Steven Bartlett with Dr Yvonne Burkart
An ingredient label can say fragrance without naming every chemical in it. Repeated across cleaning products, cosmetics and household scents, that gap makes everyday exposure hard to trace.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in plastics and personal care products can mimic biological hormones, meaning they may trigger cellular changes even at very low doses.
Manufacturers can hide known carcinogens and hormone disruptors under the ingredient label "fragrance" or "parfum," making scented cosmetics and household products a major source of daily exposure.
Burkart says microwaving food in plastic containers releases billions of microplastic particles into food, while a surface scratch on non-stick cookware can shed 9,000 coating particles; separately, she says microplastics accumulate in human tissues and cause ongoing inflammation and oxidative stress.