The concept of pollution generally brings to mind bacteria-laden lakes, spewing smokestacks and noxious automobile exhaust. But there is growing evidence that a potentially more dangerous form of pollution is leaching into our homes and workplaces, with everyday items giving off toxic chemicals that are absorbed by our bodies.

Personal-care products, furniture, toys and electronics — these are the new pollution archetypes.

Bisphenol A (BPA, the baby bottle plastic), phthalates (used in soft plastic items and cosmetics), brominated flame retardants (BFRs, regularly sprayed on household items, such as furniture and carpeting) and triclosan (an antibacterial agent used in an astounding number of personal-care products) are just a few of the everyday chemicals seeping into our bodies.

The result is what Bruce Lourie, co-author of Slow Death by Rubber Duck: How the toxic chemistry of everyday life affects our health, calls a “toxic marinade” — and, he says, we’re soaking in it.

Although it’s clear that exposure to certain chemicals can cause serious ailments, from cancer and birth defects to respiratory illness, it’s not as clear what the tipping point, in terms of health risk, is for each of these chemicals or how they mix together. Some scientists working in the field are convinced that this daily onslaught of toxins could be partly responsible for modern childhood epidemics (autism, allergies) and an increase in health ailments in the Western world, says Lourie. We’re guinea pigs, he adds.

On that note, Lourie and co-author Rick Smith decided that they would run an experiment wherein they would deliberately expose themselves to a number of “everyday” toxic substances for a week and measure the impact.

According to Lourie, the idea was inspired by Environmental Defence Canada’s Toxic Nation campaign that, several years ago, conducted chemical body-burden testing on a number of Canadians, with unsettling results. Across the board, Canadians are loaded with chemicals, from pesticides to heavy metals.

The results of Smith’s and Lourie’s personal investigation into the toxins found in everyday objects are too complicated to discuss here; but it’s safe to say that those results were, for the most part, disturbing reminders of our vulnerability. Let’s look closer at some of the chemicals Smith and Lourie considered dangerous enough to include in their experiment.

> Phthalates. A family of chemicals that resemble vegetable oil, phthalates are used in a number of ways, most commonly to soften vinyl (toys and medical equipment) and both lubricate and maintain the scent of personal-care products (shampoos, air fresheners.) Although phthalates have a short half-life (they don’t stay in the body for very long), they’re easily absorbed and children tend to have significantly higher levels than adults. These chemicals are hormone disruptors, which are linked to birth defects, obesity and early puberty. Both Europe and the U.S. have banned toys that contain certain phthalates.

> PFCS (perfluorinated compounds). Used to coat frying pans, make rain-resistant clothing and line microwave popcorn bags (among other things), one PFC ingredient is considered a “likely carcinogen” by the Environmental Protection Agency .

> BFRS (brominated flame retardants.) Used mainly in upholstered furniture and electronics, one member of this chemical family, PBDE, is considered by some scientists to be “the new PCB” because of its long half-life (two to 10 years) and how it adheres to cells, changing their chemistry. PBDE is fat-soluble and can be found in everything from breast milk to household dust.

> Triclosan. This antibacterial agent is traditionally used in hospital settings but is now pervasive in personal-care products (toothpaste, soap), kitchen products and toys. Increased use can lead to health problems — but, most significantly, there is reason to believe that it’s contributing to the rise in superbugs, which are resistant to antibiotics. There is little proof it is useful in the home.

> BPA (bisphenol A.) Another hormone disruptor, BPA helps make a particularly durable form of plastic used in everything from DVDs to laptop covers.

Two years ago, Ottawa banned the use of this hormone-disrupting chemical in baby bottles, while some retailers have dropped products containing BPA from their shelves. Research indicates that almost everyone has trace amounts of BPA in their blood at any given time. IE