You clean your floors regularly and make sure your kids eat their vegetables-you'd never consider your home an unhealthy one. But new studies have linked common household products to health problems.

There are myriad sources of toxins in your home: Those vitamin-packed fruits and vegetables come into our homes laced with chemicals, and your fabulous décor might be tainting your home's air. But the good news is you can reduce your family's exposure to chemicals by being aware of the sources.

Many chemicals in household products and their health effects are still being studied. The Center for Disease Control and The Environmental Working Group have both initiated a series of tests on human blood and urine samples to detect the presence of chemicals. The results show fire retardant chemicals (PBDEs) and pesticides that have been banned for years.

Some chemicals are well documented. Headaches, fatigue, and nausea are some of the symptoms associated with VOCs, the group of chemicals that are offgassed and have been linked to birth defects, endocrine disruption, and cancer. If you've ever scorched your nasal passages by scrubbing out the bathtub with a harsh cleaner, you're familiar with how a basic household cleaner might have an adverse health effect.

Heavy metals such as mercury and lead can have neurological effects on newborns and infants.

Think about the environmental consequences of your household products. Surfactants, the substances that provide cleaning power, have been identified as possible endocrine disrupters, and have been shown to have effects on the reproductive systems of aquatic life. (There are plenty of safer, plant-based alternatives out there.) Phosphorous and nitrogen are nutrients that, when flushed down the drain, affect the algae content in bodies of water. Companies are not required to disclose the ingredients of their products on the label-only the safety hazards-so you might want to do some research online before you shop.

Cleaning products should be biodegradable, nontoxic to humans and aquatic life (remember, a lot of cleaning and personal-care products end up in our waterways), and made from renewable resources (not petroleum). The packaging should be recyclable, and if the product comes in concentrated form, you'll be using less packaging, since you can refill the bottle you mix it in. Ideally, the packaging should contain post-consumer recycled material.

Plastic products are made from petroleum and are not biodegradable.

There are many areas in your home that could be sources of contamination. These include:

Cleaners - Conventional cleaning products might contain ingredients that are harsh cleaners and can wreck havoc on human health. Some products can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can affect your indoor air quality and produce symptoms such as fatigue and headaches. You'll also want to be mindful of words on the label such as corrosive or irritating, which indicate adverse health side effects.

Carpet/furnishings/bedding - Furniture can contain glues, resins and synthetic materials that emit VOCs, which have been linked to birth defects, endocrine disruption, and cancer. Carpeting can also offgas, harbor allergens, and contain toxic glues in its backing. Paint might contain lead. Mattresses are often treated with harsh fire retardant chemicals known as PBDEs, which have been shown to be present in women's breast milk.

Pesticides - Pesticides aren't only used in your garden. Roach bait and rat poison are examples of pesticides, and conventional fruits and vegetables are pesticide-laden too.

Plastics - Think of things like vinyl shower curtains, which usually need to be aired out. Toys and teething rings are often made of PVC, which contain phthalates. Phthalates have been shown to disrupt hormone function.

Food - Food should be a source of nourishment, not toxins. However, heavy metals such as mercury are present in fatty fish, and our main method of exposure to cancer-causing dioxins comes from eating fatty meats and fish. Bisphenol A, a suspected endocrine disruptor, is present in food can linings.

Mold - Molds can affect people already suffering from asthma or allergies, and it can produce symptoms including sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, and rashes.

Personal care products - Makeup and toiletries such as shampoos and moisturizers can contain chemicals and artificial colors that have been linked to cancer or can irritate.

Radon- Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive natural gas is a concern in some homes. You can have your radon levels tested.

Asbestos - Asbestos are fibers often used in older insulation and can cause respiratory in people who are exposed to it. If you have an asbestos problem in your home an asbestos expert can perform a home test, and then seal it or remove it as needed.

Improper ventilation - Almost everything offgases in some way, but if your home is not properly ventilated, it might become a cell of polluted air. An improperly ventilated home could exacerbate the problem.

• CDC's National Report on Human Exposure to Chemicals
• Environmental Working Group's Human Genome Project
• Environmental Protection Agency

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