When the Palisades and Eaton wildfires occurred last month, a lot of plastic burned. This released a host of contaminants into the air, in particular the toxic halogens: bromine, chlorine, and fluorine.
In this newsletter, I’m going to explain what toxic halogens are, how these elements wreak havoc on the body and cause iodine deficiency (and why this matters to you), as well as simple steps you can take to avoid exposure and support the detoxification of these chemicals from the body.
Disclaimer: I’m not a medical doctor, and this is not medical advice. This newsletter is for educational purposes only. Before making any changes, consult with your doctor.
In the Periodic Table, elements that are in the same column share many of the same chemical properties. One such column, group 17, is called the Halogens. This group of elements contains fluorine, chlorine, iodine, and bromine. With the exception of iodine/iodide and chloride (ie: sodium chloride, or salt), these elements are toxic to the human body. Iodine, iodide, and chloride are biologically essential.
Because halogens all share similar chemical and electrical properties, they can end up substituting or displacing one another in a process called Ionic Mimicry. Exposure to toxic halides displaces the biologically essential element iodine.
If you only take away a single fact from this newsletter, I want it to be this: Toxic halide exposure causes iodine deficiency.
This ionic mimicry happens at all levels of the ecosystem–Wherever iodine tends to bioaccumulate, the toxic halogens also have the potential to bioaccumulate.
Any area of the human body that has the potential to concentrate iodine (not just the thyroid, but all glands: breasts, ovaries, testes, prostate, pancreas, salivary glands…) also has an affinity for bioaccumulation of the toxic halides.
Any food that we label as a “high iodine” food also has the potential to be a “high toxic halide” food (eg: kelp, seafood, milk, egg yolks). This happens both in plant and animal foods. For example, in this 1989 study looking at milk samples from Japan, on average, the PPM concentration of bromine was 58 times higher than iodine, and the PPM concentration of chlorine was a whopping 8,885 times higher than iodine present in the milk.
If these milk samples are at all reflective of the global supply, and also taking into consideration the fact that industrial bromine and chlorine pollution has only increased since the 1980s, it is easy to understand why there is a global epidemic of iodine deficiency:
Our food supply is loaded with toxic halogens that are causing iodine deficiency.
At a population level, urinary levels of iodine excretion have declined significantly over the years. According to US government data collected in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, urinary iodine levels decreased by more than 50%, between the 1970s and late 80s/early 90s.
Back to the Los Angeles wildfires:
When the plastic pipes, synthetic sofas, mattresses, carpets, and other items in people’s homes burned in the Eaton and Palisades Fires, this released a massive amount of chlorine, bromine, and fluorine (the F in PFAS stands for fluorine) into the air, soil, and water.
Scientists at CalTech and NASA Jet Propulsion Lab, which happen to be located adjacent to the Eaton Fire, set up a specialized air sensor to monitor levels of lead, chlorine, and bromine since the wildfires. When you look at these graphs, you can clearly see a massive spike in these pollutants in the days after the Eaton Fire began on January 7th. Interestingly, you can see these chemicals persist in the environment and get kicked up at later points in time–For example, the air sensor detected the highest levels of bromine on February 3rd.
We can also see how the spikes in these 3 contaminants don’t neatly correspond to spikes in the Air Quality Index, a metric that is used in most air quality maps.
Both Acute And Chronic Exposures Have Health Outcomes
While the wildfire smoke and debris led to an acute exposure to toxic halogens, we come in contact with these toxicants on a chronic basis in our day to day lives.
The body absorbs halogens in 3 main ways: ingestion, inhalation, and absorption through the skin.
How Are We Exposed To Bromine?
Bromine is used in industrial applications, and it is added as a flame retardant to automobiles, mattresses, pillows, sofas, and upholstery. Our cell phones, laptops, and other electronics contain bromine. It is added to many synthetic clothing dyes. It is also used as a fumigant to kill insects in chemically treated wood. Some swimming pools and hot tubs will use bromine as a disinfectant instead of chlorine. Bromine is also used as a dough conditioner in non-organic baked goods, and it is added to certain sodas and energy drinks. It is also a component of organo-brominated pesticides, which have long half lives and persist in the soil for many years, where they are taken up by the plants and animals grown on the land. While brominated pesticides are not approved for use in organic crops, organic foods can still be contaminated with bromine that persists in the soil from applications that occurred years ago.
