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"According to brand new research, what you track into the house on your shoes could be toxic. Even more reason to consider kicking your shoes off at the door and slipping into those bunny slippers... Previous studies have shown a correlation to toxic substances on flooring and carpeting in homes, but several brand new studies released this week make the evidence even more convincing. MSNBC reports that cancer-causing toxic chemicals are found in abundance in pavement--the culprit, they say, is the coal tar sealant sprayed over the surface (aka, blacktop). The substance was basically deemed a &amp;quot;hazardous waste&amp;quot; by the Environmental Protection Agency in the 1990s, but it&amp;#x27;s allowed to be used widely in paving because it&amp;#x27;s being &amp;quot;recycled&amp;quot; rather than disposed of. Hmmm. So, in other words, we&amp;#x27;re walking around on this hazardous waste, and potentially tracking it into our homes. The studies indicate the biggest risk is to children, who are most likely to come into contact with blacktop sealants during play, but the risk is real for everyone, which is why many city governments are reportedly working to outlaw these types of blacktop sealants. It&amp;#x27;s funny, I can still remember the scent of blacktop in the neighborhoods of my childhood--the unmistakeable smell of fresh pavement on a hot summer day. If we only knew how toxic it was! Do you take your shoes off in your home? I do! P.S. More thoughts on why taking off your shoes at home makes good sense for health. And, do you dread taking your shoes off at the airport? Good news: An end may be in sight! Photo: Christian Louboutin"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2012/02/health-challenge-buy-a-pair-of>