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| Image from legrandcirque.tumblr.com |
Many adults can remember playing in the streets as kids when the familiar DDT trucks rolled by spraying pesticides into the air.
Looking back on those times, we're horrified to see images of naive families breathing in the toxic cloud.
Fortunately, science is sometimes successful in overriding chemical companies that are interested in profits rather than the health of its consumers.
Still, there are many chemicals that are used in products today that we either don't know enough about yet, or we choose to ignore warnings from the scientific, health and environmental communities.
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What Have We Learned So Far?
There are many products that were very common years ago, but once harmful effects were discovered, these products have become obsolete. Below is a list of some products that are no longer used or banned due to the harmful chemicals that are present.
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| Image source: http://thesocietypages.org |
"Hey farmer, farmer, put away that DDT now
Give me spots on my apples but leave me the birds and the bees (please!)"
By 1970, Joni Mitchell was singing about the harmful effects of DDT, but for decades before, the chemical was practically touted as a miracle.
Lead
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| Image source: science.howstuffworks.com |
Lead poisoning is less of an issue thanks to alternative ingredients in items like paint, but it used to be more common when even a pencil could be harmful. Wikipedia
explains:
"Although lead has not been used for writing since Roman times, lead poisoning from pencils was not uncommon; until the middle of the twentieth century the paint used for the outer coating could contain high concentrations of the element and this could be ingested when the pencil was sucked or chewed."
Asbestos
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| Image source: www.gardencityenvironmental.ca |
Another substance that was commonly found in residences and buildings was asbestos. Like other banned substances, it wasn't until people became ill that legislators had to step in and protect people.
These days, there are many options to replace the existence of asbestos. For instance, the insulation in houses is no longer made with the substance. That said, if you live in an old house, you might still have asbestos in your walls or attic. If you worry that asbestos might be in your roof, you can visit this Mississauga roofing contractor to learn about attic upgrades.
What Else Might Be Harmful?
While we look back on history with more knowledge, and shake our heads at the hazardous chemicals we voluntarily ingested, what will future generations think of our practices today? For instance, do you think future societies will include:
- cell phones?
- cigarettes?
- 3D TVs?
