3 42 Ha r m fr o m Toxi c Ch e m i c a l s
Protecting your community from POPs
POPs are a part of many products used every day. The only way to prevent harm
from POPs is to stop buying them, stop using them, and stop making them.
• Avoid buying products made from PVC. PVC products often
smell strongly when first used or exposed to hot sun, and are
often marked with the “3” or “V” symbol on the bottom of
the product. If you have to buy plastic, those with numbers 2,
4, 5, and 1 are the safest.
• Do not use plastic bags and disposable (often bleached) paper
products. Instead, use cloth bags and reusable plates and cups.
• Avoid burning trash, especially plastic trash (see pages 409 and 423).
• Grow and buy foods without chemical pesticides.
Support farmers who use sustainable farming
methods (see Chapters 14 and 15).
• Ask your health workers if they can get and use
medical products that are not made of PVC plastic.
• Support laws that ban incineration of waste.
• Join the campaign calling for the total elimination
of POPs (see Resources).
Radiation
Radiation is an invisible form of energy. Some radiation,
such as sunlight, is good for us. But some radiation, from heavy metals such
as uranium (see page 491), causes radiation poisoning, cancers, skin diseases,
and birth defects. Radioactive materials poison the land and water for many
generations.
Most radioactive materials are produced by the military and used for
making war. Radiation exposure is most common where weapons are made,
tested, and used, such as military bases and war zones. Radioactive materials
used by the military are sometimes recycled and show up in other metal
products, causing harm to people who have no way to know they are exposed.
Radioactive metals are also used in some products such as electronics,
causing harm to workers exposed to them. People who work at nuclear power
plants, uranium mines, or nuclear dumping sites are also at serious risk for
radiation exposure.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012