Product Description

The toxic consumer
How to reduce your exposure to everyday toxic chemicals

The number of man-made chemicals in everyday consumer products is on the increase and it is no longer controversial to claim that many are toxic and compromise our health and yet we are unwittingly and constantly exposed to them. All of us have toxic chemicals in us, even new-born babies.

Synthetic chemicals found in everyday life are implicated in a staggering range of health and environmental issues including impaired neurological development in children, birth defects, lower sperm counts, rising rates of testicular and other cancers and increased incidences of diabetes, allergies and attention deficit disorders.

The Toxic Consumer presents the facts about the chemicals that surround us in
our 21st Century lifestyles, and provides easy-to-follow practical advice on how to minimise your exposure.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #111645 in Books
• Published on: 2007-02-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Perfect Paperback
• 128 pages

From the Publisher
Green Essentials books are practical guides to modern living. Whether you want to improve the quality of your life, enjoy your hobbies without damaging the environment, look after your health or reduce your impact on the environment, we aim to produce a guide that will help you achieve your aims.

From the Inside Flap
Is modern life making you ill?

Thousands of synthetic chemicals are in the products we purchase and use daily – they’re everywhere

And they are in us too.

Many of them are toxic and yet we are often unaware that they even exist.

What can we do to minimise our exposure and protect our health?

The toxic chemicals found in everyday life are implicated in a staggering range of health and environmental issues including impaired neurological development in children, birth defects, lower sperm counts, rising rates of testicular and other cancers
and increased incidences of diabetes, allergies and attention
deficit disorders.
The Toxic Consumer is a clear, precise and accessible guide to the most common toxic chemicals and where they are found in everyday products. It shows you where the dangers lie and what you can do to protect yourself and your family.

Customer Reviews

The Toxic Consumer
Someone at work had this book and I just picked it up for a flick through
since I'm interested in green issues - anyway I got so stuck in I had to ask
to borrow it over night - the information inside is fascinating and although
it's all a bit scary by the time I finished it I felt quite empowered.

The text lets you know about all the nasty chemicals lurking in all the
products we take for granted - it tells you where they are, what effects
they can have on your health and gives really good advice on how to avoid
them. It even made me laugh a few times since it's quite witty and
irreverent in places too. I'm getting my own copy (from Amazon!) and I'm
going to get one for my friend who's expecting while I'm at it because it's
especially important for pregnant women and people with young kids. Buy it
and buy one for a friend - this is the real de-tox !

Practical and accessible
I have become increasingly concerned about the number of chemicals that I am exposed to in my daily life, be it through the food chain or the use of everyday household products. The information so far available has often been technical, contradictory or both leaving me suspicious but without evidence or alternatives.
This book was a revelation, presenting what I have found to be a complex topic in plain English with threats, facts, product cause and effects and alternatives presented clearly and concisely. A practical and accessible book - every household should have a copy.

Scary stuff...
My first thought with this book was that it would be worthy and a bit dull - how wrong I was. The Toxic Consumer has successfully blended many years of WWF research and science with a very entertaining read. And people need to know this stuff now - our homes are full of potentially dangerous toxic chemicals and I personally think it pays to know where they are. Everything from plastic products and adhesives to air fresheners, dry cleaning, laminate floors, stain and flame resistant fabrics and many more common household products come under the spot light. Why do we need to know about the dangers these chemicals present? Not only do these chemicals pollute the wider environment but they are implicated in 'gender-bending' effects, certain cancers and other less specific illnesses such as chronic fatigue and general lack of well-being.

The authors' contention is that regulation of these chemicals is urgently needed and when you've read this book I think you'll agree. Read it now for your own sake but definitely read it for your children's sake.