Almost everything we use has chemicals in it whether we know it or not. From water bottles to hand soaps, chemicals are used to engineer the characteristics of a product to make it function how it is supposed to. For instance, the presence of a chemical named triclosan in hand wash was not harmful initially, it could be used as an antifungal agent however recently, triclosan has been discovered to have properties that are toxic to the human body thus, chemists try not to incorporate it into hygiene-related products anymore. Albeit, people should still check the ingredient list of anything they plan to buy before actually purchasing it.
Phthalates are a kind of chemical that can be found in plastics and fragrances. It is basically what helps intertwine the chemicals in plastics and scents. However, phthalates have been found to affect the mitochondrial functions in our body. Most likely able to cause diseases like cancer, reproductive damage, and even affect our body in ways such as hindering clotting of our blood and messing with the sexual development in younger people. To avoid this, it is encouraged to check before you purchase, even cosmetics or personal care products, and try to avoid using plastics in the kitchen.
BPA or known as bisphenol A is also a chemical found in plastics. This chemical is commonly toxic when in contact with heat. It gets toxic when, for instance, leaving water bottles in a hot car or even putting hot foods in plastic containers. This will actually help the release of toxins and make it toxic to our bodies. It used to be incorporated into baby bottles and sippy cups as well however, in 2012, the usage of BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups was banned. However, to avoid BPA, one has to simply check the recycling labels.
What is commonly used in agriculture can also be toxic to our bodies, and that is pesticides. Pesticides, like the name, are used to prevent pests from eating up produce on farms. The ones who are mostly exposed to this chemical are, of course, farmers. This is due to the fact that they use this almost everyday on all their products to prevent them from getting rotten by pests. This chemical is used to prevent and possibly dispose of pests so imagine what it can do to our bodies. The safest way to prevent it from having any negative effects on us is simply thoroughly and peel fruits and vegetables before cooking or consuming. Similar to how you should handle meat, take off a layer of fat from meat and fish, or wherever it is possible to catch pesticides.
Another chemical that is used a lot to prevent things from catching fire or to slow down fire is polybrominated diphenyl ethers. This chemical is commonly found in flame extinguishers, in televisions, and even children’s toys and baby pillows. From there, if the product happens to accumulate dust, the dust that is released contains ethers, and that has been recently linked to causing thyroid issues. Simply vacuum and dust off surfaces more often to avoid this possibility from happening.
Now getting into the uses of titanium dioxide in Malaysia, this is incorporated in many products as well. To have the best providers for titanium dioxide, check out the best chemical supplier in Malaysia to get your experiment started. Titanium dioxide can be found in personal care and hygiene to office supplies and chewing gum. It is basically a white type of pigment used to increase the opacity of certain things. For paper, it is used to make it look a brighter shade of white and increase its opacity at the same time. In toothpaste and some other personal care products, it is incorporated to have a whitening effect on consumers. However, this chemical has been known to possibly be carcinogenic to humans. Being carcinogenic basically means that it can possibly cause lung tumors in test lab-rats. As usual, to avoid this, just read the labels before purchasing.
In a nutshell, just to be sure of the contents in the products you are buying, simply check the labels or ingredient list. That can help determine whether you are purchasing something safe for you and your family. This all sounds scary, however, everything can and will be fine as long as people take the extra precautions in handling the products that they purchase.