Dutch scientists say that the average European household is full of toxic substances. They found a cocktail with almost 200 pesticides in analyzing normal household dust. More than forty percent of them are associated with severe toxic effects – including cancerous effects and impaired hormonal balance.
“These findings are alarming. They show that we must evaluate not only individual pesticides, but also their interaction,” Says Professor Paul Scheepers from the Radbou Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences. According to scientists, pesticides reach our homes from the outside – especially through shoes and hairs of pets.
„If we challenge shoes in the interior, we bring dirt to it – and with pesticides. Pets are another source – they bring substances on their hair, which they collect outside. And let’s not forget about shops from shops – such as fleas and tick products, ”says Professor Scheeepers.
Each household in the survey contained 25 to 121 different pesticides. Although the concentrations of the individual substances were low, researchers warn of the cumulative effects of mixtures: dozens of chemicals can respond to each other and create dangerous combinations. “We have many epidemiological studies that show that certain diseases are related to these pesticide mixtures,” says Scheeepers.
