7 Common Household Items Hiding Heavy Metals

Heavy metals, including mercury, arsenic, and cadmium, have a long lifespan and continue to pose a risk due to their presence in lead pipes and paint from past decades. These heavy metals accumulate in the environment and are often released inadvertently into our food, water, and air.

Daily exposure to heavy metals can lead to their accumulation in the body, posing a risk to one’s health regardless of location.

To reduce exposure to heavy metals, it is important to be aware of where they can be found. Starting to look in and around your home is a good idea, as many items may be contaminated with heavy metals.

1. Floor Coverings Like Carpet, Rugs, and Runners

Carpets can be a source of heavy metal exposure in your home, as they can contain high levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, and other harmful chemicals. Environmental engineer John Roberts explains that carpets trap dirt and toxins from shoes, and vacuuming can circulate particles into the air, making it difficult to remove them. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/4763062/Carpets-are-piled-high-with-toxic-pollutants.html

Simple things like removing your shoes before entering into your home and leaving them at the door or on a shoe rack can help reduce that exposure.

Also, changing the filters on your vacuum regularly can help capture those harmful toxins and reduce their spread throughout the home.

And taking a quality fulvic acid supplement can help your body deal with those toxins.

2. Kitchenware

Aluminum is a popular material for cookware due to its lightweight and even heating properties, leading to a significant portion of cookware being made out of it.

When cooking with aluminum, it is important to note that scratches on the protective anodized coating can result in the leaching of aluminum into acidic foods like tomatoes, which may have negative consequences.

Aluminum foil, or today’s tin foil, being used during cooking has been shown to increase the amount of aluminum present upwards of 378%! https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22063217/

3. Municipal Water Source

Water supplies often contain a variety of chemicals, including pesticides, prescription drugs, and heavy metals, which may contradict popular belief that drinking water is safe. https://thegoodinside.com/5-toxins-hiding-in-your-water/

In a study, heavy metal concentrations such as cadmium, chromium, lead, and nickel were found in all water samples, exceeding safe levels.

A study discovered that more than 3,000 communities in the United States have hazardous levels of lead in their drinking water due to outdated lead plumbing in older homes. Flushing the water before use can help to eliminate water that has been stagnant near lead pipes.

To ensure the quality of your water system, you may enter your zip code in the Environmental Working Group (EWG) database. It is recommended to avoid bottled water and instead consider a home water filtration system. https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/

4. Personal Care Products

Personal care products are commonly used for hygiene, beauty, and self-care. However, some of these products may contain heavy metals, which is a potential cause for concern due to their frequent use.

Makeup like lipsticks are often found to be rich in heavy metals like cadmium, aluminum, and lead. https://news.berkeley.edu/2013/05/02/toxic-metals-in-lipstick/

Deodorants are consistently a concern due to the use of aluminum based active ingredients that are readily absorbed directly into your lymphatic system, and parabens are believed to play a role in certain types of cancer, including breast cancer. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16045991/

Cheap decorative jewelry should also be avoided, as they are often exposed as containing high levels of nickel and cadmium, which can cause kidney and bone issues. https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/10/12/17963844/cadmium-jewelry-health-problems

It is difficult, if not near impossible, to avoid each and every exposure. Be sure to use as clean of a product as you can, and detoxify your body with fulvic acid every day.

5. Dishes, Drinkware, Utensils, And More

The glaze used in ceramics can contain heavy metals, which can pose a risk to human health.

Items with bright colors like the ink used on the outside of glasses and popular cookware may also, and often do, contain lead, despite what the manufacturer states about the safety of their products. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40550-017-0049-7

The clays used in other cookware and mugs may inherently contain lead and other contaminants, and when cracks form in the glaze your drinks are being exposed to contamination. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9397599/

Many glass containers are also contaminated with lead, unbeknownst to the owner of the containers.

6. Sofas, Sectionals, DIY Furniture, And Mattresses

Furniture often contains heavy metals due to the use of protective finishes, dyes, fabrics, and fire retardants.

Household furniture such as sofas, mattresses, computer chairs, and dining room tables may contain heavy metals and harmful compounds, which could pose potential health risks upon contact.

It is important to note that certain compounds in furniture can deteriorate over time, resulting in the release of harmful toxins into the air. To mitigate health risks, consider selecting furniture that is free of flame retardants and opt for an organic mattress when possible.

7. Old Layers Of Paint

Older buildings may contain lead paint, which can create toxic dust as it deteriorates. The CDC reports that homes built before 1978 are likely to have some lead paint, and an estimated 24 million housing units have elevated levels of lead-contaminated dust. https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/prevention/populations.htm

Removing lead paint can be a costly and hazardous task, which is why homeowners and landlords may hesitate to undertake it.

In Conclusion

Although government regulations have prohibited the use of lead paint and restricted cadmium levels in children’s toys, they may not be comprehensive enough. It is comparable with blocking only two of the 55 holes in a sinking boat.

Taking measures to decrease exposure to heavy metals and detoxify the body with fulvic acid can lead to benefits such as increased energy, improved sleep quality, and enhanced focus and clarity.