article puts it into layman’s terms a little better:
Cloth masks surprisingly contained the least amount of TVOCs, and N95 masks contained the most.
But if you spend any amount of time in the fitness world, you know studies aren’t always reliable. So it’ll be interesting to see if someone debunks this one or not. I’ve always suspected that breathing through fabric isn’t super healthy… yes, even if surgeons do it.
If the study is legit, it’ll be an interesting conundrum for those who say we must mask up because it’s the compassionate thing to do. Because expecting others to cover their breathing holes with TVOCs, doesn’t seem super compassionate.
This will also be a challenging situation for the health-conscious who don’t want to make waves or offend the maskers who say you’re trying to kill their grandma.
Of course, I write all this with the assumption that the mandates are coming back.
We don’t know if they are, but there are signs of it. And if that happens, will you comply? If masking is optional where you are, is there a way to be loving and respectful toward those who want your face covered?
Edited to add this:
Mind Pump discussed mandates and masking recently, and it seems relevant here.