Women’s well-being directly affects their families and are central to the health of future generations. However, many homes—meant to be safe havens—expose families to harmful toxics that threaten children’s development and elder’s health.
Toxic exposure begins in the womb, impacting fetuses with long-term consequences. Despite decades of research connecting chemical exposure to health risks, U.S. regulations fail to safeguard consumers. Of 86,000 chemicals in use, only a handful are partially banned under the Environmental Protection Act, leaving families vulnerable and responsible for creating safer environments themselves.
Maternal exposure to hazardous substances can negatively impact both the fetus and the health of the birthing parent and their child. Children are particularly vulnerable to environmental exposures during the first three years of their lives due to their higher metabolism, rapid growth and development during critical periods, and immature immune systems. Combined with their proportionately greater intake of air, water, and food relative to body weight, these factors increase a child’s susceptibility to environmental harms, potentially causing long-term effects on cognitive function, behavior, and overall health (United Nations, 2024).
Homes are major sites of toxics exposures, and because of gendered expectations, women spend more time in the home than men. Household air pollution exposure is 3 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air and can lead to a range of different diseases including stroke,heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer (WHO).
Homes should nurture well-being, not harm it.
Toxic building materials compromise human and especially women’s health. They also contribute to climate change because many of the common building materials are derived from fossil fuels. Reducing the use of fossil fuels and their byproducts improves both human health and environmental sustainability.
We envision a world where toxics are removed from building products, where healthier materials are affordable, and all people live in homes that don’t make them sick. Healthy materials matter. Our goal is to address key vulnerabilities in a woman’s life - from utero to adulthood by sharing our research, empowering women with the information that allows them to make the best informed decisions. We also share affordable, healthy alternatives to the common building products that have been hurting us.
By advocating for healthier homes and reducing toxic exposures, we can ensure current and future generations thrive in spaces that support their growth. We prioritize the health of women today, to lay the foundation for a healthier, safer world, where every home is a sanctuary for well-being.
Sources:
United Nations. (2024). Implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes. Retrieved from https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n24/210/45/pdf/n2421045.pdf
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Household air pollution and health. World Health Organization. Retrieved January 2025 from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/household-air-pollution-and-health
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