Environmental Toxins 101: What Are They and Where Do They Come From?

Aug 10

What if I told you there was a hidden enemy lurking all around us – stealthily hiding out in the everyday products we use, the air we breath, and in the food and water we consume? What exactly is this sly adversary I’m referring to?

A class of substances known as environmental toxins. These harmful compounds are the silent contributors to a range of health concerns – quietly impacting our well-being in ways we might not immediately perceive. But fear not, for knowledge is the key to empowerment.

In this blog post, we'll uncover the secrets of environmental toxins, understanding what they are, where they come from, and how they can affect our health. So, let's dive in.

What Are Environmental Toxins?

The term “environmental toxin” broadly encompasses a range of harmful substances found in our environment. These toxins can originate from natural sources or human activities and can exist in various forms, including gasses, liquids, and solids. The commonality among all environmental toxins – natural or man-made – is that they have been found to negatively impact human health.

These harmful compounds permeate just about every nook and cranny of our environment. And what’s worse, is that they can be persistent – accumulating in the environment and our bodies over time, where they can slowly chip away at our health. Before we dive into exactly how environmental toxins can wreak havoc on your health, let’s zoom in on some different types of toxins and where they can be found.

Types of Environmental Toxins

Across the globe there are roughly 100,000 - 150,000 different chemical compounds registered for use – with new ones coming out all the time. But thanks to some loopholes in the United States federal policy, there are only about 86,000 chemicals registered for use in commerce in the U.S. And of these 86,000, compounds about 62,000 of them were grandfathered in when the Toxic Substances Control Act was passed.

That means that those 62,000 chemicals were essentially given a free pass and automatically deemed safe with absolutely zero requirements that actually proved their safety. And to make matters worse, the primary policy that regulates cosmetics in the United States (The Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act) hasn’t been updated since 1938.

So, needless to say, there are a whole lot of potentially harmful chemicals floating around in our world with very little regulation. Just some of the environmental toxins we all likely encounter on a regular basis include:

Environmental Toxins In the Air:

These include particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from vehicles, industries, and other sources.

Environmental Toxins In Water:

Water pollutants include heavy metals (e.g., lead, mercury), pesticides, pharmaceutical residues, industrial chemicals, and microbial contaminants like bacteria and viruses.

Environmental Toxins In Food:

Environmental toxins can contaminate food through pesticides, herbicides, food additives, and industrial pollutants. Certain fish may accumulate toxins like mercury due to water pollution.

Environmental Toxins In Soil:

Soil can become contaminated with hazardous substances from improper waste disposal, industrial activities, and agricultural chemicals, impacting food crops and groundwater.

Industrial Chemicals:

Chemicals used in manufacturing processes, such as solvents, plasticizers, and flame retardants, can leach into the environment, affecting workers and nearby communities.

Heavy Metals:

Toxic heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and chromium are released from various sources and can enter the environment, posing serious health risks.

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs):

These chemicals interfere with the hormonal systems of both humans and wildlife, potentially leading to reproductive, developmental, and metabolic issues.

Biological Toxins:

Biological agents, such as mold spores, bacteria, and certain pathogens, can grow in damp environments or contaminated food, leading to health problems.

So, Where Do All These Environmental Toxins Come From?

The answer to this question is – everywhere. Some of the most potent sources of environmental toxins come from:

Industrial activities: Factories, manufacturing plants, and industrial processes release a variety of pollutants into the air, water, and soil.

Agriculture: The use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers in agriculture can lead to soil and water contamination.
Transportation: Vehicle emissions, especially from fossil fuels, contribute to air pollution in urban areas.
Waste disposal: Improper waste disposal and landfill runoff can contaminate soil and water.
Mining activities: Extractive industries release toxic substances into the environment, including heavy metals.
Household products: The vast majority of conventional cleaning agents, paints, and personal care products contain harmful chemicals.
Construction materials: Building materials like asbestos and lead-based paints can be hazardous if disturbed.
Natural sources: Some environmental toxins, like radon gas and mold, occur naturally in the environment.

So what exactly happens when we come into contact with these toxins?

What Do Environmental Toxins Do To The Body?