How Are We Exposed To Chlorine?
Chlorine is also used in industrial applications and in the manufacturing of many types of plastic. It is commonly added as a disinfecting agent to swimming pools and hot tubs. Chlorine is also added to our tap water as a disinfectant–these chlorine chemicals can break down into other compounds called “chlorine disinfection byproducts.” Our food supply is contaminated with chlorine from irrigation water–The Lower Colorado River, which irrigates farmland in Southern California and Arizona, is contaminated with a type of chlorine chemical called perchlorates.
Chlorine is also used to make organo-chlorinated pesticides–The notorious DDT is an organo-chlorinated pesticide with an annoyingly long half life in soil, so even though the pesticide was banned in the US in the 1970s, DDT and DDT metabolites continue to persist in significant concentrations in the environment.
Dioxins and PCBs are highly carcinogenic chlorine-containing compounds that were measured in the smoke and ash from these recent wildfires.
How Are We Exposed To Fluorine?
Fluorine is found in municipal tap water, conventional toothpaste, dental treatments, prescription medications (inhalers, nose sprays, SSRIs, statins, etc.), organo-fluoridated pesticides, and a class of compounds called PFAS.
PFAS are chemicals that are used for making non-stick pans and for waterproofing clothing, shoes, camping equipment, rugs, upholstery, and plumber’s tape. Most conventional and even organic makeup typically contains PFAS. PFAS are added to a lot of food packaging, first aid supplies, plastics, and shipping barrels.
More recently, scientists and government officials have become aware of PFAS contamination in sewage sludge that is applied as a “fertilizer” to agricultural fields. While USDA Organic regulations prohibit the use of “biosolids” as fertilizer, because PFAS is such a persistent class of “forever” chemicals, even USDA organic fields can be contaminated.
The blog Mamavation is an excellent resource for vetting if a product has been tested for PFAS contamination.
Actionable Steps To Reduce Exposure And Support The Removal Of Toxic Halogens
At this point you might be feeling extremely bummed out to realize that exposure to these toxins in our environment is inevitable. The good news is that I’m about to empower you with actionable steps that are within your control to lower your exposure and increase your excretion of the toxic halides!
Symptoms And Health Conditions Associated With Acute And Chronic Exposure To Toxic Halogens
What are some symptoms to look out for that might indicate toxic halogen exposure, and the other side of the same coin, iodine deficiency?
Some of these symptoms may require medical attention. If in doubt, don’t delay seeking the care of a medical doctor.
- Irritability
- Headache
- Rapid heart rate
- Dark thoughts (at the extreme end of things, even suicidal thoughts)
- Brain fog
- Impaired concentration
- Impaired memory
- Fatigue
- Tremors
- Eye twitching and muscle twitching
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Psychosis and hallucinations
- Ataxia
- Difficulty breathing
- Asthma
- Eye irritation
- Itchy skin, skin irritation, rash
- Strong body odors (bromine comes from the Greek word “bromos,” which means “stench”)
- Cold hands and feet
- Hormonal imbalances
- Fibrocystic breasts
- Breast cancer and other types of cancers
- Disturbed sleep and low melatonin production
Myelin is the protective fatty sheath that covers our neurons and allows for proper nerve conduction. Multiple Sclerosis and Guillain-Barré are two autoimmune disorders that attack myelin. Ethidium Bromide is one chemical used by researchers to induce an animal model of demyelination. Conversely, iodine is an essential cofactor for the healthy formation of myelin, the protective sheath that coats our neurons. Isn’t it reasonable to wonder what the implications of halogen exposure and iodine deficiency are for individuals who have demyelinating conditions?
Conventional medicine only recognizes acute exposures of bromine, fluorine, and chlorine, but generally speaking does not take into account how chronic accumulation could lead to dysfunction and disease.
Strategies for avoiding exposure to toxic halides:
- Install a high quality water filtration system in your home for both your drinking and bathing water (reverse osmosis or distillation systems for drinking water). Halogens are readily absorbed through the skin.
- Consume USDA organic whenever possible
- Filter the air in your home–I recommend using a MERV13 air filter if you have an HVAC system, or using air filtration units that have a combination of HEPA and carbon filters. A lot of great brands on the market, but two I recommend are IQ Air and Air Doctor.
