The Pollution in People

The Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition, which is based in Washington and consists of more than 50 organizations, undertook a cute little study in 2005 called "Pollution in People."

The Study
"In 2005, ten Washington residents agreed to testing of their hair, blood, and urine for the presence of toxic chemicals as part of an investigative study by the Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition. The Coalition wanted to know which chemicals were getting into our bodies, and at what levels, to better understand the potential harm posed by poor regulation of chemicals, and to develop better solutions."

The Results
The study, of course, found that all of the participants had toxic chemicals in their bodies in varying amounts. Examples of chemicals found include DDT, mercury, arsenic, and phthalates (potentially toxic chemicals used to soften plastic).

But this isn't that surprising since it's well accepted that our bodies absorb many of the chemicals that we come in contact with (obviously quite frightening considering "the great majority of chemicals in common use have not been adequately studied for their effects on human health").

Anyways, I recommend checking out the study's website. It provides profiles for the people studied, information on phthalates and other chemicals, and a resource on safe alternatives.