Exactly how environmental toxins impact your body depends on a few factors – like the specific toxin, any other toxins you may have accumulated in your body, and how much of the toxin you’re exposed to. The way in which they disrupt your health can be complex and multifaceted, but some common pathways by which environmental toxins exert their effects include:

Oxidative stress: Environmental toxins generate what’s known as reactive oxygen species or free radicals in the body. These highly reactive and unstable molecules essentially “steal” electrons from your own healthy cells. This stripping of electrons causes oxidative stress – a process that damages cellular structures like DNA, proteins, and lipids, leading to cell dysfunction and inflammation.
Endocrine disruption: Your hormones are tiny chemical messengers that your body relies on to regulate just about every process imaginable. Some environmental toxins, known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals or EDCs, mimic or interfere with natural hormones in your body. By disrupting the endocrine system (the network of glands that control your hormones), these toxins can throw any number of your hormones out of whack.
DNA damage: Your DNA contains the blueprint or instructions that tells every cell in your body how to function. Certain toxins can directly damage DNA, leading to mutations and errors in this instruction manual.
Epigenetic changes: Your genes are segments of DNA that contain specific sets of instructions and they can be turned “on” or “off” – altering how and when certain genes are actually expressed. Environmental toxins can also induce epigenetic changes – modifying which genes are turned on or off without altering the underlying DNA sequence.
Inflammation: Inflammation is your body's natural defense mechanism designed to neutralize any invading threats and jumpstart the healing process. But it’s designed to ramp up and then quickly taper off and return to its baseline state. If the inflammatory process remains activated and inflammation becomes chronic, it can damage tissues and organs and increase the risk of various diseases.
Impaired cellular signaling: Some toxins can interfere with cellular signaling pathways or how your cells communicate with each other. This can disrupt how your cells grow, differentiate (transform into specialized cells like immune cells), and die.
Neurotoxicity: Certain environmental toxins – especially heavy metals and certain pesticides – can directly affect the nervous system and brain function. These toxins can disrupt neurotransmitter signaling (messenger molecules in your brain), damage brain and nerve cells, and cause inflammation – leading to neurotoxicity and cognitive impairments.
Immune system disruption: Environmental toxins can throw your entire immune system off-kilter. You see, accumulated toxins can overburden your immune system – weakening its ability to ward off threats or even triggering an abnormal immune response which can lead to autoimmunity.
Gut dysbiosis: Your gut is teeming with trillions of microbes that collectively make up the ecosystem known as your microbiome. This community of microorganisms has a monumental impact on every facet of your health – from your mood to your sleep and from your immunity to your appearance. Environmental toxins can throw this fragile ecosystem out of harmony causing what’s known as gut dysbiosis.

These changes that environmental toxins can induce under the surface can translate into health issues that range from mild to life-altering.

How Environmental Toxins Cause Damage In the Body

Environmental Toxins Symptoms: Environmental Toxins Effects on Health

An overload of environmental toxins can show up and manifest in any number of ways such as:

Respiratory issues: Airborne pollutants can irritate your respiratory system, leading to or exacerbating conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Neurological effects: Some toxins can cross the blood-brain barrier and adversely affect the nervous system. This can lead to vexing symptoms like brain fog, headaches, and mild cognitive deficits. But it can also contribute to more serious neurological issues like developmental delays in children, and neurobehavioral disorders (like autism or ADHD).
Infertility and reproductive issues: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals can cause serious hormonal imbalances and potential reproductive issues, including infertility, miscarriages, abnormal menstrual cycles, low testosterone, and more.
Birth defects and developmental issues: Environmental toxins can interfere with fetal development during pregnancy, leading to birth defects, low birth weight, and developmental delays in children.
Cancer risk: Environmental toxins can incite inflammation, trigger oxidative stress, and damage DNA – all of which can contribute to your cells mutating and becoming cancerous.
Skin issues: Skin issues are oftentimes an indicator of an underlying imbalance. The various disruptions that environmental toxins can cause beneath the surface can manifest as any number of skin conditions – ranging from acne to eczema and everything in between.
Autoimmunity and immune system dysregulation: Prolonged exposure to environmental toxins can weaken the immune system, making you more susceptible to infections and autoimmune diseases.
Organ damage: Toxins can accumulate and cause damage to organs like your liver, kidneys, or heart.
Increased risk of chronic disease: The underlying changes induced by environmental toxins can make you more vulnerable to developing any number of chronic health conditions ranging from diabetes to heart disease and from obesity to arthritis.

With such serious consequences for your health, you’re probably curious how much exposure is too much when it comes to environmental toxins and what level of exposure can cause these potentially life-altering effects?

Environmental Toxin Exposure: How Much Is Too Much?

It seems obvious and straightforward enough to assume that very small amounts of exposure to harmful chemicals is safe right? Incredibly small amounts of these toxins can’t possibly have any kind of health effect – can they?

While this might certainly be true for some chemicals, it’s unfortunately not the case for ALL environmental toxins. You see, certain chemicals – especially those that mimic our natural hormones – can actually cause even more damage at extremely low doses. This is because our endocrine system and our hormones are designed to function at exceptionally low levels – with many hormones being measured in parts per billion.

So to answer the question of how much is too much when it comes to environmental toxins – it’s truly impossible to say. Especially because things get even more muddled and complicated when you take into account that many of these compounds can accumulate in your body – nestling into your tissues and continuing to exert their effects.