- If you drink seltzer or bottled water, choose brands that test clean for PFAS and other contaminants. Hipsters, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your La Croix is chock full of PFAS. I personally choose to drink Mountain Valley.
- Purchase natural and organic mattresses and furniture that are bromine-free.
- Make the switch to using natural and organic textiles and clothing. Even if you can’t afford organic, choosing 100% natural fibers like cotton, linen, wool, and hemp will still reduce your exposure to the harmful chemicals found in plastic-derived fibers like polyester, nylon, and spandex.
- Request that your exterminator use natural, non-toxic alternatives to brominated/chlorinated insecticides and fumigation sprays
Strategies for detoxification of toxic halides:
- #1 most important thing: Stay hydrated! The majority of toxic halogens are cleared in the urine. A general rule of thumb is to take your body weight in pounds, divide in half, and to aim to drink that amount of water in ounces. Aim for urine that is pale straw color–Yellow means you’re dehydrated, and colorless could mean you’re over-hydrated.
- Salt loading: The US Military has developed a procedure for treating soldiers who have became sick due to bromine exposure from chemical munitions. This procedure is relatively safe if you have normal kidney function: Mix ¼ tsp high quality sea salt in a cup of filtered water and drink. Chase this with 2 cups of plain filtered water, or until you pee readily. This can be repeated multiple times per day, but be sure to balance out the increased salt intake with an increased intake of potassium-rich foods, aiming for an intake ratio of 1:3 Na:K. (Speak with your doctor before making any changes).
- Sauna and Exercise: Sweating is a secondary detoxification pathway, and we can increase clearance of toxic halogens by sweating. If you don’t have a sauna, try looking for a public bathhouse near you! In Los Angeles, there is an amazing Korean spa called Wi Spa, as well as a women’s only Korean spa called Olympic.
- Consume more high-iodine foods, especially USDA organic kelp harvested from the waters off the coast of Maine, which tends to have less pollution. Seaweeds other than kelp tend to have significant heavy metal contamination and not that much iodine.
- “High”-dose iodine supplementation using the Lugol’s/Iodoral formulation, in combination with cofactor nutrients, has been shown to increase urinary excretion of bromine and chlorine, though not of fluorine. Taking “high” doses of iodine should be done under the supervision of an iodine-literate doctor. High dose iodine supplementation is contraindicated in individuals with certain medical conditions, including poor kidney function. In order for high doses of iodine to be taken safely, one must consume the proper companion nutrients, and the optimal levels of these nutrients will be slightly different for each person, which is one of the reasons why a doctor needs to monitor your labs to see what is appropriate for you.
Next Steps
To learn more about the Iodine Protocol that was developed by Drs. Brownstein, Flechas, Hakala, and Abraham, I recommend reading Dr. Brownstein’s book Iodine: Why you need it, why you can’t live without it. There are also numerous podcasts and youtube interviews available for free from these physicians. Lynne Farrow’s book The Iodine Crisis is also an excellent resource, especially for individuals who have breast cancer, fibrocystic breast disease, and hormonal imbalances.
As an HTMA practitioner, I consider the interactions between minerals. Taking “high” doses of any mineral will have cascading effects on the entire mineral system. High dose iodine isn’t for everyone, especially for individuals who are in “fast oxidation” or “4 lows,” where iodine can worsen mineral patterns that are already present.
If you are curious about what it would be like to work together to correct nutrient deficiencies and optimize your body’s natural ability to eliminate heavy metals and environmental toxins, you can read more about my services here, and you can book a free discovery call here.
Additionally, I wish that we had more unbiased, thoughtfully designed research on iodine to answer the many questions that I have as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner: Why is it that some people seem to be more prone to iodine deficiency and toxic halogen accumulation? Is this at least partially driven by genetics? How do deficiencies and imbalances in other minerals affect the rate at which the body both uses iodine and accumulates toxic halogens? How does stress, whether emotional or physical, change how the body metabolizes iodine?
These questions will remain unanswered for now. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of funding available for research studies on the impact of minerals and toxic elements in humans. Hopefully this will change, with time!
And hopefully we can work toward a world where we are reducing the levels of toxic halogen pollution: less plastic, less pesticides, and cleaner water.