Dr. Rick Smith is a prominent Canadian environmentalist and author. A zoologist by training (yes, he seems to agree with Bob Barker over the Toronto Zoo elephants), Smith is currently the head of Environmental Defence Canada.
His latest book, Slow Death by Rubber Duck, investigates the pervasive nature of toxic chemicals in common household products such as cleaners, soaps and perfumes.
He lives in Toronto with his wife and kids.
What toxins do average Torontonians have coursing through their system?
Well, they have hundreds, if not thousands of synthetic chemicals in their bodies, from salates found in personal care products to triclosan found in many antibacterial products to mercury we absorb through food and beverages.
That’s disturbing.
It’s like we are sponges soaking up chemicals pumped into the environment, marinating in these chemicals we created ourselves.
Is it possible just to avoid these toxins altogether?
It is not possible to be toxin-free living anywhere, let alone Toronto. There’s been testing on the bodies of dozens of Canadians, and it doesn’t matter where you live, how old you are or what you do for a living — we are all polluted.
For your book, you were a guinea pig experimenting with household items. What shocked you the most?
The speed with which these chemicals accumulated just blew us away.… In a 48-hour period, using off-the-shelf toothpaste, soap, underarm deodorant, I had 2,900 times the normal level of triclosan.… My BPA levels increased by seven and a half times … quite amazing and dramatic results by undertaking the most mundane everyday activities.
What about canned foods?
Most cans are lined with plastic and in particular BPA plastic. So a canned food without doubt is the most serious source of BPA in everyday life at the moment.
So should we just be avoiding canned foods all together?
There is an increasing number of major can companies making their products without lining them with BPA. But it is especially important with kids’ food to be careful. Kids are disproportionately susceptible to pollution, so it is important to use brands with no BPA.
OK great, but what about the ones I’ve been eating out of the last 40 years?
There are two good things happening. One, is that the government regulation is improving. And even in the absence of regulation, by being careful consumers, we can dramatically reduce levels of a lot of these chemicals in our bodies, sometimes in a matter of hours.
And why are you so concerned with antibacterial hand soap?
There are different kinds of antibacterials. Some antibacterial products, such as sanitizers, contain chemicals that are actually impregnated into the product, such as flip-flops, hot tubs, plastic garbage bags.… A lot of these things are basically triclosan, and there is significant concern over this being a thyroid-disrupting chemical.
And that is bad because?…
I mean our thyroids regulate many processes in our body. Without a working thyroid, you’ve got a major problem.
And you mention toxic chemicals in toys. Should we be buying wooden Slinkys?
Not all plastic is created equal. Number 7 plastic is BPA. Number 3 is vinyl. Number 6 is polystyrene. These are things to avoid as there is significant evidence that components leech out into whatever the plastic comes in contact with.
How do I know?
Most plastic items have a little number on the bottom.
Where is all this pollution coming from?
The most serious pollutants these days come not from industrial activity, but from all of the consumer stuff that we buy every day. Ingredients in the foam in our sofas, chemicals to create the scent in our shampoos, thyroid-disrupting chemicals in antibacterial products. We don’t have to live in the city. There are similar pollution levels for rural dwellers and for city folks.
