Unfortunately, living in 2026 is full of hazards, and one of them is pollutants made by the global industrial system. These get into everything, including the human body. The good news, though, is that there are lots of things you can do to prevent yourself from becoming a walking bag of chemicals from the environment. Here are some of the ways pollutants can enter your body and what you can do about it.
Inhalation: breathing in polluted air
Inhalation and breathing in polluted air is one of the main ways that pollution gets into your body. Pollutants are suspended in the air in the form of fine particulate matter and volatile organic compounds. These come through your nose and mouth when you breathe, especially during heavy exercise, and then go into your system, including your brain and other organs. The main culprits are industrial emission smoke and vehicle exhausts, especially in urban areas. The good news, though, is there are plenty of things you can do to reduce your risk:
- Only go out when air quality is high. You can find air quality forecasts on most weather platforms these days.
- Stay indoors and keep the windows closed when air pollution is high. If you receive an air quality alert from the authorities, do the same.
- If you can install HEPA filters inside your home, then you can filter out some of the small particulate matter that might damage your body.
- Finally, don’t smoke indoors. This can massively increase the amount of dangerous particles in the air.
Ingesting food or drink from contaminated sources
Another significant channel for pollution into your body is through what you’re eating and drinking. Unfortunately, contaminants can concentrate in various foods and water sources around the world. The entire supply chain is compromised; sometimes soil is full of radioactive particles, or plants are covered in pesticides. There are also heavy metals that build up in contaminated fish like tuna, and plastic packaging can communicate endocrine disruptors to your body. Unfortunately, kids are even more vulnerable because of their hand-to-mouth feeding behavior.
If you’re worried about contaminated substances in your food and water, here are some of the things you can do.
- Use a bottled water distributor. Find companies that source their water from the purest areas of the world so you can enjoy the fewest contaminants.
- Wash all your fruits and vegetables before you eat them thoroughly in water or use organic options if possible.
- Limit your consumption of high-risk foods, especially fish which are higher up the food chain, like tuna or swordfish.
- Avoid eating anything that is covered in soil, and make sure you practice good handwashing.
Absorption through the skin
Photo by Antoine GIRET on Unsplash
- VOCs in cosmetics and household items
- Flame retardants and pesticides on produce have an easier time absorbing through the skin, especially if it’s moist
Other chemicals are less likely to get into the bloodstream unless you have prolonged contact. Even so, you want to minimize your contact with harmful chemicals because they can cause other symptoms like rashes or skin sores.
If you’re worried about pollutants absorbing through the skin, there are several things you can do:
- Moisturizing and protecting the skin to maintain barrier function. People who wear moisturizer regularly often have better skin because pollutants in the atmosphere can’t oxidize with it.
- Choose low-chemical or natural care personal care products. Don’t use any commercial varieties that contain parabens or sulfates.
- If you are handling chemicals around the home or in the garden, use protective gloves and clothing. Don’t allow the chemicals to come into contact with your skin or body directly.
- If you are in an outdoor area that has a lot of pollution or you’re swimming in contaminated water, make sure you shower afterwards. Showering will reduce most of the harmful particles.
Other routes
Inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact are the main ways that pollutants get into your body. For example, skincare products can leach through the skin if they remain in contact with it for long enough. Similarly, if you’re eating a lot of tuna sushi, then the mercury content of your blood is likely to rise.
With that said, there are other ways that pollutants can get into the body. One of the main ways is through the eyes. Pollutants can actually absorb through the mucous membranes around the eyes, which are quite thin. Injections are also a way that contaminants can get into the body. Therefore, if you need to use a needle for a medical reason, always make sure you use verified products or go to a clinic.
Overall, reducing pollutants in your body significantly is possible but it’s challenging because the world is such a polluted place now and there is so much industry. The level of pollutants in things like the food chain and the air is significant.
General tips for reducing your overall exposure to pollutants include:
- Ventilating wisely and conserving energy at home as much as possible to cut emissions from power plants.
- If you can bike or walk to work, that’s even better because you can reduce your reliance on cars.
- Make sure you stay informed about local pollution sources. If there are wildfires burning in your area, stay indoors. Likewise, if you know that a nearby industrial site is going to be operating, take precautions in advance.
On a final note, you don’t need to be paranoid about pollution in the environment. There’s usually not much that you can do about it other than some of the interventions that we’ve discussed in this guide.
Ingestion is a major source of pollution, perhaps more so than any other, so be careful about what you are eating and drinking. Take time to think about the source of the food you’re eating and how high it is up the food chain.
Generally, people who eat more plants are less likely to have dangerous chemicals bioaccumulate in their bodies. They’re also less likely to consume plastic.
Top Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash
