Why this matters
NEJM, Stanford, CDC, and McGill have all published findings that should have ended several debates. Instead the conversation got harder to follow. Below: the three studies that changed the picture, the five contaminants worth knowing about across plastics, water, and air, and where to start without trying to do all of it at once.
What the latest science says
For your brain
A 2025 UNM autopsy study (Nihart, Campen et al, Nature Medicine) compared frontal cortex tissue from 2016 and 2024 and found plastic accumulation rising over time. In a subset analysis of 12 dementia cases, median plastic concentration was about 5x higher than in normal brains; the authors note this is correlation, not causation.
For your heart
A March 2024 New England Journal of Medicine study (Marfella et al, n=257) followed patients undergoing carotid surgery. Those with measurable plastic in their plaque had a hazard ratio of 4.53 for a composite of heart attack, stroke, or death over the following 34 months, even after adjusting for standard cardiovascular risk factors. Observational, not interventional, but the most direct human-outcome signal yet.
For your family
Per the CDC, more than 97% of Americans test positive for PFAS forever chemicals. In September 2025 the EPA filed a motion to weaken the first federal drinking-water limits and pushed enforcement from 2029 to 2031. The burden has shifted onto households.
What's actually in your home
Plastics, water, air, and the everyday chemistry in between. After the audit there's a place to tell us which one to dig into next. We're prioritizing by what readers ask for.
What we're working on now
Now found in human blood, brain tissue, and arterial plaque. A March 2024 NEJM study linked carotid-plaque microplastics to roughly 3× the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death over three years. Most household exposure traces to a small number of items in the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom.
Forever chemicals
More than 97% of Americans test positive in their blood (CDC). Linked to thyroid disease, immune suppression, and several cancers. They show up in stain-resistant fabrics, nonstick coatings, fast-food packaging, and drinking water. Federal drinking-water limits keep getting delayed, and the burden has shifted onto households.
Endocrine disruptors
Plasticizers and resin chemistry that interfere with hormones. The "new shower curtain" smell is real. PVC off-gasses phthalates, and steam accelerates the breakdown. Also in fragrance-loaded personal care, soft food storage, thermal receipts, and the lining of canned goods.
Indoor dampness
A 2011 Environmental Health Perspectives meta-analysis (Mendell et al) found visible dampness or mold raised the odds of asthma and respiratory symptoms by 30-50% in healthy adults, and more in kids and immune-compromised adults. The exposure is real. The home-test and remediation industry on top of it is largely unregulated.
Air quality
EPA's Total Exposure Assessment found indoor air typically runs 2-5× more polluted than outdoor. Radon causes roughly 21,000 US lung-cancer deaths a year. A 2023 RMI / IJERPH analysis attributed about 13% of US childhood asthma cases to gas-stove use. Carbon monoxide is the one that kills fastest.
By the numbers
of your life is spent indoors
U.S. EPA
higher pollutant levels inside than outside
EPA Total Exposure Assessment Methodology study
of Americans test positive for PFAS in their blood
CDC, 2024
cases of childhood asthma from gas stoves alone
Stanford, Science Advances, 2024
The noise
“The science is louder than ever. The noise around it is even louder.”
Every other reel is a sponsored post you can't quite identify. Every podcast contradicts the last one. Knowing whether a $40 cutting board is worth swapping shouldn't require an hour of paper-reading before bed. So we did the reading.
Where to start
You're not going to fix everything at once. That's fine. The goal is to find the two or three things in your home that matter most, handle those, and build from there.
See how far you get. Don't let perfect be the enemy of progress. The Home Exposure Report ranks the top swaps for your specific home in a couple of minutes: what to buy, what to have installed, and the citation behind every pick.
Start here