Action Plan & Prioritization

Environmental health can feel overwhelming. There are thousands of chemicals, hundreds of exposure sources, and endless products claiming to be "cleaner." This lesson helps you cut through the noise and focus on what actually matters.

The Prioritization Principles

1. Timing Matters

Prenatal exposure and early childhood (especially ages 0-3) represent the most critical windows. If you are pregnant or have an infant, prioritize those exposures. If your children are older, focus on ongoing exposures you can still modify.

2. Dose Matters

Higher exposures are more concerning. The things you or your child contact multiple times daily (food, water, sleep surfaces, frequently used products) matter more than occasional exposures.

3. Evidence Matters

Some chemicals have decades of research proving harm (lead, mercury, PBDEs). Others are concerning but evidence is emerging. Prioritize addressing the best-documented risks.

4. Feasibility Matters

A change you actually make is worth more than a perfect change you never implement. Start with high-impact changes that fit your life, budget, and priorities.

The High-Priority List

Based on the evidence and exposure patterns, these are the highest-impact changes for most families:

Tier 1: Address Immediately

Lead (if in older home)

• Test home if built before 1978
• Run tap water before drinking
• Wet clean rather than dry dust

Drinking water

• Get a quality water filter (at minimum activated carbon; ideally reverse osmosis)
• Use filtered water for drinking and cooking

Food storage

• Stop microwaving in plastic (transfer to glass)
• Store food in glass or stainless steel
• Replace worn plastic containers

Crib/mattress

• Address the surface where your child spends the most time
• Organic mattress, organic cover, or air out conventional mattress

HEPA air filter

• Especially in bedroom
• Reduces dust, allergens, and some airborne chemicals

Tier 2: Address Soon

Fragrance-free products

• Personal care products for you and your children
• Cleaning products

Fish selection

• Eat fish (for DHA) but choose low-mercury options
• Salmon, sardines, anchovies instead of tuna, swordfish

Rice reduction for young children

• Vary grains
• Cook rice in excess water

Dust control

• Shoes off at door
• HEPA vacuum weekly
• Damp mop and damp dust

Tier 3: Address Over Time

Furniture

• Replace old foam furniture when possible
• Choose solid wood for new purchases

Cookware

• Phase out non-stick
• Use cast iron, stainless steel, or ceramic

Personal care deep-dive

• Review all products on EWG database
• Systematically replace problematic items

Flooring

• If renovating, choose low-VOC options
• If existing carpet is old and dirty, consider replacement

Creating Your Personal Action Plan

Step 1: Assess Your Situation

Consider:

• Ages of your children (prenatal, infant, toddler, older?)
• Age of your home (lead risk?)
• Water source (municipal or well? known contamination?)
• Current product practices (already avoiding some things?)
• Budget constraints
• Time/energy constraints

Step 2: Identify Your Top 3

From the lessons you have completed, what are the 3 changes that would have the highest impact for YOUR family?

Write them down:

Step 3: Make Them Specific

Vague goals do not get completed. Convert each priority to a specific action:

❌ "Reduce plastic use" ✅ "Buy 4 glass food storage containers this weekend and stop using plastic for reheating"

❌ "Get cleaner products" ✅ "Replace baby shampoo with California Baby Super Sensitive when current bottle runs out"

Step 4: Set a Timeline

Give yourself deadlines:

• This week: ___________________________________
• This month: ___________________________________
• Within 3 months: ___________________________________

Step 5: Track and Iterate

After completing your top 3, choose the next 3. Continuous improvement over time adds up to significant exposure reduction.

Managing Overwhelm

It Is Not All-or-Nothing

Reducing exposure by 50% is better than giving up because you cannot achieve 100%. Every improvement matters.

You Cannot Control Everything

You control your home. You have less control over school, daycare, restaurants, and other environments. Focus your energy where you have the most influence.

Avoid Perfectionism Paralysis

Do not spend weeks researching the "perfect" water filter while drinking unfiltered water. Good enough, implemented today, beats perfect, never implemented.

Beware the Scam Products

The environmental health space attracts questionable products and claims. Be skeptical of products that:

• Make health claims that seem too good to be true
• Lack third-party certifications
• Use scare tactics in marketing
• Cost dramatically more than competitors

What Does Success Look Like?

In 6-12 months of steady, prioritized action:

• Your drinking water is filtered
• Food is stored and heated in glass
• The bedroom has cleaner air and bedding
• Personal care products are fragrance-free and safer
• You have reduced (not eliminated) exposures from the highest-impact sources
• You understand the landscape and can make informed choices going forward

This is not about creating a perfectly clean bubble. It is about reducing the chemical body burden during the most critical developmental windows while maintaining a sane, livable home.

The Bigger Picture

Individual action matters, but systemic change matters more. While you protect your own family:

• Support policies that require safety testing before chemicals enter commerce
• Support transparency in product labeling
• Educate other parents who may not have access to this information
• Vote with your purchasing dollars for companies doing better

Your choices send market signals. As more families demand cleaner products, the market shifts.

Final Thoughts

The evidence on environmental chemicals and brain development is concerning—but not hopeless. You now have the knowledge to identify the most important exposures and practical strategies to reduce them.

Start where you are. Do what you can. Keep going.

Your child's developing brain will benefit from every improvement you make.

References

1. Lanphear BP. The impact of toxins on the developing brain. Annu Rev Public Health. 2015;36:211-230. PMID: 25581143

2. Grandjean P, Landrigan PJ. Neurobehavioural effects of developmental toxicity. Lancet Neurol. 2014;13(3):330-338. PMID: 24556010

3. Trasande L, et al. Reducing the staggering costs of environmental disease in children, estimated at $76.6 billion in 2008. Health Aff. 2011;30(5):863-870. PMID: 21543421

4. Bellinger DC. A strategy for comparing the contributions of environmental chemicals and other risk factors to neurodevelopment of children. Environ Health Perspect. 2012;120(4):501-507. PMID: 22182676