House Carcinogens

Kitchen

Kitchens have many things in them, and many things that can cause cancer.

Plastics

Plastics are very useful, especially in the kitchen. But, there are harmful chemicals within some plastics that can leach into your food and harm you. Those being dioxins, Phthalates and Bisphenol A. Many people know about this and they have been largely banned, but it's always good to know incase you do find something that contains them.

Teflon and Non-Stick Items

Teflon has long been known to be a carcinogen and dangerous. If you have a non-stick item in your kitchen, it could have Teflon or other harmful chemicals.

Drinking Water

This one could come as a shock to those in more affluent areas, but water can be infected too. If there's some kind of disaster, if your city doesn't keep up with maintainence, or if there's any of the kind of tampering, there can be huge problems with the water. In New Hampshire, the granite state, we have large amounts of granite which gives off radon gas which leaches into a lot of stuff. NH has a much higher level of cancer than other areas simply due to this.

Milk

The chemicals and medicines put into cows can affect you over time.

Herbs and Spices

Herbs and spices imported from more sketchy venders can sometimes contain things like lead if they aren't checked properly.

Teflon:

Teflon is a chemical carcinogen that is used to coat things to make them non-stick. It comes on things like pans and other cooking utensils. Teflon has been linked to all sorts of awful things, cancer just being one of them. It can affects things like your lungs and reproductive organs.
So, what can you do about Teflon? You can use alternatives like cast-iron, ceramic, or stainless steel. If you are using them, keep watch for rips or cuts on the pan and do not overheat them.

Bad Drinking Water:

Things like radon are physical carcinogens, but it's not the only thing in your water. You can get just about any type of carcinogen in your water. From your tap to bottled water (the plastic used in water bottles can leach into the water), these things get everywhere. Exposure to things like radon can really stack up over your lifetime, while other things in your water can be more immediate.
To help avoid all of that, you can get a tap filter. It's honestly quite easy. You can also use online resources to search for what's in your water by ZIP Code.

Bedroom

Now, I'm saying this before putting in all the research, but, I doubt there are that many carcinogens in your bedroom. But we'll see.

Paint

Specifically new and drying paint. The paint can emit harmful fumes that can cause problems.

Mattress

This is one I've been sitting on for a while. Last year I got myself a Japanese futon bed—one of those ones that are on the floor and stuff—and I was looking online and they were talking about stuff like flame-retardant and chemicals in the bed. Western beds are often made with insane chemicals to ensure they don't catch fire, but those things leach into you every night. I made sure to contact the company and ask and they said they don't use those chemicals, so, good.

Mothballs

These are something I never knew about until this year. Mothballs are used to repel pests and stuff; they're pesticides used within the home. We all know what pesticides can do outside, so imagine them inside. They turn into vapor, so, if you're smelling that smell, you're being poisoned.

Things That Collect Dust

Things like your carpet, your pillow, any open surface, etc. Dust has plenty of chemicals in it, like those flame-retardant chemicals in many upholstry items, or even radon. You can get sick from the dust.

Air Fresheners

It makes sense, really. You're just spraying out fumes with phthalates into the air. These can get into your lungs and even leach into your blood.

Mattress:

The carcinogens found in beds are often chemical carcinogens like the flame-retardants mentioned. These appear mainly in western-style beds and are packed right in with them. Exposure to these chemicals can cause cancer and affect things like hormones and reproductive health; they can strongly affect children.
What can you do about it? Be sure when buying beds you check for what chemicals they use and if they use them at all. You spend a lot of your life sleeping, don't be ingesting chemicals that whole time.

Air Fresheners:

These are, again, chemical carcinogens. Things like Fabreeze contain phthalates, although they now do offer ones without. Exposure to them affects your lungs and other organs, reproductive health, and pregnant women are, of course, affected and it can lead to potential asthma in the kid.
What to look for. Either clean your house so it doesn't smell, or look for things without the chemical in them; things with natural oils and stuff. But do check thoroughly.

How are Pets Affected? / Makeover

Pretty much, dogs can be affected by most things. It's not like there's any specific carcinogen, it's just all of them. If you leave out a mothball, the dog can get it; if the dog is licking the upholstry or something like that, they are licking the flame-retardant chemicals; if you do literally anything, the dog can probably get to it. A lot of it's just going to be ingestion though.

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I'm just going to pick the kitchen since that seemed like one that had a lot.

The general idea is: check things before you buy them for chemicals, and buy natural and safe kitchenware. Get spices and stuff from trusted venders who check their products for things like lead, buy cast iron or even ceramic to avoid chemicals like Teflon that are on non-stick items, and buy a water filter for your tap; things can get in the water supply and ground water, plastic bottles can leach into the water.

Reflection

I've learned that there are a lot of things within your home that contain carcinogens. I've also learned that a lot of them are flame-retardants. I now know what items have carcinogens and ways to counter and avoid them.

Carcinogens in the Home

Kitchen

Bedroom

How are Pets Affected? / Makeover

Reflection