So, How Long Do Environmental Toxins Stay In The Body?

The answer to this question is – it’s complicated. The length of time that environmental toxins persist in your body depends on many factors such as:

The specific toxin
The level of exposure
Your metabolism
Your age
Your overall health
Your body's ability to detoxify

Because these toxic substances can build up within your body, it’s particularly important to ensure your body's detoxification pathways are firing on all cylinders.

Can You Detox From Environmental Toxins?

Detoxification is a natural process through which your body attempts to eliminate or neutralize these harmful substances that have been introduced from the environment. Your body's all-natural, built-in detoxification pathways involve various organs, systems, and processes that work together to process and eliminate toxins. And fortunately there are some simple and easy ways you can support and enhance your inherent detoxification capabilities.

You can focus on:

Liver Support: The liver is a primary organ involved in detoxification. Supporting the health of your liver through a balanced diet, rich in antioxidants and nutrients, can aid in detoxification. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and kale contain compounds that enhance liver detoxification.
Hydration: Staying hydrated is essential for supporting the body's natural detoxification processes. Sufficient water intake helps flush out toxins through urine and sweat.
Nutrient-rich diet: Consuming a diet rich in real, whole foods like fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and quality proteins provides essential nutrients that support detoxification pathways.
Exercise: Regular physical activity can stimulate circulation and sweating, which aids in the elimination of toxins.
Sauna therapy: Saunas can promote sweating, which can help eliminate certain toxins from the body.
Supporting gut health: A healthy gut microbiome plays a pivotal role in detoxification by helping to metabolize and eliminate toxins. Consuming probiotics and prebiotic-rich foods can support gut health.
Sleep and stress management: Adequate sleep and stress management are essential for overall health and can indirectly support detoxification by optimizing the body's natural repair and regeneration processes.
Limit alcohol and caffeine: Reducing alcohol and caffeine consumption can help lessen the burden on the liver and improve detoxification capacity.

Supporting your natural detoxification pathways is a great place to start and will likely be all you really need to do to help your body eliminate any accumulated toxins. But if you plan on doing a more intense detox protocol, it’s a good idea to do so under the guidance of an experienced practitioner – ideally someone who specializes in an Integrative and Functional Medicine approach.

But the truth is, detoxing is not going to be helpful if you don’t address the source of the problem – the amount of toxins your body is exposed to in the first place.

How To Avoid Environmental Toxins

When it comes to addressing your exposure to environmental toxins, making small bite-sized changes is the name of the game. These tiny swaps and lifestyle shifts add up in a big way and have a compound effect – with each shift slashing your exposure and boosting your ability to bounce back from these toxic compounds. Some lifestyle shifts that will give you the most bang for your buck include:

Prioritize a low-tox diet: When possible, opt for organic produce and organic, high-quality animal and dairy products. Limit your consumption of the most contaminated seafood (like farmed fish or large species of tuna) and consider wild-caught Pacific salmon and domestic shrimp or shellfish.
Choose safer cookware and food packaging: Avoid non-stick, ceramic non-stick, aluminum, clay, and plastic cookware. Instead, choose enameled cast iron, enameled steel, cast iron, carbon steel, stainless steel, and glass.
Ditch plastics: Plastic chemicals can migrate into food and water – especially when heated, exposed to oil, acidity, or abrasion. So avoid plastics when you can and opt for safer materials.
Make safer, low-tox swaps: Personal care products like make-up, lotions, and sunscreens can be absorbed through the skin. So read labels and avoid harmful ingredients like chemicals ending in "–eth," certain preservatives, and synthetic fragrances.
Look for safer household cleaning products: Avoid cleaning products with fragrances, triclosan, glycol ethers, ethoxylated ingredients, and more. There are lots of safer and less toxic cleaning products on the market or if you're into DIY, consider making your own.

If you want a more detailed, comprehensive guide to avoiding environmental toxins, be sure to head over and read my article Navigating a Toxin-Free Lifestyle: How to Best Avoid Environmental Toxins.

Ready to Tackle the Toxins In Your Life?

Exposure to the toxins that inevitably exist in our environment can have a significant – and often overlooked – impact on just about every aspect of your well-being. But tackling these toxins and taking steps to minimize your exposure to these harmful compounds can feel overwhelming to say the least.

But the good news is, you don’t necessarily have to ditch all of your favorite products and become a die-hard DIY-er to reap the benefits of a low-tox lifestyle. Just making a few shifts in the areas that you’re both able and willing to is all you really need to start embracing a low-tox life on your terms.

If you’re ready to start tackling the toxins in your life but aren’t sure where to start, you’ve got to check out my free Tackling Toxins Guide. You get simple, straightforward, and actionable tips to help you start lowering the toxins in your life without the overwhelm. Click here to start tackling the toxins in your life today.

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Courtney Tilton