Common Places Heavy Metals Are Hiding
Common Places Heavy Metals Are Hiding in Your Everyday Life
When we think of heavy metal exposure, we often picture old factories or mining towns. However, the truth is that these contaminants are hiding in the products we use, the food we eat, and even the air we breathe—right here in Sydney.
Over time, small daily exposures to metals like lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, and aluminium can quietly build up in your body and contribute to fatigue, hormonal imbalances, brain fog, and chronic inflammation. Below are some of the most common sources of heavy metals in modern life—and why they matter:
Seafood and Large Fish
Larger fish such as tuna, swordfish, marlin, and flake (shark) accumulate significant amounts of mercury in their tissues. Regular consumption can increase your mercury burden, particularly for children and pregnant women.
Farmed fish fed low-quality pellets full of pesticides and synthetic additives can build up toxins in their flesh, much like wild fish living in polluted waters.
Seaweed is also worth mentioning. While it’s fantastic for supporting detoxification—especially binding radioactive particles—it will absorb and concentrate whatever is in the water it grows in. Sourcing clean seaweed from unpolluted regions is essential.
Baby Formula
Even reputable infant formulas have been found to contain trace levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury. These contaminants often come from the raw ingredients (rice and soy) and the machinery used during processing.
Pink Rock Salt
Mined in Pakistan’s Khewra Salt Mine, pink rock salt is minimally processed. While it retains a spectrum of trace minerals, it also contains naturally occurring lead, arsenic, cadmium, and aluminium that aren’t removed before packaging.
Makeup (Especially Mascara)
Black and dark mascaras frequently rely on iron oxide pigments, which can be contaminated with lead and arsenic. Metallic eyeliners and brightly coloured lipsticks are other common culprits.
Contaminated Soils
Urban soils can hold decades of residues from lead-based paints, old rubbish tips, industrial runoff, and traffic pollution. Children playing in bare dirt or eating home-grown vegetables can be exposed to harmful substances.
Old Pipes and Plumbing
Homes built before the 1980s often have lead solder or pipes that leach metals into drinking water. However, in many areas, old-school buildings and commercial premises are even more of a concern, as their plumbing is less likely to have been upgraded.
Herbal Supplements and Traditional Remedies
Some imported herbal formulas are contaminated with heavy metals due to polluted soils or poor manufacturing controls.
It’s important to remember that not all herbs are created equal. Plants draw their potency (and their contaminants) from their environment.
For example:
Mushrooms thrive in damp, decomposing environments and can absorb toxins.
Sunflowers are known to absorb arsenic and other heavy metals from the soil.
The way herbs are grown, harvested, and prepared has a significant impact on their benefits and risks. This is why I am very particular about the brands, suppliers, and practitioners I trust.
Tinned Foods and Aluminium Cookware
Metal cans—especially those used for acidic foods—can leach cadmium, lead, and aluminium into food. Cheap cookware and foil also contribute to cumulative exposure.
All things are not created equal, and the location of processing affects contamination levels.
It’s also worth noting that heating elements inside electric kettles and urns can leach cadmium into water, especially over time.
Air Pollution and Vehicle Emissions
Urban air is filled with fine particulates containing heavy metals, ranging from brake dust to industrial emissions.
Living next to busy roads is a significant contributor, but so is housing near areas where trucks use compression brakes on the freeway. Flight paths over residential areas are also becoming a concern as air traffic increases.
Cigarette Smoke and E-Cigarettes
Tobacco smoke contains cadmium, lead, arsenic, and other metals that accumulate in your tissues.
Cheap e-cigarettes and vaping liquids are another emerging source of cadmium and heavy metals, often from poorly manufactured heating coils and contaminated flavourings.
Perfumes and Fragrances
Many perfumes and body sprays contain metals introduced via colourants, contaminated plant extracts, or leaching from packaging over time.
A Note on Added Minerals in Foods
As a general rule, I avoid eating any foods with added minerals, such as fortified cereals, beverages, or processed supplements. This is because the synthetic forms of minerals are often poorly absorbed, can create imbalances in the body, and—depending on how they’re manufactured—may carry a higher risk of contamination with heavy metals.
