It’s winter and we’re spending a lot more time indoors. Thus, our indoor environment needs to be as healthy as possible. When it comes to housekeeping (and dogs), turns out the Beverly Hillbillies had the right idea (photo from jethroscasino.com)! Anyone with kids and/or dogs, knows that taking shoes off before entering your home can save your carpets and limit the time you spend spot-cleaning. But it turns out, taking your shoes off can prevent exposure to much more dangerous pollutants in the home. EPA studies reported that, even one week after application of the herbicide 2,4 D, the pesticide can be tracked into your home on the bottoms of your shoes. Lead, which can affect children’s intellectual and behavioral development, is another contaminant that can be carried in on your shoes.
So be sure to take those shoes off before walking into your house – and y’all come back now, ya hear?
Sources:
Harnley, M.E. , and A. Bradman, M. Nishioka, D. Smith, R. McLaughlin, G. Kavanaugh-Baird, R. Castorina, B. Eskenazi. Pesticides in Dust from Homes in an Agricultural Area. Environ. Sci. Technol., 2009, 43 (23), pp 8767–8774. DOI: 10.1021/es9020958. Publication Date (Web): October 30, 2009. Copyright © 2009 American Chemical Society
Nishioka, M.G, and H.M. Burkholder, M. C. Brinkman, S. M. Gordon. Measuring Transport of Lawn-Applied Herbicide Acids from Turf to Home: Correlation of Dislodgeable 2,4-D Turf Residues with Carpet Dust and Carpet Surface Residues. Environ. Sci. Technol., 1996, 30 (11), pp 3313–3320. DOI: 10.1021/es960111r. Publication Date (Web): October 29, 1996. Copyright © 1996 American Chemical Society
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We most certainly take off our shoes at the door, and so do our guests. We wear slippers around the house.
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