Leather furniture
Contains: chromium
Replace with: Read furniture labels before you buy
Another popular home feature is leather furniture. But your buttery soft leather may increase your property price but also your medical bill. That’s because almost all leather furniture includes a confirmed human carcinogen called chromium. Prolonged exposure to this chemical can lead to lung cancer.
In addition, the process of dying leather has been linked to an increased risk of developing cancer, especially among factory workers. Before you purchase your next set of leather furniture, read the labels carefully and make sure it is chromium-free.
Your closet
Contains: perchloroethylene, or “perc”
Replace with: water-based clothing
Ladies, this one might hurt you in particular. After all, women invest more and are fonder of their clothes. Well, according to researchers, dry-cleaning your clothes could increase the risk of developing cancer, such as esophagus, kidney, and bladder cancer.
Why? Because dry-cleaners use a chemical called “perc” which was listed by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a “likely human carcinogen”. The risk is higher when you store the freshly dry-cleaned clothes in your closet. Find out more about other Odd Things You Probably Never Thought Could Give You Cancer.
